February 28, 2017 – Tuesday Reality Check
Remember: eat crappy, feel crappy. Eat healthy, feel healthy! It’s that simple (and that complex….).
Remember: eat crappy, feel crappy. Eat healthy, feel healthy! It’s that simple (and that complex….).
One dieter recently said to us, “I was going through a really stressful time but for the first time EVER I didn’t use it as an excuse to overeat. Instead, continuing to take control over my eating helped me feel better every single day and actually made it easier to deal with my stress. I never knew this before!”
The more you focus on your mistakes, the worse you feel. The more you give yourself credit for all the great things you’re doing, the better you feel, the more momentum you build, and the easier it gets to continue doing well. This weekend, make a commitment to CREDIT.
When dieters say, “Dieting was so hard this week,” we always question them further and often find out that, in actuality, it was really hard a few times during the week but these experiences were coloring their perception of the week as a whole. In dieting, it’s important to maintain an accurate sense of reality so that you don’t psych yourself out by thinking it’s always harder than it is.
Sabotaging Thought: It’s too hard to get myself back on track because it’s too much of a burden to do all the things I used to do.
Response: Actually, it feels terrible to be off track. When I was doing my dieting tasks before it really DIDN’T feel all that burdensome because I was in control of my eating and it felt GREAT. Once I make myself start doing them again, I’ll be reminded of how much better I feel.
There is a difference between hunger and boredom. Don’t use food for entertainment, that’s not its purpose. The next time you’re bored, find something else to do!
Sometimes people confuse not knowing how to diet with not wanting it enough. What we have found with our clients is that it’s rarely, if ever, a question of them not wanting it. It’s all a matter of them lacking the knowledge to get there. So, if you’ve had trouble in the past, stop blaming yourself! Instead, focus your energy on learning what you need to be successful.
If you think, “I don’t want to deprive myself of food this weekend,” remind yourself, “Either way I’ll be deprived. I’ll be deprived of some food, some of the time (but not all food all the time), or I’ll be deprived of everything on my Advantages List. Which deprivation do I want?
When you make a dieting mistake, it’s helpful to NOT use the word “cheat” because “cheating” can have very negative, sometimes moralistic undertones. If you make a mistake in dieting, it doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you a NORMAL person.
Sabotaging Thought: I’m going to eat this unplanned food because I just don’t care.
Response: While it’s true I don’t care right now, it’s NOT true that I won’t care later – I definitely, definitely will. I can’t let this one moment of not caring dictate my actions.
The Beck Diet Program was developed by Dr. Judith S. Beck with Deborah Beck Busis, LCSW.
Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a leading international source for training, therapy, and resources in CBT.
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