The Schools of Psychology and Weight Loss
Cognitive
(Albert Ellis, Martin Seligman, Aaron Beck)
The Problem: Irrational Thoughts
Negative
"I'll never...
"I'll always..."
"I can't..."
Irrational
"I should be as thin as...."
Solution
Track your irrational thoughts and find substitutes for them
Thought stopping
Cognitive Restructuring
Behavioral (B.F. Skinner, John Watson)
The Problem: Bad Habits
Something is reinforcing whatever you're doing now
Eating while watching TV
Large portion sizes
Solution
Remove current reinforcer
Reinforce yourself for different behaviors
Make small changes in your environment so that healthy eating is easy to do
Psychoanalytic (Freud)
The Problem: Unresolved Feelings
Past/Family/Childhod
Comfort Food
Solution
Gain Insight through psychotherapy
Resolve unconscious conflicts
Humanistic (Carl Rogers)
The Problem: lack of self acceptance
You don't like yourself, or you feel that part of you is "bad"
Lost connection with what is important to you
Your job has no meaning for you
Solution
Recognize that we're all imperfect
Learn to love yourself despite your faults
Reconnect with your talents, skills & hobbies. Nurture a sense of self-efficacy by becoming good at something you enjoy
Set up something to look forward to
New Job, new direction in your life
Biological
The Problem: Your Body and Brain
Heredity
Metabolic Rate
Your Age
We lose muscle and thus gain weight as we get older
Metabolism slows as we get older
Thyroid
Set Point Theory
Evolution: Our bodies have evolved to crave sugar, fat and salt (they used to be in very short supply) and to store fat in case of famine, so your body fights fat loss
sugar
increases insulin
over time, cells can develop insulin resistance
fat
Supernormal Stimuli
Foods you find at the supermarket are "supernormal" - that is, often larger than normal, more colorful and specifically designed with the mix of salt, sugar and fat to be addictive.
Solution
Consistent Exercise
Diet
water
reduce simple sugars
increase fruits and vegetables
Sociocultural
The Problem: Your Friends, Media & the "Culture of Consumption"
Group Pressures at Get-Togethers like at bars and parties
Expected Holiday eating
Television, Movies and magazines showing attractive and thin people
Food Advertisements are everywhere
Junk food is readily available all around you
Solution
Enlist help of current friends
Make New Friends - make group pressure work in your favor
Avoid the influence of media
