All-Bran for the Emotions

OK the Title is a bit obscure but I'll explain myself.  I came across an article today entitled Six Signs of Emotional Blockage.   Blockage......All Bran.....get it??

The causes of excess weight are many and varied and emotions play a big role in whether we have our hand in the cookie jar all day.  And the "shoulds" do an incredible amount of damage, whether they're directed to others or ourselves.

So read the article and see if you need a metaphorical bowl of All-Bran today.  And if you do, have it with low fat milk!

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life/six-signs-of-emotional-blockage-20120830-251ye.html

Have a terrific weekend.

Self-compassion. What a concept!

I find so much self-directed anger and self loathing in clients when they first come to me.  They are extremely harsh on themselves but would never be as unforgiving and inflexible towards other people.

This article talks about the benefits of self-compassion, and challenges the notion that if we are kind to ourselves we'll just mess up even more.

Take it to heart - it just might help you get where you want to go.

http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/developing_self_compassion?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoivq3AZKXonjHpfsXw7OgqXaeylMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4JSstjI%2FqLAzICFpZo2FFcG%2FSUboFU8%2BNUH0S5VjTojKTeaIRLYg%3D%3D

Yo-yo....so-so

We have been told in the past that yo-yo dieting can adversely affect one's ability to lose weight and keep it off.  Well the jury's gone out and come back in on that theory now.  

A recent study found no significant difference between those who yo yo dieted and those who didn't with their ability to successfully lose weight in the future.

"A history of unsuccessful weight loss should not dissuade an individual from future attempts to shed pounds or diminish the role of a healthy diet and regular physical activity in successful weight management," said the study's senior author Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division."

Woo hoo!!!!  Phew!  Now there's no need to give up before you start.  You are not handicapped by past instances of weight loss and regain.

And just a little bonus....here's Yo Yo Ma (get it, huh, huh, get it??) playing one of the most beautiful cello pieces I've ever heard. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCicM6i59_I&feature=related

Crazy Diets...with crazy creators

Dr Dukan - only opens his mouth to change "les pieds" (the feet) it seems.  And the ones he's criticising are the ones he wants to buy his book and system.  Despite the fact that lots of French people don't eat anything like the Dukan Diet and still keep trim - its their habits around eating (no snacking, no guilt, a "bit" of red wine, a good sense of self etc. etc.) that keeps them that way, not his steak and salad regime.

Hmmm, they've even decided he can't call himself a doctor anymore.

Any diet will work, temporarily.  The multitude of rules and restrictions will get to us in the end, though.  And then we'll blame ourselves, not the diet, when its really the diet at fault.  Too complex, too restrictive, very "all or nothing" and so on.

Maybe the "mental problem" obese people have is that they don't believe what weirdo Frenchmen say!

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/the-obese-have-a-mental-problem-20120821-24joa.html

Now here's an interesting comparison...

"People in war zones tend to have more negative perceptions of their bodies."  A quote from an article in Medical News Today that I spotted today.

This is an interesting point.  And I imagine living in a war zone to have many more impacts on people's mental health, as well as the obvious physical health risks.

But, in a similar sense, aren't overweight and obese people living in a sort of "war zone"? (believe me this is not in any way an actual comparison - merely a philosophical/illustrative one)  The constant rating related to size, the images in the press, the stares and judgement of strangers, is this not a sort of war zone?  Then there's the workplace and employment discrimination.

And I've just received my Psychological Society magazine in which there's an article that mentions the increased sexual objectification of men - just like women have been experiencing for many years.

We are SO lucky not to live in a war zone.  Why don't we refuse to make it a body image war-free zone too?  

The Motherlode!

All the daily dieting tips from the Beck Diet Solution in one location.  Heaven!

http://www.beckdietsolution.com/daily-diet-solutions/

Enjoy!

Happiness vs. Unhappiness

This is a little off my usual target - but I like its simplicity and I also know how easy it is for overweight/obese people to make themselves unhappy.

The pursuit of happiness is as old as modern civilization. Books, elixers, religions, and philosophies are all devoted to it. Happiness is a quest, an obsession, and a universal aspiration.

But what does it take to be unhappy?

In some ways, it's easier than happiness itself. New research and much life experience offers a simple recipe for genuine discontent. 

***

Buy things you can't afford or don't want. Either choice is a sure fit for unhappiness. When you buy things you can't afford, you go into debt, which limits the other choices available to you. When you buy things you don't want, you lie to yourself about the real source of your unhappiness. 

Compare yourself to others. The love of comparison is the root of much misery. Therefore, judge your success or worth based on other people, especially those with a different background from you. Do this on a continual basis, always looking for a new idol or competitor in which your ideal unhappiness lies. 

Take no joy in the journey. Focus only on the destination without appreciating the ride. Fail to celebrate small successes, and neglect to pause for reflection on how far you've come.

Respond instead of initiate. Take no responsibility for your schedule or preferences. Let other people set the agenda for your life. Take the lead for your schedule from your Inbox, voicemail, or someone else's demands.

Allow other people to determine your values and priorities. Set no compass point for your life. Drift in the wind. For best results, allow your values and priorities to shift as you waver between bosses or role models. 

Refuse to challenge yourself. Take it easy and settle into routine. Choose to believe that all stress is bad and seek to live as relaxed a life as possible.

Whine and complain to anyone who will listen. Explain how the world isn't fair and how you would do things differently if you were in charge. Bonus: this practice also allows you to contribute to other people's unhappiness.

Focus only on yourself. Refuse to forgive. Hold on to grudges. See the worst in people. Do not give out free lunch. 

Settle. Accept things as they are no matter how unsettling they might seem. It could always be worse, right? Live in the complacency of your situation and refuse to fight for something better. 

***

Happiness may require more than pithy quotations on Twitter and a good sleep cycle, but unhappiness is fairly simple. 

What would you add to the list?



The author is Chris Guillebeau who is a generous and clever online writer and entrepreneur.

So if he's succinctly identified what causes unhappiness, we only need to reverse it to grasp what will help lead to happiness.

Thank you Chris - sometimes we know something but need to see it written down to have it sink in.  Plus I love the picture of the muddy, abandoned teddy bear!

A little bit goes a long way

You may feel you have 300kg to lose.  But even a small amount of weight loss can have significant health benefits.

Key researchers in this area are showing that modest weight loss (i.e. less than 20lbs which is even less than 10kg) can afford great improvements in health and well-being.  

So for those of you who reply to a compliment regarding a 1.5kg weight loss with "yes...but I have 750 more to go), perhaps the distance isn't that great.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/248599.php

Oh and by the way, sugar is addictive.  DUH!  If you are addicted to crack cocaine, you don't spend your leisure time in a crack den.  If you have a problem with sugar, don't hang out at Krispy Kreme.  Sorry, I really don't want to single out one food company, but they are just fitting with my writing style today.  Tomorrow, I may have a go at McDonalds.  Stay tuned!

You CAN change.

Are our food choices and emotional eating behaviours evidence of significant, deep-seated issues that require extensive analysis or are they simply bad habits?  Yes, I know, a bit of a black and white argument (and those of you who are my clients will know that I HATE black and white thinking).  However, please forgive me this gross generalisation.  As I say to people, the only habit we were born with was to seek out mother's milk, every other habit has been adopted.  If we can create one habit, we can create another one to override it.

Its not a walk in the park.  Its not even a run around the 'Tan (Melburnians will know what I mean).  So it may cause discomfort....well so does being significantly overweight or bingeing and purging.  Have a no-calorie look at this interesting article based on scientific information about habit formation and re-formation.  Here's an excerpt.

The good news is, humans are not simply creatures of habit. We have many more brain regions to help us do what’s best for our health.

“Humans are much better than any other animal at changing and orienting our behavior toward long-term goals, or long-term benefits,” says Dr. Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University. His studies on decision-making and willpower have led him to conclude that “self-control is like a muscle. Once you’ve exerted some self-control, like a muscle it gets tired.”

After successfully resisting a temptation, Baumeister’s research shows, willpower can be temporarily drained, which can make it harder to stand firm the next time around. In recent years, though, he’s found evidence that regularly practicing different types of self-control—such as sitting up straight or keeping a food diary—can strengthen your resolve.

You CAN change, it is physically and psychologically and chemically possible.  Persistence is a significant part of the process, getting support helps too.  But believing that it is possible for you to change is key.  Yes, we are all addicted to food (otherwise we'd die) but we're NOT addicted to Krispy Kreme donuts...we just HABITUALLY CONSUME them.  Do your bit to put good old Krispy Kreme out of business by working on your habits.  Your body and mind will thank you.

http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/jan2012/feature1

Diets Don't Work

Great article appeared in The Sunday Age magazine yesterday.

http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/down-with-diets-20120809-23vyd.html 

Check out the list of weirdo ways to melt pounds - including fat whispering!

The Principles of Eat THINK and Be Merry

Happy Monday!  As I'm in the process of updating the website www.eat-think.com.au and including some documents for free download, I decided to post one of the key principles of Eat, THINK per day.  Here goes:

BEING OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE IS NOT A PERSONALITY DEFECT OR CHARACTER FLAW.
You cannot judge a person's worth or intrinsic value on the basis of their weight alone.  Humans are complex, ever-changing entities with an infinite number of variables in their make-up; criteria which are impossible to evaluate against each other.

To quote good old J K Rowling:
"Is fat really the worst thing a human can be?  Is fat worse than vindictive, jealous, shallow, vain, boring, evil or cruel?  Not to me"

Its rare, but occasionally there is someone else out there who realises that 


1.  diets don't work, 
2.  a change in thinking must be accompanied by a change in behaviour 
3.  and generally believes in the ability of people to be good to themselves.


Dr Judith Beck is the daughter of the creator of cognitive-behaviour therapy (Dr Aaron Beck) - impressive pedigree.  She wrote a great book in 2007 entitled The Beck Diet Solution (shameless self-promotion in the title I know!) which is not a diet book but a book about changing thinking and, therefore, behaviour. You go Dr B!


The reason I'm sending a shout out is their Facebook page entitled Beck Diet Solution.  Each day, they post a "sabotaging thought" and a "helpful" or "rational response".  Sometimes I think they're reading my mind!


Check it out, "like" it if you like it, and get (for free) some solution-focused alternatives to all those boring, negative, self-defamatory comments that rattle around in your head all the time................or is that just me?