So here’s some new research that I think any long term dieter could have written – but in plainer language.
Purpose: Weight loss is critical in the fight against obesity yet only about 20% of individuals maintain weight loss long term. This review examines the psychological factors influencing weight loss maintenance….
Conclusion: Evidence indicated avoiding dichotomous thinking, eating to regulate mood, and disinhibited eating were associated with weight loss maintenance. Increased dietary restraint, perceived benefits outweighing costs, lower/stable levels of depression, and more positive body image were also associated with weight loss maintenance. …
And it all means?
If you want to maintain a weight loss (and I would add, lose it in the first place), get rid of the following behaviours:
- dichotomous thinking = All or Nothing, On or Off Programme, On or Off the Wagon
- eating to regulate mood = Ice-cream* or Cheese* Therapy (insert applicable food.)
- disinhibited eating = “I eat because it’s there.”
And add the following behaviours:
- increased dietary restraint = too big for a one-liner. This is the whole lifelong commitment to a new and better way of eating.
- perceived benefits outweighing cost = “I’d rather wear that dress than eat that doughnut.” (I know there’s a better deeper reason but it didn’t just pop into my mind the way the dress image did.)
- lower/stable levels of depression = (in my case) keep talking it off and keep moving.
- having better body image = being motivated to make big changes out of love rather than loathing for my body.
If these really are the secrets to success – and they ring true to me – then I’m going to work with them for a while. I know an awful lot about dieting. I know what to eat. I know how much to move. But I’m not getting the results I want – because I’m not being consistent with the things above.
So from this point till I’m bored (can’t promise a timeline), I will notice and work through these things on a daily basis.