Framework 152 Weight Loss (Psychological Approach)
Introduction
You can learn lessons from successful psychological approaches to weight loss that are relevant to organisational change.
The psychological approach is more effective than counting calories or recording exercise activities.
Need to remember that as humans we are
"...programmed to do what feels best in the moment, what is easiest and most pleasurable and most convivial......overcoming this hard-wiring is like rewriting thousands of years of evolution..."
Boudicca Fox-Leonard, 2023
Food has a complicated role in our lives, and without it we starve. However, beyond the connection between hunger and eating, we eat for connection, happiness, sadness and out of habit.
"...When you feel negative emotions or stress, it increases the cortisol levels in our body, resulting in our bodies requiring more energy to function - which can make it all too easy to reach for the foods that contain fat, sugar and salt......this type of eating tends to change the way we feel or distracts us from our negative feelings. This process can become automatic over time and become an unhelpful habit or coping mechanism..."
Lisa Gunn as quoted by Boudicca Fox-Leonard, 2023
Conditions for successful weight loss, using 4 stages:
i) pre-contemplation (you don't even think of doing anything)
ii) contemplation (usually happens after eating too much and/or gaining weight and realising the need to do something)
iii) preparation (psyching yourself up to make a change)
iv) action (making the change)
NB The basis for this is
"... It's hard to change something if you don't see it happening ..."
Andreas Michaelides as quoted by Boudicca Fox-Leonard, 2023
Unless you have a really in-depth understanding of their issues, it is better to share your own experiences about how you have used food to soothe emotions or talk about your goal to improve your eating habits; rather than trying to highlight somebody's bad eating habits which could cause them to feel shame or embarrassment, this approach inspires. otherwise, the risk is that we could easily misunderstand the causes of their emotional eating and jump to unhelpful conclusions.
Sometimes it can be an advantage to have a friend to keep the person trying to shed weight accountable for his/her goals; which, in turn, can encourage them to consider their habits.
The above 4 stages need to be linked to 'your big picture' or 'purpose', ie why are you doing this; the more 'whys' you ask, the better; for example
- why do you want to eat more healthily? The answer might be you want to be fitter and healthier
- then ask why do you want to be fitter and healthier? The answer might be to live longer;
- why do you want to live longer? The answer might be to watch your grandchildren grow up
- why do you want to watch your grandchildren grow up? The answer might be to enjoy their companionship
- why do you want to enjoy their companionship? The answer might be being a role model to them, etc
NB This is sometimes called the '5 whys' (for more details, see elsewhere in the Knowledge Base).
This is a technique to find out what matters to people and what their values are; generally eating healthily 'because I should' is not a very strong reason to overcome the daily temptations.
"...connecting with purpose gives day-to-day things a lot more context..."
Andreas Michaelides as quoted by Boudicca Fox-Leonard, 2023
The more you define your purpose, the better you do.
Need to be prepared for the potential temptations and frustrations; intentions can be derailed by circumstances like
"...A friend's birthday party; desire to make a loved one happy; stressful day at work; sheer love of chocolate cake..."
Andreas Michaelides as quoted by Boudicca Fox-Leonard, 2023
Need to develop the skill of knowing how to advocate for yourself and meet your own needs while preserving relationships. It can be hard to say 'no' to a food pusher and temptations.
Some examples:
- eating processed foods like biscuits, cakes, etc at office functions (need to have a polite refusal at the tip of your tongue or a healthy snack to eat)
- emotional eating that is triggered by negative emotions (need to be able to visualise and anticipate having a healthy meal waiting or healthy food options available)
- friends and family who show their love for you via food (need to anticipate these situations as your rejection of their food can be misinterpreted; repeatedly saying 'no thank you' can be useful)
In many ways it's looking at our habits, patterns, etc and finding ways to change the unhealthy ones.
"...these patterns of behaviour are cycles that we repeat, and meaningful change will not happen until we break them. That can't be done without engaging and identifying the problems. Identify the why and then work out what works for you so that you can sustain it..."
Andreas Michaelides as quoted by Boudicca Fox-Leonard, 2023
Summary
"...awareness is key......before you start eating, try to determine whether you are eating to satisfy hunger or an emotion. Look for patterns - notice when you increase or limit your food intake. Fears can also be internal from your thoughts in response to external stressors. Ask yourself: 'what situations, and what kinds of food, do I tend to go for?'.
Changing an association that is deeply embedded in your brain is difficult. Losing weight - or not - can be riddled with shame; a sense of failure associated with dieting is painful. Try to develop an internal dialogue that is helpful. Develop a strong relationship with yourself mirrored by an internal dialogue......taking a compassionate approach will have unanticipated changes that are outside of weight loss. Having a strategy for when you 'veer off' from your healthy eating plan is just as important as the plan itself......self-compassion prevents you from spiraling into shame and negative self-talk that can push you further from your goals by eroding your self-esteem and motivation. Whenever you are on your journey to break behavioural patterns and find sustainable habits, ask yourself: what does success look like, above and beyond a number on a scale?..."
Lisa Gunn, et al as quoted by Boudicca Fox-Leonard, 2023