Automatic Thinking..Reactive Eating!
June 11, 2012
This is addendum to the article posted on Ask the Cognitive Behavior Therapist.com/ on Automatic Thinking..Reactive Behavior.
Applying the principle points that automatic thoughts are the thoughts and images that involuntarily pop into our conscious or semi conscious mind to food situations, we can begin to see how emotional eating is related to automatic thinking.
Habitual Emotional Eating
So for example when we are emotional about something, our semi-conscious automatic thought might be “I need sugar. So eating a cupcake will make me feel better”. This is an example of a thought is likely linked to a habit. As a result the person automatically craves sweets when they become emotional.
Also since the thought of the cupcake making one feel better is tucked away from our consciousness, when we are eating the cupcake we most likely don’t recognize “the cupcake does not solve my problem nor does it make me really feel better”. Therefore its unlikely we will stop eating the cupcake because its ineffective.
So what to do:
-Create a food diary that includes what you ate, how much and a simple note about your mood while you are eating.
(This exercise itself will help you to create awareness between when your moods and eating patterns.)
-Then create a daily meal intention plan.
– As you approach each day, decide when, where and what you will eat. Consider what you will be doing and what will be available to you.
-Try to be as specific as possible including breaking down protein, carb and fat goals.
-If there is a particular food that you are avoiding like red meat or french fries mark them down as red light foods.
Red light foods are stay away foods because they are either really bad for you healthwise or triggers for bad eating.
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-If you are having trouble coming up with a food agenda then think about what you imagine a healthy meal plan should consist of for that day.
-Consider portions in your goals.
– As you maintain both the food diary and continue setting daily meal plan intentional goals, make note of the times when there were discrepancies (times when you failed to maintain your dietary goals). Most likely there was some emotional component to your decision to change your behavior or habitual influence.
Got Rewards? Stay Motivated…
August 8, 2010
Got Rewards? Stay Motivated…
If you are unhappy with your health or fitness status try adding something challenging that you will find rewarding just for doing it!
All too often I will see clients who complain that they are not getting enough out of their routine or find that they are simply bored by the process.
My suggestion is to revamp your normal routine for a few weeks by adding something fun & different- but more importantly challenging!
Challenging ourselves brings more than just shaking things up; it provides us opportunity for REWARD! Reward is not only necessary but without challenges we tend to ignore our NEED for reward altogether.
We need rewards that are both obtainable and available to us in order to stay motivated, otherwise why should we continue? This is why motivation is a direct function of effort not interest.
Confusing motivation with interest is a common mistake made by those who complain about lack of motivation; they blame “not being into something” as the cause of their diminished motivation rather than accurately access how much direct effort is the culprit.
Further without effort our performance will undoubtedly diminish; inadvertently undermining our belief in our own ability to meet our health goals (through learned hopelessness) and/or the health process we are actively trying to utilize. Either way it’s likely that this diminished confidence will further reduce our effort and make it less likely we will be successful in our health routine or for that matter, in any area of our life.
For more on how these effect overall functioning www.askthecbt.com
The bottom line is that if rewards are not available or obtainable in the environment we have a tendency to stop exerting effort (energy). Therefore, we give in.
Some suggestions are:
• Enroll or create your own boot camp, take a dance class, hire a trainer or health coach for 4 to 6 weeks (contact us at info@sculptnyc.com) or sign up for a performance race.
• Create challenges that are different to shock both your physical and mental systems.
• Do something you can feel good about for the effort you put in and not necessarily be dependent on whether or not you are good at the activity.
For more information about working with a personal health consultant in New York or Los Angelos contact us at info@sculptnyc.com
Maintain motivation by changing your routine! I’m taking it up with cuerpaso http://www.dailycandy.com/new-york/video/79119/Cuerpaso-Workout
Sculpt NYC’s next Cards, Connections & Cocktails
Come meeting and mingle with other like minded Health and Wellness Industry expert. Exchange business cards and ideas in a relaxed, fun environment.
Come connect with other like minded professionals at our Health and Wellness Industry Cards, Connections & Cocktails.
www.sculptnyc.com
Sculpt NYC/LA Invited:
· Physicians
· Physicians Assistants
· Psychologist/CSW’s
· Nutritionists
· Life Coaches
· Personal Trainers
· Business Coaches
· Physical Therapists
· Holistic Providers
· Alternative Providers
All other professionals directly related to the health and wellness industry.
RSVP Here at our Meetup.com Profile
*This event is STRICTLY LIMITED to established, employed professionals in the health / wellness industry.
Job Seekers and other solicitors and will be denied admission.
Event Details:
Date -Thursday, March 11, 2010
Time – 6 -9pm
Location: Pranna Restaurant
79 Madison Avenue
212.696.5700
http://www.prannarestaurant.com
New York, New York —
RSVP Here at our Meetup.com Profile
Please feel free to share this invitation with other established NYC-based professionals in the health / wellness industry Thank you and looking forward to meeting those who will be in attendance personally
Jayme Albin, MA, Ph.D
http://www.AsktheCBT.com
http://www.SculptNYC.com
Office Line: 212-631-1133
Email Jayme@SculptNYC.com
Summertime Start
May 18, 2009
Ok, so it is only 58 degrees and cloudy right now in New York City, and I may be wearing a cotton turtleneck sweater; BUT the forecast does call for the weather to be 80 degrees and sunny by Friday, AND it’s Memorial Day weekend! This may be the first time you have put on a swimsuit in a year, or at least a long time. The good news is you have five days left until Saturday when you may hit the pool or beach. Although I would never suggest crash dieting, I do have a few slightly drastic recommendations that you can follow this week to prep your bikini body to look its best:
1. Skip the white flour and sugar. You may even want to stop the sugar substitutes as they may continue to intensify your sweet cravings.
2. Include whole grains (such as oatmeal and brown rice) in appropriate portions. Yes, carbs are ok and necessary to fuel your muscles through long workouts. Whole grains also increase satiety and will help give you the willpower to pass the candy bowl on your co-worker’s desk.
3. Avoid alcohol this week. Especially if you know you will be celebrating this weekend, remind yourself that each glass of wine, beer, or 1.5 oz of alcohol in your drink has at least 100-150 calories.
4. Get your 8 (or more) glasses of water each day. This will ensure you are not feeling hungry and eating when you are actually thirsty!
5. Limit your fruit intake to 2 servings per day. Yes, fruit is good for you but anything in excess can add up in calories and pack on the pounds. One serving is 1/2 cup or 1 small-medium piece of fruit.
6. Load up on (the right) vegetables. Salads take a long time to eat and they are high in fiber so they will fill you up. (Remember it takes at least 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to your brain that you are actually full.) Peas, carrots, and corn are digested like starches in your body. You may want to avoid them this week, count them as the carb at your meal, and/or just make sure you are having a small potion. Celery and cucumbers are high in water-content and low-calories. They are great snacks to chomp on when you get the munchies.
7. Sacrifice the salt. Sodium holds onto water in your body and may make you retain fluid, feel bloated, and even weigh more on the scale (even if it is just “water weight”). Salty foods can also be more “addicting”, which is why it is so hard to eat just one chip or just one French fry. So, select foods sans salt.
8. Keep the good fat. Get rid of the cholesterol by avoiding butter, cream, egg yolks, chicken skin, fried foods and the like. But a bit of olive oil, avocado, nuts, and fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart, skin, and hair. In moderate amounts they also help you feel fuller longer.
9. If you want to cut back on your carbohydrates, do so at dinnertime. Carbs do hold 4 times their weight in water. Studies have actually shown that those who have low-carb dinners are less likely to wake up feeling bloated in the morning. Those who have high-carb dinners are more likely to wake up with pillow and sheet creases on their face and body. So NOT cute in a swimsuit!
10. Choose only no-calorie drinks. In addition to drinking your water, exchange your lattes and chai teas for plain coffee and tea. Yes, skim and low-fat milk are healthy, but the 175 calories in grande skim latte are still extra fluid calories.
If you want us to help customize your last-minute swimsuit slim-down diet, email us at info@sculptnyc.com or view our contact information on our www.SculptNYC.com website!
Welcome to Sculpt NYC Welcome to Scu…
May 18, 2009
Welcome to Sculpt NYC’s daily essential blog.
Check in with us daily to get the essentials tips and tools necessary to keep you motivated and committed to living the healthiest, happiest life possible.
Learn how to eat and exercise to meet your personal fitness goals. Challenge self-defeating habits and negative or distorted attitudes about your body, diet, and exercise, while successfully replacing them with positive, healthy behaviors. Effectively manage stress and emotions so they no longer interfere with your well being.
Email us for a complimentary half hour phone consult
info@sculptnyc.com
Learn how to eat and exercise to meet yo…
May 17, 2009
Learn how to eat and exercise to meet your personal fitness goals. Challenge self-defeating habits and negative or distorted attitudes about your body, diet, and exercise, while successfully replacing them with positive, healthy behaviors. Effectively manage stress and emotions so they no longer interfere with your well being.
Email us for a complimentary half hour phone consult
info@sculptnyc.com
