Post by surfgirl on Jul 26, 2020 8:47:01 GMT
TODAY’S MANTRA: Once I readily see the mistakes in my thinking, dieting will be easier.
Beck talks about what she calls Thinking Mistakes, ways of thinking that essentially sabotage ourselves and are often not even true. Her example is that you’ve not eaten all day and you pass by people eating pizza and think it looks good. That’s a true thought. BUT…then you say I have to have a slice, and THAT? Is not true. Yes you’re hungry, and yes the pizza looks good (I mean, when doesn’t pizza look good, right?!), but you do NOT have to have a slice to satiate your hunger…that thought is false and thus a Thinking Mistake. Again, to me this is an iterative learning process where each session reinforced the ones that came before it. And to me, this session reinforces that we have to be honest and admit/recognize the bullshit we tell ourselves because it sabotages our weight loss/maintenance progress, and thus is mistaken thinking.
Beck shares 9 Common Thinking Mistakes (in the parentheses, I have put what corresponds most closely from the graphic at the bottom of this post):
Either I’m completely ON my diet or I’m completely OFF my diet.
2. Negative Fortune Telling (Catastrophizing)
Since I gave in to that craving, I’ll never be able to say no to my cravings.
3. Overly Positive Fortune Telling (Personalization)
It’s just a little splurge, I’ll eat less the rest of the day and workout more tomorrow.
4. Emotional Reasoning (same on below graphic)
I feel like I have to have something sweet right now.
5. Mind Reading (Jumping to Conclusions)
I’ll look obnoxious if I give the waiter special instructions on how to prepare my meal.
6. Self-Deluded Thinking (Mental Filtering)
It won’t matter if I give in because I’m stressed and I need this.
7. Unhelpful Rules (Shoulding & Musting)
I cannot waste food, if it’s on my plate I should eat it.
8. Justification (Labeling)
I deserve this because I am so upset right now.
9. Exaggerated Thinking (Emotional Reasoning)
If I ask the hostess if I can bring something to the party, she will think I’m really rude and then everyone will know I’m dieting and well, I don’t want to talk about this in a social setting!
I found it interesting that an Instagram feed that psychologists also uses a very similar set of 9 Thinking Errors that sabotage our brain. I tried to see if their 9 Thinking Errors could correspond to Beck’s 9 Thinking Mistakes and I can make similar connections for each. Which got me thinking about how it is to be “fat” in today’s society. Re-read some of the group’s posts from the last few days and see the level of deep feelings being shared about how we feel about our bodies DESPITE HAVING LOST A TON OF WEIGHT and for many here, DESPITE HAVING MAINTAINED THAT WEIGHT LOSS FOR YEARS! Think.About.That.
TODAY’S REFLECTION: Think about your past and current Thinking Mistakes…Do you think you might have any unresolved residual feelings leftover from what you were at your heaviest? How might this be affecting your ability to currently maintain your weight loss, or your ability to actively lose weight right now?
