برچسب: Techniques

I just read an excellent book The Beck Diet Solution by Dr. Judith Beck. I was looking for a book applying cognitive behavioral therapy to weight loss, and came up with this one in a search on Amazon. CBT is excellent for improving negative thought patterns that affect our behavior. I personally notice negative thoughts leading to bad eating habits especially snacking (like when the little voice of temptation whispers “what could it hurt just this once?”) and I figured others might also, and CBT might help with this. It turns out Dr Beck’s father was a CBT pioneer and she is well versed in this, and excellently qualified to write this book.

I have gone several weeks avoiding snacking between meals and unplanned eating at mealtimes, my two downfalls. The first couple of weeks I had to gut it out, but afterwards it has gotten easier due to applying techniques from this book. For clarification, Dr. Beck means “diet” in the sense of a healthy way of eating, not some fad diet. Each chapter of the book has a section “what are you thinking”, about what Dr. Beck calls “sabotaging thoughts”, and how to respond to them. Very helpful.

The most inspirational part of the book was when she described having to put her young son on the ketogenic diet as treatment for epilepsy. Keto has good success for that purpose, but this is an extreme diet to have to put a young kid on. Fortunately it worked for the epilepsy, but he had to endure it for six years! Imagine the discipline required, no treats, no in between meal snacks, and a strict diet at mealtime, and going to school and watching your friends indulge in the things you can’t have. He learned to just say “Oh well” to temptation, and move on. If a child can show such awesome willpower, I guess I can say “Oh Well” and say no to snacks.