The Beck Diet Solution

I started reading the Beck Diet Solution yesterday and want to share what I learn along the journey. This will help me be accountable to myself and to others. And just maybe it will inspire someone else in their weight loss journey. The Beck Book is based on changing one's congnitive behavior to make a lasting change. In this case making a mindset change to lose and maintain weight loss.

The Opening Chapters

There are two muscles to exercise—the resistance muscle and the giving-in muscle. As with all muscles the one I exercise most becomes the strongest. Each time I resist I prepare myself to resist more easily the next time. Each time I give in I make it easier to give in the next time. To learn to maintain my weight I must continue to exercise my resistance muscles. The stronger they become throughout the weight loss process, the better I will be able to resist temptation and regain the weight.

When moving from a trigger to eating, there are 4 steps. First is the trigger—what is it that causes me to want to eat. Then is the thought—that looks good or I really want that. Next is the decision—do I eat it or not. Last is the act that results from the decision. In every encounter, there is a decision. In every encounter, there is a choice. That is the moment that control happens. That decision is mine and mine alone. No one can make the choice for me. A choice must be made before the action. The action in turn strengthens either my resistance muscle or my giving-in muscle. The decision is mine.

A brand new concept for me—there is a difference between actual hunger and a desire to eat. Huh? Not really, if I want to eat, I must be hungry, right? No. Just because I want to eat does not mean I am hungry. Again I can make a choice to eat or not to eat. I just need to listen to my body and decide if the feeling is actual hunger or another need that I am trying to fill. Then choose accordingly.

Over and over it is reiterated that it is a choice. The decisions I make will define me in the long term. The decisions I make at this moment will define my success in maintaining my weight loss. This is an amazing journey, but I do not want to travel this road again.