Not Losing Weight

Question 1

Sabotaging thought: I’m not sure I can learn to change my sabotaging thinking. It’s so convincing at the moment.

Answer 1

Helpful Response: This is like any other skill. I just have to practice and practice ahead of time so that I’ll be able to use this skill when I need it.

Question 2

Sabotaging thought: This is a lot of work. It might not even help.

Answer 2

Helpful Response: That might be true, but I might as well do everything I can to lose weight. when I’m thinner, I’ll be so glad I put in the hard work today.

Question 3

Sabotaging thought: I’ve always thought this way. I don’ t think I can change my thinking.

Answer 3

Helpful Response: This is a skill that I can learn. It wasn’t easy learning how to drive a car or to ride a bike, but I eventually got good at those things. If I practice, I can get good at responding to my sabotaging thinking.

Question 4

Be realistic!

Answer 4

I shouldn’t expect to lose weight every single week.

Question 5

Sabotaging thought: I’ve worked really hard. If I don’t lose a lot of weight, I’ll be too discouraged to continue dieting.

Answer 5

Helpful Response: Its highly unlikely that I’ll lose a lot of weight in one week. I need to adjust my expectations. If I wanted to become a body builder and put in a lot of hard work for the first two weeks, I wouldn’t expect to see hug muscles developing right away. Dieting is hard work, but it will get much easier soon. And if I want all the benefits of losing weight, I have to accept a slow rate of weight loss.

Question 6

Scenario 1: You lost what you consider to be a lot of weight. Sabotaging thought: That’s great, I’m going to keep losing weight fast!

Answer 6

Helpful Response: Yes, it’s great tha tI’ve lost this much weight. I did a good job following my diet this week But I probably won’t continue to lose weight this quickly.

Question 7

Scenario 2: You lost what you think is too little weight. Sabotaging thought: I’ve worked so hard, and the weight I’ve lost is just a drop in the bucket.

Answer 7

Helpful Response: My weight is going down. That’s good. It means that what I’ve been doing is working. I should celebrate each half-pound weight loss.

Question 8

Scenario 3: You don’t lose weight, or you gain weight. Sabotaging thought: I can’t believe this! See, I just can’t lose weight.

Answer 8

Helpful Response: My weight might up temporarily for hormonal or other reasons. If my weight doesn’t go down next week, I’ll call my coach and see if she cam meet me to go over my food plans. Maybe I made some mistakes. Maybe I need to decrease my caloric intake or exercise more. I just need to stay problem-solving oriented.

Question 9

Sabotaging thought: It’s hard not to be disappointed by a small loss. I wish I didn’t have to diet anymore.

Answer 9

Helpful Response: If I want to keep my weight down forever, I have to accept the fact that I’ll always be dieting to some degree. It doesn’t matter if I lose slowly because I’m going to be eating the same way from now on.

Question 10

Sabotaging thought: i know it’s reasonable to have lost only a half pound this week, but I’m still disappointed.

Answer 10

Helpful Response: My weight is going down. That’s good! It means that what I’ve been doing is working. I should celebrate each and every half-pound weight loss. If I hope for something unrealistic, I’ll be disappointed. I’m going in the right direction. That’s what counts. I really deserve a lot of credit for using the mindset and behavioral techniques I’ve learned and for weighing less than I did when I started this program.

Question 11

Sabotaging thought: If I don’t eat, whoever will be upset or insulted.

Answer 11

Helpful Response: I wouldn’t be upset it someone else didn’t want to eat. If others don’t like it, that’s their problem, not mine. I don’t have to please them or justify myself. I don’t want to let their reaction (or my prediction about their reaction) get in my way.

Question 12

If someone wants you to try something you can’t eat or just offering, say

Answer 12

NO THANK YOU!

Question 13

If someone wants you to try something you can’t eat or just offering, say

Answer 13

Thanks, but I have to watch what I’m eating these days.

Question 14

If someone wants you to try something you can’t eat or just offering, say

Answer 14

No thanks, I’m going ot pass.

Question 15

If someone wants you to try something you can’t eat or just offering, say

Answer 15

That looks good, would you mind if I took it home and had it later.

Question 16

If someone wants you to try something you can’t eat or just offering, say

Answer 16

thank you so much, but I’ll feel terrible later if I eat it since I’m trying to watch what I eat!

Question 17

If I accept something not on my diet that someone offers, I will deviate from my plan.

Answer 17

Better to say no thank you!

Question 18

If I accept something not on my diet that someone offers, eating this might set off cravings.

Answer 18

Better to say no thank you!

Question 19

If I accept something not on my diet that someone offers, I’ll feel bad after I eat it.

Answer 19

Better to say no thank you!

Question 20

Sabotaging thought: If idon’t eat, whoever will be upset.

Answer 20

She may not be as upset as I fear, but even if she is, so what? I should down any food I hadn’t planned to eat. I’m entitled to do this as long as I’m politely assertive. I shouldn’t let her push me around.

Question 21

Enrich my life today.

Answer 21

I need to work toward developing a rich and rewarding life–right now.

Question 22

Sabotaging thought: I’m superstitious: If I start to think this is really working, I might jinx myself.

Answer 22

Helpful Response: Believing in myself can’t lead to bad luck. In fact, reminding myself of all the skills I’ve developed will help me get through the harder times.

Question 23

Sabotaging thought: This is just afluke… I’ll wake up tomorrow and I’ll have gained it all back. I’m no different from how I was the last time I tried to diet.

Answer 23

Helpfu Response: You are different. You now have critical skills that you didn’t have in the past and you’ve learned how to use them consistently and successfully. Your weight loss is not a fluke. Your progress won’t disappear as long as you continue to use your tools.

Question 24

Believe it!

Answer 24

You know what to do (plan your eating, eat slowly when sitting down, use anti-craving strategies, what I have to remind myself (hunger and cravings are never emergencies, Oh well, no choice), How to motivate myself ( get support, read arc, give myself credit every day), how to keep honest ( report to my diet coach, and record what i’ve eaten)

Question 25

Sabotaging thought: If I start to believe that I can do this, I’ll jinx myself.

Answer 25

Helpful Response: On the contrary, if I believe I can’t do this, then I’m likely to run into trouble when dieting gets tougher. If I build up my confidence, I’ll be able to keep plugging away.

Question 26

Sabotaging thought: If I recognize my progress, I’ll get too confident and start to loosen up.

Answer 26

Helpful Response: I’ll be able to catch myself, as long as I fill out the to-do lists every day.

Question 27

Sabotaging thought: It’s terrible that I’ve hit a plateau.

Answer 27

Helpful Response: Reaching a plateau is a normal part of losing weight. I’m feeling discouraged now because I put in a lot of effort. But this is supposed to happen from time to time. It doesn’t mean I’m doing anything wrong. I can ask my diet coach for help.

Question 28

Sabotaging thought: this plateau is taking too long. i will never lose any more weight.

Answer 28

Helpful Response: If It’s been a longer plateau: 5 options: 1) continue to do what you’re doing and see if you start to lose weight again, 2) reduce your daily calorie intake by 200 calories, 3) increase your daily exercise by 15-20minutes, 4) call this your goal weight and move to maintenance. 5) carefully monitor and weigh every bite of food to ensure you’re sticking to the parameters of your diet plan.

Question 29

Sabotaging thought: This just isn’t fair. I’ve really worked hard. I should keep losing like I have up until this point.

Answer 29

Helpful Response: I have a choice now. I can dwell on how unfair it seems that the scale didn’t go lower. Or I can focus on how much weight I’ve lost up to this point and give myself credit for all of the changes I’ve made in my thinking and behavior so far.

Question 30

Sabotaging thought: I can’t believe I hit a plateau. I knew this would happen. I’ll never lose the rest of the excess weight.

Answer 30

Helpful Response: I will continue to lose if I eat less and/or exercise more. if it’s not realistic or healthy for me to do that. I will need to work on being proud of the weight i’ve lost so far and to accept reality.