Have you ever wondered why you can't lose weight or keep off the weight you've lost? Many people struggle with eating, and feel they do not have control over food.



Consider the following questions: 

• Do you sometimes eat even when you're not really hungry? In other words, can you easily tell the difference between being hungry and just wanting to eat?
• Are you sometimes concerned that you might not have an opportunity to eat? Do you ever have such thoughts as, "What if I get hungry later?"
• Do you sometimes eat past the point of mild fullness?
• Do you fool yourself about your eating? In other words, do you sometimes tell yourself that it "won't matter" if you eat a small piece of something you're not supposed to eat?
• Do you comfort yourself with food?
• If the scale goes up, do you sometimes abandon your diet altogether?
• Do you sometimes eat because it doesn't feel fair that you can't eat just like everyone else?
• Do you stop dieting as soon as you've lost weight?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you possess characteristics that can make dieting difficult.



Why thin people stay thin 

Naturally thin people are more easily able to differentiate between when they’re truly hungry and when they only feel like eating. Thin people often say to themselves, I know I’d like to eat that food. But I just ate a little while ago, so  I’m not going to have it. You may label any desire to eat as hunger. You may think that you ought to eat whenever your stomach feels empty or you feel an urge to eat.



How to think like a thin person

To think like a thin person, you must learn to tell the difference between hunger and the desire to eat so that you can make better decisions about when it’s appropriate to eat and when it’s not. You’ll do so by paying attention to how your stomach feels before and after meals. You’ll also do such experiments as purposefully making yourself hungry so that you learn to recognize what true hunger feels like.



Do you Have a Low Tolerance for Hunger and Cravings?

Most thin people feel hungry and occasionally notice cravings, but they don’t dwell on these feelings. Generally, they don’t think that much about food at all. They think they’ll always be able to find something when they’re hungry or be able to withstand the hunger if it’s not convenient to eat. They usually have little problem holding off until their next snack or meal.

When you’re hungry or have a craving, though, you might dwell on these feelings. You probably worry about when you’re going to have an opportunity to eat again. You may even become preoccupied with thoughts of food. You are likely to overestimate how strong your cravings will get and how long it will last. It’s likely that you will try to get rid of them right away by eating.

In fact, some people who struggle to lose weight experience hunger and cravings as emergencies: I must eat now!



CBT and weight loss

Using CBT, you will discover for yourself that hunger and cravings are not emergencies, and you will learn how to tolerate them. As you are reading this, perhaps you are thinking, 'I know I don’t have to eat when I’m hungry or having a craving ... I want to eat'.

By learning to recognize cravings and overcome them you may:

• Gain control over binge eating
• Enjoy eating without guilt
• Loose weight without putting it back on
• See food not as a burden but as something positive
  

Body issues

If you would like to change the way you see yourself, CBT can help.

Many people seek surgery or intense dieting to change body faults. However, these 'faults' may be a sign of:

• Perfectionism
• Exaggerated self-criticism
• Insecurity or low self esteem
• Unrealistic goals
• False assumptions about other people's views
• Unrealistic ideas about beauty or attractiveness
• Difficulty being happy or content
  
  
  
  

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