Can Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Help With Weight Loss?

I've been reading about this lately. A lot of people say that just sticking to a healthy diet helps re-educate you and teaches new habits. As an emotional overeater though, I dispute that. The link between feelings and food is something that I know I haven't managed to completely break. I have to be wary as it is always there lurking beneath the surface and trying to catch me unawares. I found the following list of tips for using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help.

1. Build Self Belief - have belief that you can achieve your goals. Boost this by setting small achievable goals each week. This could be eating more fruit, having a healthier breakfast, walking more. Just make sure they are achievable and don't set the bar too high. As you see yourself reach these goals, you can then set new ones. Your ultimate end goal will then seem more achievable.

2. Self Monitor - look at what you are doing and think about why something may be easy or hard. If you haven't lost weight one week but you can see why then acknowledge the reason and move on. Be aware of what is going on with you and your life around you and how it has an impact.

3. Set Goals - this is one that I haven really done up to now although I have an idea of my end goal and how much weight I want to ultimately lose. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy recommends a series of goals. I read that you should visualise the goals as stepping stones so that you can see yourself moving along the path to success.

4. Feedback - this can help reinforce in your mind that these steps to improve your health and fitness are having a positive effect. You could consider booking a check up with your doctor or practice nurse as part of this. Personally I use this blog and my social media accounts as a way of gaining feedback and it does help me. 

5. Incentives - give yourself something to look forward to. If you set little rewards then it can help to maintain your motivation.

I found this really interesting to read about and I'm certainly going to think more about setting goals and incentives for myself. If you have been an emotional overeater then it is good to acknowledge that it may take a long time to change that mindset and re-educate your brain. I see it as another part of me that I will need to exercise on a regular basis. 

Hope you found this useful. Speak to you soon

Love Erica xxx