Perfectionism.
Research has shown that 9 out of 10 people with weight problems exhibit some degree of perfectionism.
So,
Apparently,
This is an issue relevant to most of us.
There are three reasons why being a perfectionist makes losing weight and keeping it off a difficult process.
First is all-or-nothing thinking.
Perfectionists see themselves as either on or off the eating program.
They are on as long as they are eating appropriately and following all of the set guidelines.
But as soon as there is any deviation from the ideal,
They are off.
Since making attitude and habit changes requires practice,
Quitting is inevitable for the perfectionist.
Therefore,
It is important to remember that there is no place for on and off or good or bad when it comes to weight loss.
Second is the problem of overgeneralizing.
It is assuming that since I ate inappropriately today,
I will eat inappropriately tomorrow.
It is assuming that negative behavior will continue indefinitely.
This is,
Of course,
Not true.
Tomorrow does not have to be like today.
So give yourself some leeway and remember that it is up to you what tomorrow will be like.
Just take one day at a time.
The third reason why perfectionism makes weight loss difficult is should statements.
Perfectionists tend not to learn from mistakes.
Instead,
They feel they should not have goofed up,
That they ought to have been able to be better.
These are non-productive statements.
These self-critical statements lead to depression and a negative self-image.
This in turn leads to giving up.
Get rid of as many shoulds and ought tos as possible.
To lose weight,
You must allow yourself to be human,
Not perfect.
You are working on making long-term attitude and habit changes as long as you have not decided to quit.
Yesterday's inappropriate eating has nothing to do with today,
And shoulds and ought tos have no place in weight loss.
