Coping, Vital to Weight Loss/Maintenance

[sglass]

One of the most common reasons for weight regain is stress and emotion. When stress and emotion increase, life gets difficult, and when life gets difficult, we are more vulnerable and more tempted to make unhealthy choices and fall back into old patterns. Why? Because we want the hurt to stop. We want our comfort back. If a second helping, or a treat of some kind, or just taking it easy instead of exercising can make us feel better, even if only for a while, we will often give in. Yes, in this way we can experience immediate relief, but the danger is that weight regain is not too far behind.

This seems like a catch-22 doesn't it? If you do what is comfortable now, life will be difficult in the long run; if you want to be healthier in the long run, life will be difficult now. So what is person supposed to do?

A healthy way to approach this is to accept that we cannot control what happens around us, or to us, but that we can control how we respond. Therefore, life is often not very comfortable. Life is difficult and we must take responsibility for our actions. (1) How can we make healthier choices in response to stressful/emotional situations?

Research indicates that the following behaviors help people cope with stress and emotion and succeed with lifestyle change. This is not intended to be a complete listing of relaxation or coping skills but is intended to generate discussion. Take responsibility to incorporate more of each of these into your life. More information about these will be posted in the future.

1. Rely on your social support network.
2. Set weight loss and behavioral goals
3. Keep a food diary and an exercise log
4. If you have spiritual beliefs that are important to you or wish were important to you, develop a stronger faith
5. Learn about, and use, the common relaxation skills: diaphragmatic breathing, muscle relaxation, visualization, etc.
6. Give yourself permission to take the time to do things that are relaxing and enjoyable
7. Learn to manage your time in manner that is consistent with your values

Please share your successes and struggles, questions and ideas.

(1) Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

[BethR]

Scott, thanks for the great info.

I can't recommend enough the importance of keeping active within a support group. Even at 4 years out I find that they are the ones that help to hold me accountable. I am one of the GHP patient focus group leaders. I became a leader because I had such a huge desire to pay it forward but it also has been one of the things that has done the most, to help hold myself accountable.

In my group I spend a lot of time encouraging self care. I ask my group members to make a list of their non-negotiables. These are the things that they feel they have to do for themselves weekly, to take care of themselves. I've encouraged them to share these lists with their family and to explain that these things are non-negotiable. For some of my members they felt that it was kind of a selfish thing to do but it really isn't. You see, if we don't take care of ourselves we won't have enough to give our family members.

One other tool I have encouraged is to make up a list of the reasons we decided to have weight loss surgery. This is a technique that came from the Beck Diet Solution. I tell them to be specific and to include specific goals. I encourage them to read their lists 1-2 times a day and to make copies of them. I tell them to put copies in those places where they struggle such as on the fridge, inside the cupboard with those trigger foods, in their car, next to their computer, etc. I ask them to read those lists whenever they are struggling. It is a way to remind ourselves what our dreams and goals are. Lastly I encourage them to write out their "wow" moments and to read those lists whenever they are struggling.