False Hope Syndrome

204.4

This is Me!!! False Hope Syndrome.
Chapter 6 of the Willpower Instinct = "What the Hell: how feeling bad leads to giving in"

I am using "the promise of change" (the feel good rush from DECIDING to change after a set back), to make me feel better about my failures. "The decision to change is the ultimate gratification" - you get all the good feelings before anything has actually been done, before the hard work and time necessary to reach your goals.

As we face our initial setbacks the feel good feelings from deciding to change are replaced with disappointment and frustration. Failing to meet our expectations triggers guilt, depression and self doubt, and the emotional pay off from vowing to change is gone. Most people then abandon their efforts... then have a slip up... then vow to change ... starting the cycle all over again. This is called "False Hope Syndrome" a phrase coined by researchers Polivy and Herman.

My overconfidence in my abilities, including gaining control and optimism based on the belief that losing weight is easy and fast... perhaps I think this because I have done it before, that if I could do it then it must have been easy.

Losing weight is not easy, nor is it fast. Losing weight takes time, hard work and dedication.
to see real weight loss results, we are looking at

e.g. 

Time = One Year

Hard work = meal planning, meal preparation, gym workouts, cardio, behaviour modification, changing my routines, changing my habits, be aware of my actions, writing down what I eat, not being impulsive about food decisions, getting enough sleep each night, reducing stress, being mindful, going to weight watcher meetings, realizing the reward of reaching my goals, forgiving myself for slip ups, drinking my water... etc... these are all the pieces of the hard work necessary to get the job done.

Dedication = doing over and over and over again, until it sticks and I make a lifetime commitment to healthy living each and every day for the rest of my life

Solution:
1) Forgive myself, and "Move Forward" - guilt and feeling bad does not help, it actually hinders
2) Accurately assess the situation - track my food intake, track my emotional responses (via blog)
3) Set realistic goals, understand the hurdles and  difficulty of change.
4) Set myself up for success - control my environment, have treats that I can eat on hand, change my habits
5) Imagine and practice situations where I am likely to give into temptation - formulate plans to deal with these situations.

All or nothing does not work

Today I commit to:
1) writing it down - tracking all my food intake
2) getting out at lunch for a walk - 3Km
3) drinking my water - 2L
4) Oatmeal for breakfast - DONE!!!
5) Forgive myself for past mistakes - MOVE FORWARD
6) 7 hours sleep - DONE!!! (well, 6 hours and 57 minutes)