Page 174 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

“I look fat.”
“I hate to exercise because it makes me sweat.”
“I have no will power.”

Box 8-1 ■ Examples of Self-talk

SELF-ASSESSMENT 1

What is the result of each of the following cognitions?

1. “I don’t feel like studying tonight.”
2. “I might as well do my homework now and get it over with.”
3. “I don’t have time to exercise today.”
4. “I’ll feel better if I take a break and walk for 20 minutes.”

Your understanding of cognitive restructuring will improve if you start applying it to yourself when you
identify negative and dysfunctional thoughts.

Cognitive Distortions

Since negative and dysfunctional thoughts inhibit behavioral change, it is necessary for individuals to first
become aware of distortions in their thought patterns. Faulty thinking almost always contains gross
distortions, often has little to do with actual reality, and may be self-defeating and destructive. Twelve
common cognitive distortions have been identified1,4 (See Box 8-2). The counselor can assist clients in
reevaluating these.

Cognitive distortions are thinking traps that have been learned over time. These negative thoughts create
adverse feelings that may lead to a negative self-image or sense of worthlessness. In addition, they can become
a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because they are learned, they can be changed or relearned with practice. Since some
people have had these thoughts for years, however, change may require extended effort and counseling.

1. All-or-Nothing Thinking: The tendency to evaluate oneself, one’s experiences, people, and things in
either black or white, good or bad, without seeing a middle ground, and is the basis of perfectionism.
For example, “I ate this piece of pie and I shouldn’t have. I’m a failure.”

2. Overgeneralization: An isolated negative event is generalized to other situations. For example: “I ate
too much. I will never be able to lose weight.”

3. Mental Filter: A single negative detail is dwelt upon, causing the whole to be perceived as negative.
For example: “If I can’t eat whatever I want at the restaurant, it won’t be any fun.”

4. Discounting the Positive: For example: “I am following the diet now, but I probably won’t be able to
do it tomorrow.”

5. Jumping to Conclusions: People assume the worst. “I don’t think I can follow the diet.” or “I’ll feel
less lonely if I eat this bag of cookies.”

6. Magnification and Minimization: “Everyone will hear I goofed up. I’m ruined.” Or “I lost a tiny bit of

174