Page 176 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

and self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and eating choices as in Table 8-1.

Daily record of _________________ Date: _________________

False Thought or Belief Type of Distortion Self-Defense, Coping Thought
“I shouldn’t have eaten those All-or-none thinking
cookies. I’m a failure.” “Eating 3 cookies does not make me
“I ate the pie. I’m a pig.” Mislabeling a failure. I can improve.”

“I don’t have time to eat right or Fortune-teller error “Pigs are animals and I am human. I
exercise.” don’t have to be perfect.”

“I have just as much time as anyone
else. I can make time.”

Table 8-1 ■ Assessing and Altering False Thoughts

Thoughts/Feelings Thoughts/Feelings

Date & Time Place People Situation Before Eating Food Eaten After Eating

1/10 & 2:15 Home Family Snacking “I’m hungry and 6 cookies, “I feel better.”

PM upset.” cola

Table 8-2 ■ Daily Record of Thoughts and Feelings

The log is a source of material to discuss in counseling sessions. Avoiding the terms “maladaptive” and
“dysfunctional” thoughts with clients is advisable. Examples of maladaptive thoughts are: “Everyone at the
party is sampling the foods, so I will too (thought).” “Just this once won’t hurt.”

Self-monitoring records are useful in lifestyle intervention programs.12 They may include a false thought or
self-criticism, the type of thinking error it represents, and a self-defense response or the substitution of a more
objective, coping, self-enhancing thought. Others suggest records that include the situation or event with
thoughts and feelings before and during eating as well as after eating as in Table 8-2.

Self-monitoring is a learning experience. The homework gives the person a central role in solving the
problems as well as providing the counselor with information about them.13 Since negative and self-critical
self-talk may be at a subconscious level, self-monitoring can bring it to a level of awareness. Records of
thoughts, emotions, dietary behaviors, physical activity, and other measures may be recorded. Evidence
substantiates the effectiveness of self-monitoring and self-management.13

CASE ANALYSIS 4

Mrs. Jones: “My husband likes me the way I am. He does not complain about my weight”
YOUR RESPONSE:

The client may be asked to (1) discover negative thoughts by writing them down; (2) recognize the
relationship among events, thoughts, feelings, and one’s behavior; (3) test the validity of the automatic

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