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Your Weight

By Nicola Davies, PhD

Reducing Your Mental Fat: Coping with Self-destructive Behaviors

Weight management isn’t just about it came from and what you could do ing lifestyle changes seem even more
tackling body fat. It also includes tack- to prevent it from happening again. difficult. Rather than concentrating on
ling “mental fat.” exercise per se, focus on doing some-
Retrain your brain thing you enjoy. If you have a dog, get
What is mental fat? Calm your mind so you can focus on into the habit of taking him or her for
Mental fat is comprised of the changing ingrained unhealthy thoughts a walk each day. Plan an outing, like a
unhealthy attitudes and habits that and behaviors. Lie comfortably on your visit to a national park, a zoo or even
get in the way of weight management. back, arms at your sides, palms upward. a route past some historical buildings
Examples include the following: Softly close your eyes and listen to your you’ve always wanted to view. Physical
breathing—breathe in for a count of activity keeps your mind focused on
• Giving into deeply ingrained unhealthy four, hold for two and breathe out for a your external surroundings during times
eating rituals. count of six. Concentrate on filling your when you are most at risk of negative
• Fearing what others might say about your body with revitalizing oxygen—from thoughts or mental fat.
attempts at making a serious change. your stomach, into your chest and even
• Postponing lifestyle change and through your neck and shoulders. When Increase serotonin levels
blaming it on something you feel is you breathe out, constrict the back of the Committing to weight management
beyond your control. throat so you are creating a sound like a is harder when you feel unhappy with
wave receding from a sandy shore. Dur- your body. However, the more active you
In order to successfully reach your ing this time, be aware of your breath, are, the more of the neurotransmitter
weight management and emotional your life force. Set your intentions for serotonin is produced, leading to an
health goals, it is important to identify the day, resolving to be present in each increased sense of well-being. Exercise,
the mental fat that may be sabotaging moment and to care for your body. massage and exposure to sunlight all
your efforts. If you don’t feel ready to increase serotonin levels. Increased sero-
examine your mental fat, you may find Replace mental fat tonin will lift your mood, reducing the
it difficult to motivate yourself. This Create a list of goals to help you avoid risk of caving in to the pressure of your
means any changes you make will only destructive behaviors that result from mental fat.
yield short-term results. mental fat by giving the brain positive
actions to concentrate on. Avoid overly restrictive diets
Set yourself up for success Your mind will rebel against denial. No
Make time to look after yourself. The • Eat five servings of vegetables and fruit today pizza ever again? No slice of chocolate
first mental fat hurdle to overcome • Get eight hours sleep cake? That’s precisely what your mind
is the belief that you are too busy to • Drink two liters of water will focus on, so adopt a lifestyle in which
exercise, prepare healthy meals and eat • Write three positive affirmations no food is completely out of bounds.
mindfully. Reducing such mental fat is about myself Moderation, not denial, is the key to
a lifestyle decision. If you eat too much • Walk X amount of steps weight management. †
on any one day, forgive yourself—don’t
indulge in self-hate and eat more as a Find the fun in exercise Nicola Davies, PhD, is a health psychologist
punishment or to increase your feel- When issues like work demands, family and author of I Can Beat Obesity! Finding the
ings of guilt. Instead, write down what pressure and personal feelings get in the Motivation, Confidence and Skills to Lose Weight
mental fat led to your behavior, where way, stress can add to mental fat, mak- and Avoid Relapse.
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