Take a seat

I've been reading a new book on dieting, but this one is different. It's about your brain and how you think about dieting and weight loss, and staying positive when you plateau. It's based on cognitive therapy - something I'm familiar with. However I'd never thought to apply it to dieting. It's called The Beck Diet Solution by Judith S. Beck MD.

I've been on and off diets for years, some semi-successful, some fad and some plain stupid. But after a few months off it, I usually end up heavier than I started. I know the facts and figures and the rules of basic weight loss - eat less, exercise more. Avoid temptation foods but don't rule them out completely, as when you need to break the rules, you'll blow them up instead.

Simple stuff and after years of dieting I've heard it all and tried most of it.

This book though is something new to me. Each day there are mental exercises to do involving writing down positive responses to negative thoughts and behaviours. After 6 weeks you are meant to be a new person and better able to respond to self destructive patterns.

I'm on day 5 or so and feeling proud of myself (yesterday's task was to give your self credit for good behaviour). It's an interesting process and worth looking at for people like me who've been trying to lose weight for years.

The weirdest exercise so far is sitting down to eat for every morsel of food you eat. I thought I already did this. Then I realise I'm snacking while i'm making dinner, or buying lattes on the run and not always recording this in my food log. Hmmmm. Maybe she's on to something.

So I've been sitting down and eating mindfully for every thing I consume. My senses seem more in tune to the texture and taste of what I'm eating. I could pick out the extra yoghurt and less milk in my Green Monster this morning - thicker, creamier, yet more tart. I'm getting excited about food and cooking again. This weekend I'm going to show Jorge what kale is.