Mind over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management

By Lavinia Rodriguez

Is your BRAIN sabotaging
your efforts to
LOSE WEIGHT or STAY FIT?

Dont automatically blame your failure to achieve fitness goals on a lack of willpower. The real culprit might be your brain!

Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management reveals why typical weight-loss programs failand how to design a lifestyle that works for you instead of against you.

Dr. Lavinia Rodriguez explains that most diets are self-defeating because their restrictive and dissatisfying natures cause the brain to rebel. Mind Over Fat Matters gets you started on a healthier, more balanced path to achieving your personal weight-loss goals. Most importantly, it provides you with the crucial link that almost all fad diet programs are missing: the psychological tools to sustain your progress in the long term.

Practical and easy to understand, Mind Over Fat Matters lays out a step by step plan for transforming the way you think about food and fitness, tackling your unhealthy habits at a pace thats acceptable and sustainable, and overcoming your brains natural resistance to lifestyle change.

Its time to leave restrictions, self-blame, and disappointment behindand move forward on a purposeful and permanent path toward health and leanness!

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Feb 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781462053605

Lavinia Rodriguez

DR. LAVINIA RODRIGUEZ is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of eating and weight disorders. For more than 30 years, she has observed how people set themselves up for failure through unrealistic diets and exercise programs, as well as through buying into out-and-out scams designed to take advantage of individuals who seriously want to improve their health and lives. She’s the author of Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management which deals primarily with the mental aspects of weight loss. The book addresses everything from how to keep your mind from sabotaging your weight loss intentions to selecting a plan that sets you up for success instead of perpetuating the yo-yo syndrome of weight loss and gain. Dr. Rodriguez is a dynamic keynote speaker and regularly speaks to audiences on topics relating to food, weight and eating problems. She’s also a recognized expert in the media and is regularly interviewed by television, radio and print outlets. Her blog at www.FatMatters.com, features dozens of articles on a variety of psychological topics meant to help people resolve their psychological barriers with food and weight.

Book preview

MIND

Over Fat Matters

Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management

Second Edition

Lavinia Rodriguez, Ph.D.

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

Mind Over Fat Matters

Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management

Copyright © 2012 by Lavinia Rodriguez, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

You should not undertake any diet/exercise regimen recommended in this book before consulting your personal physician. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be responsible or liable for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a consequence of your use or application of any information or suggestions contained in this book.

iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

iUniverse

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www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4620-5359-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4620-5360-5 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 02/14/2012

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

Mind Over Fat Matters

Introduction

Part I

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Part II

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Appendix A

Appendix B

For all those people who taught me to persevere and appreciate what I have.

Preface 

Over forty years ago I was a young, impressionable high school student. It was the Twiggy era, and most girls my age wanted (very badly!) to look like the supermodel who was so thin she looked emaciated. As young teens, the message my peers and I got was, This is what you should look like to be attractive  . . .and with youthful enthusiasm, many of us set out to achieve that appearance.

It was (perhaps not coincidentally) around this time that fad diets started to spread. Their claim to fame was that they were the best tools for losing weight, and to achieve what they promised, these programs used methods such as extreme calorie restriction, odd food combinations, and consumption of high fat/low carbohydrate or high protein/no carbohydrate selections.

Interestingly enough, it was also around this time that eating disorders began to become widespread.

I went on to study psychology in college, and in graduate school I chose obesity—a burgeoning area of study at the time—as my area of interest. While advertising for obese subjects for my study, I was surprised to meet some study volunteers who were not obese or overweight… but who thought they were. My curiosity was piqued—what had led to these individuals’ skewed body images? Soon, my area of interest had shifted to the severe eating disorders of anorexia and bulimia.

Through the years of treating anorexics, bulimics, compulsive overeaters, obese individuals, and other patients dealing with problems revolving around eating and weight, I started to notice something else—something disturbing. Our society as a whole was showing signs of eating disorders. Specifically, we as a culture were preoccupied with dieting, size, appearance, and more. It was no longer just eating disordered patients who had a problem with food and weight—it was America.

Well, enough is enough. Americans have been bombarded with misleading information about dieting and weight loss for too long already. Yes, the diets and weight-loss programs to which I’m referring all sound so good that huge numbers of people buy into them, spending billions of dollars in sincere attempts to manage their weight. But then what happens? For the most part, those hopeful customers end up feeling defeated and powerless when their attempts to shed the pounds—and keep them off—don’t work.

Sadly, most of these dieters blame themselves for their supposed failures. However, it’s really the dieting industry, the government, and society that have let them down. Due to prevailing attitudes and carefully filtered information, most Americans don’t understand why diets rarely work… so they continue to try the next highly-advertised weight-loss method, hoping that it will be the panacea they’ve been looking for. To compound the problem, they don’t understand how the human body actually works, so they aren’t able to perceive scams and ineffective products when they encounter them.

The bottom line is, Americans are not good consumers of dieting information—and the dieting industry knows and exploits that fact. What’s more, as long as the status quo doesn’t change, the industry will continue to make most of its money from the return business of people who have repeatedly failed at dieting.

So, what does all of this (rather disheartening) information have to do with me… and with you? Well, having discovered treatment methods that were effective in helping people with severe eating disorders, I decided to write a book directed at most Americans—those who may not have a medical problem with food but who nonetheless are having trouble shedding excess pounds.

Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management is that book, and it was written with you in mind. My goal was to take complex psychological concepts and put them into language that everyone, not just medical professionals, could understand. More than that, I wanted the book to take readers on a journey.

This journey begins with building a foundation to make sure that you accurately understand how your body works and what the most effective methods in achieving lifelong management of health and fitness are. I’ve found that too many people go about their weight loss efforts believing things that simply are not possible for the body. And having these misconceptions makes them vulnerable to scams and promises that sound wonderful but are really too good to be true.

If something isn’t going to work because it’s impossible or inaccurate, wouldn’t you want to know that before investing your time, money, and energy? Of course you would! That’s why it’s important for you to take the time to educate yourself with the first few chapters of this book. They’ll make sure that you become a better consumer of dieting information and they’ll help you to never be fooled again by the bombardment of ineffective dieting promises.

Part II of the book delves into why ninety percent of dieting attempts fail (and, by extension, why it’s not your fault that your attempts haven’t worked in the past). In addition, you will discover the most important psychological barrier to managing weight and eating problems—psychological deprivation. I’ll bet that you haven’t so much as heard this term before, let alone had it and its implications explained to you—but I promise that it will change the way you understand weight management.

It’s important that you read each chapter of Mind Over Fat Matters consecutively rather than skipping around, because the book was written to take you, step-by-manageable-step, in the direction of successful, lifelong weight management. And if you really want to get the most out of this book, take advantage of all the Tidbits sections. They’ll give you a summary of the most important messages found in each chapter and provide you with a place to write your own thoughts and reactions. The more you use these sections, the better this book will work for you.

One caveat before you begin: this is not a diet book in the usual sense. It won’t give you a quick-fix solution to your weight issues. Instead, it’s meant to help you help yourself. So savor it and use it as a reference. Each time you go back and reread a section, you’ll probably find that you’ve picked up on something new, or that something you previously read will click into place a little more firmly.

Finally, I want to make it clear that some people need extra help when it comes to creating a healthy, sustainable weight management program for themselves. And that’s okay! If you need extra help, seek it. Some people have more complicated issues than others or just don’t feel that they can do it alone. If you’re one of them, please take advantage of the dozens of articles provided on my website (www.FatMatters.com) and review the other services offered (including personal face-to-face or Skype coaching, as well as therapy).

And now, let’s get started. Here’s to a lifetime of health and fitness without the stumbling blocks that fads and scams put in your path! It’s time to be smart, be a good consumer, and be successful and fit.

Dr. Lavinia Rodriguez

Acknowledgments 

I want to thank the many patients who I have treated throughout more than thirty years for trusting me to help them through a difficult but empowering journey. There is a part of each of you in this book.

Special thanks go to my husband and my publicist, Dottie DeHart, for their guidance and encouragement.

Mind Over Fat Matters 

Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management

Introduction 

For the last 30 years, Americans have been experiencing one of the most destructive epidemics of our time. There’s no particular organism or person to pin it on and it’s completely treatable, as well as, preventable. It is America’s obsession with weight and dieting. It’s reflected in the incessant messages Americans get that they’re not thin enough and, therefore, not fully acceptable. Monthly articles in popular magazines show the latest in diets and promise success with weight, in particular, and with life, in general. Every year there’s a new Diet-of-all-Diets diet. Scores of Americans will buy into it, despite having proved to themselves—year after year and diet after diet—that no miracle diet exists.

The latest Diet-of-all-Diets is the High-Protein, Lo-Carb Diet. Forget about the fact that it’s not a new diet (it was a fad diet when I was in high school, some 30 years ago). Actually, most new fad diets are not new at all. They’re recycled. Why? Well, they made tons of money the first time, why not again? Obviously, the diet didn’t work the first time or we wouldn’t be on it again. Most of the folks on the diet are the same ones who were on it 30 years ago.

A friend recently visited me with her daughter in order to spend some time enjoying the outdoors. I prepared lots of healthy stuff for lunch. I made fresh, whole-grain bread, and served fruit, turkey, cheese, juices, and other appetizing tidbits. Oh, Oh. They can’t eat any carbs. They’re on the High (All) Protein Diet. They’ll have just turkey and cheese (and a diet soda, of course). So we sit to eat… I, eating healthy grains, fruit, and protein; they, picking on slices of no-fiber, low nutritional value, fatty, cheese and meat. Okay, to each his own but, curiously, I’m the thinnest one.

Today, my landscaper was working hard on one of my many great ideas. I made sure there was good food to offer him during his break. Oh, no, I don’t do carbs. I only eat protein. I brought my cheese with me. I’ll have a diet soda, though.

What is this? He certainly looks lean, but how healthy is his heart, I wonder. Come to think of it, I’ve never known him not to be on a diet. Oh, well, to each his own. It’s harmless, right?

What Is This Book About?

If you…

. . . are overweight,

. . . are ready to give up unsuccessful weight-loss methods,

. . . want to become lean and fit,

. . . want it to last a lifetime,

. . . want to enjoy the process,

. . . you are in the right place at the right time.

What This Book Does Not Do

This book does not promise…

. . . to make you lose weight with no effort on your part,

. . . to make you look exactly the way you always wanted,

. . . to make you lose all the weight you wanted, or

. . . to make you happy.

What This Book Can Do

This book can…

. . . teach you what things have been keeping you from being successful with weight and fitness,

. . . teach you how to change such things,

. . . help you learn more about losing weight and getting fit than the majority of the people you know,

. . . help you be more successful with your weight and fitness than most Americans,

. . . be fun.

Part I 

Building a

Strong Foundation

Chapter 1 

Friend or Foe:

The Psychology of Your Brain

The brain is a terrible thing to waste. How true this is! The human brain is a complex and fascinating instrument, a great tool. Like any tool, to make the best use of it, you must know how to use it. If not used wisely and skillfully, it can be a detriment rather than an aid. In no other area does this ring as true as in trying to achieve a healthy and lean body.

Does this sound familiar? You want to lose weight and vow to stay away from sweets. Before long, sweets are all you can think about. With everyone else being able to eat sweets, you know exactly where the sweets are in the kitchen. The fantasy of being able to have sweets again is almost unbearable. In fact, sweets are remembered as the tastiest foods of all.

Is this fair? After all, you’re trying to do a good thing. Why must your body resist the good intentions? You needn’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not you. You’re not weak. It’s just that the way we humans use our brains is a little out of whack.

Humans are not the only animals to show this seemingly strange behavior of resisting what they want or have vowed to do, nor does this happen with everything they vow to do. You may even be one of those few who usually does whatever they’ve set their minds to do. You may only seem to have trouble following your intentions with dieting and exercise. It’s still not your fault. You just don’t know how to use your brain to your advantage.

Dogs and cats show the same tendencies (as do other animals). Does your pet get more excited about the food it’s allowed to eat whenever it wants, or does it dance around more for its treats? If you have a normal pet, it gets more excited about the food that it likes but that is limited. We’re no different from our pets.

I don’t like spinach. I’m glad I don’t like spinach because, if I liked spinach, I’d eat it all the time, and I don’t like spinach (just a joke I heard somewhere). Anyway, I dislike spinach intensely. If they passed a law tomorrow outlawing the eating of spinach, I would have no trouble being a law-abiding citizen. However, I am a bread connoisseur. I have a reputation when it comes to liking bread. You can bet I would be an outlaw before long if bread were against the law.

So what’s so enlightening about that? you might ask. Well, it’s