The Psychology of Losing Weight 

by Dr. Elior Kinarthy
 
Happy Chanukah! Go ahead and eat those special treats like chocolate gelt, sufganiot and latkes, - consuming treats in small amounts, for a short period of time will not lead to weight gain. The problem is with large amounts of treats combined with a reduction in exercise, that is more common in the winter months. Psychology encourages two approaches to losing weight. It is either through weight loss programs that use behavioural methods, or finding motivations to lose weight through circumstances and opportunities.  

The behavioural method of losing weight is focused on changing eating habits:

  • Count how many times you chew

  • Eat slowly and put the spoon down between bites

  • weigh food with a scale 

  • eat food on a smaller plate

The behavioural method also works on the eating environment:

  • where weight groups meet needs to be attractive and comfortable

  • large pictures of healthy food have to be visible

  • nutritious food can be available to sample

Creating a motivating environment to losing weight is called "the conducive situation", in other words the situation and environment creates the desired behaviour. For example, an overweight woman in my weight loss classes at Whittier Hospital in California, became divorced in the middle of the program. She was motivated to lose weight in order to begin dating again and lost 30 pounds, in just a few months. 

Motivations to lose weight can come from the following:

  • a new job, divorce, new girlfriend, boy friend, neighbourhood - any significant change 

  • future predictable occurrences  For example- there is a family reunion in three months

The best way to create motivation to lose weight is personal and innate within you and is not dependent on programs, other people, money or circumstances. It depends solely on looking inside yourself and saying" I deserve to feel good and I deserve to be healthier and to lose weight". 

Leah Kinarthy