So for example, I mentioned in a previous entry that feeling disappointed at what the scale says on a given day is fine, but depression is not. (IN THAT SITUATION. It is important to re-emphasize that there are indeed times when it is appropriate to feel depressed. Standing on the scale on any particular day is however not one of them.) Not only is the emotional intensity of depression out of proportion in that situation, but there is also a danger that it will trigger behaviours which lead you unnecessarily further away from your goal, such as binging and / or giving up. We need to understand that our emotions are never caused by circumstances, but rather by the views which we take of these circumstances. This is not a new idea by any means - William Shakespeare wrote that “things are not good or bad, but thinking makes them so”. The problem is that our thinking patterns become habitually ingrained just like our behaviours do, and without us even realizing it they shape not just our emotions, but in turn also our behaviours and hence ultimately what we experience in life. So you can see why it is important to think about our (habitual) thinking styles! Contrary to popular belief, the most helpful style of thinking is not positive thinking. Rather, it is to think accurately. Rule of thumb – whenever we feel an emotion that is inappropriate in a situation, there will have been some kind of inaccurate underlying thought process. In order to better understand this, let’s go back to our example of standing on the scale and not seeing the desired result.   It is NOT what the scale says that makes us feel despondent. Rather, it is the assumptions that we are making about the scale reading. An underlying thought might for example be “I’ll never lose weight”.  This is an inaccurate conclusion to draw, because you are predicting a future without in reality being a fortune teller. The truth is - it is absolutely possible for you to lose weight – you may even have evidence of this through having done it before. The actual truth is more likely to be that in more recent years you have struggled to maintain the behaviours which keep you at an appropriate weight. But this does not mean that it is impossible to learn. Yet the simplistic and over-generalized “I’ll never lose weight” not surprisingly leads to a feeling up hopelessness, and quite understandably often giving up.  Another underlying assumption in that situation might be – “I can’t stick to anything”. This is inaccurate because there are plenty of things in your life that you do indeed adhere to, such as getting up in the mornings, going to work, looking after kids and so on. The actual truth might be that you are very good at sticking to things in general, but that you have not practiced applying this same skill to looking after yourself. Perhaps it has even become a comfort zone for you not to do so. A third example of an inaccurate assumption in that situation is “I’m uselesss”. This is obviously inaccurate as it is a vastly over-generalized statement. The actual truth is that the scale does not show what you were hoping it would, but this is no reflection of the total you, or of everything else that you do in life. In conclusion, doing an audit of your learnt thinking habits is crucial to shaping new behaviours. But doing the audit is not enough – you also need to practice shaping new, accurate thinking habits. This is absolutely possible, but takes time and work. Most of the ideas above come out of an approach to psychotherapy often referred to as CBT (cognitive behavior therapy). If you feel you might benefit from some help with this, I would suggest a few sessions with a psychologist that has experience and skills in this field. Again however, you need to also be prepared to do the ‘homework’. In cases where people are indeed prepared to apply themselves on this level, I can honestly say that the simple principles above have the power to change people’s lives quite profoundly.