Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Think like a THIN Person

I used to think THIN people were naturally thin….until one day I decided to actually observe them and pay attention to their behaviors. Why are some of my friends thin while I feel like the frumpy, dumpy mommy?
  • ·         They split a meal when I order a full one for myself.
  • ·         They don’t include snacks such as potato chips.
  • ·         They don’t have to eat out of the candy bowl every time they walk by.
  • ·         It doesn’t happen naturally. It happens consciously.

I am the mom of three daughters – each with their own body types. My eldest daughter is bone rail thin. My middle daughter is not. My youngest daughter has an athletic build – skinny, but not tiny with a layer of muscle. What is the difference between each of my girls? Their approach to food & exercise.

My oldest daughter would choose to eat a bowl of fruit over cookies or chips any time of day. She rarely eats processed foods. She doesn’t think about food until she is HUNGRY.  She is tiny, skinny as can be, but she exercise is not really a part of her life.

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My middle daughter loves sweets, baked goods, and bread.  If a bread basket is put on the table, you can watch her eyes drift to the basket again and again while she’s waiting to have the next piece. For some reason, you can almost see her thinking about food at all times. She exercises because she wants to be a part of school sports, but it’s not her natural inclination.

My youngest daughter eats like a toddler. She doesn’t eat a lot of meat and only a few fruits and no vegetables.  However, I can’t keep her still to save my life. She’s on the run at all times and wants to be the best at everything.

All of these factors lead me to “The Beck Diet Solution”.  The characteristics of How THIN people Think in Chapter 3 really hit home with me:

  1. THIN people can differentiate between hunger  & cravings
  2. Most THIN people feel hungry & occasionally notice cravings, but they don’t dwell on those feelings for long. Generally, they don’t think much about food at all.
  3. THIN people eat to the point where they are reasonably full.
  4. THIN people have a pretty good gauge on how much they eat.
  5. THIN people don’t comfort themselves with food.
  6. When THIN people gain weight, they just exercise more and watch what they eat for a few days. They have the confidence that the scale will go back down.
  7. THIN people don’t focus on the unfairness of eating smaller portions or making healthy choices. They accept those limitations without too much of a struggle.
  8. THIN people don’t D-I-E-T. They know it’s a lifestyle and have changed their mindset about food.


The first few steps:
Record the Advantages of Losing Weight
Pick a Reasonable Diet Lifestyle
Eat sitting Down – and not in front of a screen or with a book
Give Yourself Credit: Recognize your successes
Eat Slowly & Mindfully
Find a Diet Lifestyle Coach
Arrange Your Environment

Today my small group is reading Day 1 - Record the Advantages of Losing Weight. Why do you want to lose weight? Take those reasons, put them on a note card and read them several times a day. 


1 comment:

  1. :) The word THIN hasn't been a part of my vocabulary....I struggle with being realistic about it...I find the word HEALTHY to be my goal.

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