Behavior Based Weight Loss

Behavior has a major role to play in both weight gain and weight loss. Multiple studies have revealed direct links with changes in behavior patterns and the weight loss achieved by these changes. Depression, feelings of worthlessness as well as emotional turmoil have been found to act as triggers, causing people to overeat and gain weight. Behavior modification in the form of changes in eating habits, setting goals and targets, and making mental and physical notes to remind you not to eat can help you shed those extra pounds.

Behaviors Associated with Eating

• To understand what caused you to become overweight or obese, you first need to understand your behaviors that have led to this condition. While genetic and environmental factors also play sizable roles, certain behaviors such as feeling worthless, fatigued, tired, frustrated or just downright bored can also lead you to eat more than you should.

  Weight gain has also been associated with the mental state of women following child delivery and post menopause, wherein hormonal imbalance causes them to feel low in self-esteem, which in turn leads them to disruptive eating habits.

Changes That Can Help

• Habits, once formed, are hard to break, but if your weight is becoming a danger for your overall health and fitness, you have no option but to break your destructive eating habits. The first step in this is to get help from a certified dietitian or medical practitioner. Work closely with the doctor to outline a plan that will not just change your eating habits but also the behaviors that cause you to eat too much.

  Once you have identified these behaviors, you must constantly and consciously avoid falling into the trap of these habits at all times. If you are feeling down and have the craving to eat, you must divert your mind into some other activity. If you are alone at home then you might want to go out and find some creative company. It is always tough the first time, but once you resist the temptation once, it becomes easier.

Form New Habits

• An important behavioral change required for weight loss is the formation of good new habits. These might include: switching over to two or three healthy meals a day instead of snacking on calorie-filled foods every hour, slowing down the speed at which you eat your meals, designating a fixed place for all your meals, avoiding buying and storing junk or any kind of food in your room or closet and/or helping yourself to smaller portions at meal time and using a smaller plate.

  While these might seem minor changes, they can have a major impact on your overall weight.

Keep Track of Changes

• Just changing your behaviors might not always help; you must also note down these changes and follow them religiously. Putting up reminders everywhere is a great way to keep track of changes you have made. Get your family and friends involved and have them stop you if you are stepping out of line.

  The goal of all weight loss programs is common, to bring you back into shape. But only if you make behavioral changes are you likely to achieve success.