Could it be that eating the way you do, even if it brings with it weight gain that you don’t want, protects you from harm? If you believe this, then you should examine and come to grips with your beliefs about being harmed and your beliefs about the protective actions you are taking.

First of all, what harm do you believe will befall you if you give up your weight-gaining pattern of eating? Don’t be too quick to say “none”. Give this some thought. How do you think you’ll get hurt? You could say, for example, that you will give up an important pleasure. If that’s the case, how will that harm you? What belief do you hold about being harmed by giving up an important pleasure? See if you can list at least 3 to 5 beliefs you hold about the harm that will occur if you give up your pattern of eating too much food or too many calorie-rich foods.

Next, examine your beliefs about the protective actions you are taking. How does having a wonderful meal keep harm from darkening your doorstep? What about popping open that extra large bag of chips and finishing the whole bag while watching TV? Each time you do it, you end up getting on your case because you knew you lost control. Make a list here too, of your beliefs in the actions you are taking to protect yourself.

As you can see, what you believe, especially if you believe that you are protecting yourself by eating the way you do, has to become part of your weight-loss regimen.