Supportive people may not always be around to offer support at the exact moment when you may need it.

 

Sometimes YOU may need to be the source of your own support. If that is the case, it helps to get out a journal and write down when you need support most of all. 

Some suggestions for doing this are: 

    •    Recognize your positives. If you are not aware of all the things you do each day to manage your eating and activity, keep a journal or a list for at least three days.

Every time you do something (e.g. buy the food you need, refrain from buying a food you have difficulty controlling, go for a 10-minute walk), write it down. You will surprise yourself!

    •    Give yourself credit (and a well deserved pat on the back) for:
        o    the many things you do each day to manage your eating and activity. 
        o    each time you a fight with yourself to do something difficult for yourself and you do it!
        o    taking care of your health and personal life at the end of the day. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of getting through the hustle and bustle of daily life. Allow yourself to feel good about all that you are doing for yourself.

    •    Say the things to yourself that you would want a friend or supportive family member to say to you.
        o    what words of encouragement would you want to hear?
        o    what kind of a pep talk would be most helpful? 

    •    Become aware of some of the unsupportive comments you may say to yourself and their impact on you. (This is called negative self-talk). If necessary, jot a few of them down. Take a look at what you've written and ask yourself:
        o    are these comments actually true?
        o    when I feel this way, what happens to my eating or activity behavior? 

    •    Challenge any unsupportive self-talk. When you notice that you are talking to yourself in an unsupportive manner (e.g. putting yourself down, beating yourself up), STOP. Ask yourself: Is this what I would say to a friend? If not, what would you say?

    •    Reward yourself periodically for making changes in your eating, activity and lifestyle. Examples of non-food rewards might include tickets to a concert, the theater, or a movie, a weekend of golf or a weekend trip to a resort spa that includes hiking, etc.
 

 

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