The Brain. Cognitive center of the body, it tells us what to eat, when to eat, and how much we need to eat to fuel our bodies daily. But the brain also controls how much will power we can exert when faced with temptation, and unfortunately sometimes it isn’t much. Sharpbrains.com posted an interview with Dr. Judith Beck, a cognitive therapy expert from the University of Pennsylvania. She discusses the anxiety and depression, as well as self image problems and other cognitive disorders people are faced with when starting a diet. These disroders can effect the amount of will power one has when faced with unhealthy food choices like cookies or potato chips, or hit with a sudden late night hunger.

The main message of cognitive therapy overall, and its application in the diet world, is straight-forward: problems losing weight are not one’s fault. Problems simply reflect lack of skills–skills that can be acquired and mastered through practice. Dieters who read the book or workbook learn a new cognitive or behavioral skill every day for six weeks. They practice some skills just once; they automatically incorporate others for their lifetime.

Dr. Beck emphasizes the use of skills like learning how to motivate yourself, and the ability to overcome weak points in judgment. Making an eating plan, sticking to a schedule, but mixing it up and trying a different variety of healthy foods. Dieting doesn’t have to be boring, in fact it can be more entertaining than eating a cake with empty calories or a bag of chips that will never satisfy.

The only part of this article that I disagree with is the title: “Train your Brain to Think like a Thin Person.” Are they implying that all thin people make healthy eating decisions? Certainly that’s not the case, I have plenty of thin friends who are in for a rude awakening when that top tier metabolism is suddenly shut down by the shoryuken of middle age. Those who are overweight or have struggled with their weight need not be mistaken, you can learn how to deal with your weight better than a thin person. You’ve been doing it for years. Just don’t lose sight of your mark, and never rush B tunnels.