Cornerstones Based on "The end of overeating" By David Kessler

My following cornerstones to success are located in part 4 of the Book The Theory of Treatment....

1. Awareness- Having a conscious knowledge of the risk of a given situation "that is absolutely the first step-to catalogue all the stimuli, all the situations, all the cues that start the chain"(p.185). As kessler says "sensory signals, stressful situations, and forceful memories are all invatations to out-of-control eating"(p.186). I can Relate to these situations because many times when I'm presented with one of them I eat, and more than I should too. When I am stressed about something I usually eat to try to dull the stress. When I smell an amazing cuisine I always have the urge to stop. An example of this When I go to bars By Antonio's Pizza in amherst late night I am always pulled in by the smell of the cuisine due to my sensory signals. At the point of this "premonitory urge" Leckman says is "the point at which you've got a moment of control"(186).
2. Resisting the "pull of behavior"- in order to fight against what Miltenberger refers to as "the pull of behavior" Kessler says we have to "develop and learn alternative responses"(p.186). For example in my case instead of going to a bar where I have to pass by Antonio's Pizza late at night I can take Antonio's Pizza out of the equation by going to a bar not near Antonio's or a bar where I don't have to pass by Antonio's. Other examples which are hypersensitive to me are going into the kitchen late at night, driving down route 9 past all the fast food restaurants including Burger King and Taco Bell or going to the grocery store. These are three examples Kessler uses as an alternative response to resist "the pull of behavior". As Kessler illustrates, "rather than coming home at night and going straight to the refrigerator, you change your routine and don't even enter the kitchen. You drive a different route to work in order to avoid the fast-food corridor that tempts you, or you make a list and ask a family member to go to the grocery store so you don't risk off-limits purchases"(p.187). I have been successful in carrying out one of these 3 examples. When my mom is in town I always ask her to go to the grocery store for the reason of being to tempted to get unhealthy stuff but the other seem to be good ones to start implementing.
3. Using an idea that countermands- The example that Kessler uses in the book is about Chocolate Ice Cream. Instead of telling ourselves "that pint of chocolate ice cream looks really good to me; I'll have just a few bites" we can instead tell ourselves, "I know that I can't have one bite, because it will lead to twenty"(p.187). I talk through similar situations but I have never used a countermand. When I go to Antonio's I say to myself "I know this is bad to get, but, I don't go to the bar that much, so, it will be just this one night". Usually when I go to Antonio's I get at lest two or three slices. My countermand should be "Henry you can't control yourself when eating anything with sugar, fat, or salt if you stop at Antonio you will get at least two or three slices and this will entice you to go to the bars more than once a week". To be honest I went to Stackers twice last weekend on Thursday and Friday and got two slices of Antonio's both nights. Telling myself "it will only be this one night" should be countermanded by "Henry you know in reality this is probably not going to be the only night your here this week".
4. Support-Kessler says it is important to have someone around in order to help "recognize and avoid cues"(p.188). The reason for this as Miltenberger says is "it would be embarrassing to overeat" in front of someone you just made a commitment to. Differently if your alone it is easier to "short circuit that plan" and "engage in habitual behavior" because you will not be as embarrassed in private. I find this totally to be true recently when I been around people I have made a commitment to to eat better and workout in order to lose weight I have felt embarrassed to disappoint them. Support really makes sense as an important component to losing weight. Just as influential as kessler says is "if your support system does not reinforce your goals, you're better off going it alone"(p.189). This is why I've tried to not be around my brother too much recently because he eats pretty unhealthily. Eating with him would not reinforce my goals if he if he proposed eating something that I should stay away from and would most likely cue my urge to indulge in the unhealthy eating that probably will include either sugar, fat, or salt.

• Cornerstones from Part 4 of the book will continue tomorrow.....
• Later today I will be back to discuss my meals and nutrition for the day my workout and how my body is feeling