After eating a fatty and sugary food, people with more self-compassionate reactions reported greater control over their eating habits in the hours following this deviation.
- In the study, participants who were more self-indulgent after swerving were in better moods.
- They also reported better control of their eating and sporting behavior in the hours that followed.
- Self-compassion helps you not give up on your weight loss goals.
Chips, pain au chocolat, candy… When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s difficult not to give in to temptation and indulge in fatty and sugary foods. In addition to increasing calorie intake, these gaps can be frustrating, demoralizing and lead some people to abandon their goals. “Efforts to understand and prevent this discouragement have received virtually no attention. Self-compassion has strong potential to promote adaptive responses to these gaps because it reframes ‘failure’ and promotes self-improvement.”indicated researchers from Drexel University (United States).
Analyze the effects of self-compassion in the context of weight loss
In one study, they wanted to examine whether being indulgent with yourself after eating fatty and sugary foods reduced the likelihood of slipping again on the same day. “We also analyzed whether facets of self-compassion, including treating yourself as you would a friend, understanding that everyone has struggles, and mindfulness (non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and feelings) are associated with this outcome.”
For the purposes of the work, the team collected data from 140 adults who were trying to lose weight through a group program, the aim of which was to modify their lifestyle. Participants answered questionnaires several times a day to indicate whether they ate more than expected, a food they did not plan to eat or at a time they did not plan to eat and how they reacted afterward. this gap. The scientists also asked questions about their mood and their ability to control their eating and exercise behavior.
Weight loss: self-compassion helps “resume the pursuit of their goals more quickly”
According to the results, published in the journal Appetite, when volunteers had more compassionate reactions to themselves after their deviation, they reported better mood and better control of their eating and exercise behavior in the hours that followed. Thus, self-compassion can help people adopt healthier eating habits by helping them to be less demoralized after lapses.
“The path to achieving difficult goals, including weight loss, is fraught with challenges. Practicing self-compassion helps people cope with self-defeating thoughts and feelings in response to deviations, so that “they are less weakened by them. In return, they can resume the pursuit of their goals more quickly. (…) The next time you feel the need to criticize yourself for your eating behavior, try talking to yourself kindly instead , as if you were talking to a friend or loved one”, said Charlotte Hagermanlead author of the study.
The team hopes these findings will lead to more effective interventions that help people practice self-compassion in times when they slip up. The authors also plan to explore the best strategies for teaching patients how to demonstrate true self-compassion, reducing self-blame and criticism.
