Is Perfectionist Thinking Supporting or Sabotaging Your Success at Weight Loss and Lifestyle Chang

High standards are the driving force behind many success stories. As Annette Colby, PhD, describes in her newsletter Eating Peacefully, many scientists, researchers, artists, athletes and successful business people spend endless hours perfecting their knowledge, working harder than their colleagues, and pushing themselves beyond their own limitations, all in an attempt to achieve certain standards. At the root of this drive is perfectionism. Used as the gift it can be, perfectionism offers a driving force, determination and the ability to achieve success. Unfortunately, when it comes to health and weight management, many women combine perfectionism with a self-punishing attitude, defined by unrealistic goals. As a result, perfectionism can sabotage the journey to a fitter self.

Perfectionism Can Create Stress

Take the issue of stress. Women consistently tell us that stress is one of their biggest concerns - too much to do and not enough time to do it in. The demands of their busy lives get in the way of healthy eating, physical activity, or just sorely needed down time for taking care of themselves. While that's stressful enough in itself, perfectionistic thinking that relentlessly drives us to "do it all," and sets us up for feelings of failure when we can't, lies at the root of the stress that overwhelms us.

Perfectionism Can Defeat Fitness

Perfectionism can also stand in the way of achieving health and fitness goals we set for ourselves. Expectations that we must have a perfect body, perfect eating habits, and/or perfect adherence to a physical activity routine sets us up for failure. How many times do we think if we are going to try something at all, we have to do it exactly right, or we might as well not even try?

This kind of perfectionistic thinking that sabotages instead of supports is usually based on things we think we "should" do, rather than what is realistic. For example, instead of setting a goal to increase our physical activity based on what we are currently doing, we aim for the moon. We resolve to immediately start walking daily, for example, even though we were couch potatoes only yesterday. And the first couple of times we miss our walk, we think, "Well, I've failed again; I just can't do this." And then we give up completely.

The same scenario is repeated with attempts to improve eating behaviors. Even though nutritionists emphasize that "moderation" in eating richer foods is the goal, we hear "elimination." And when we inevitably reach for a brownie or other food we don't believe fits "healthy" eating, our perfectionist mindset tells us we are incapable of eating in way that supports health and fitness. Once again, like our fitness plan, we give up our attempts at eating more healthfully all together.

Ask yourself these questions:

Is what I accomplish never quite good enough?

Do I put off a project waiting to get it just right?

Do I feel I must give more than 100% on everything I do or I will fail?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, read further about how to turn your perfectionism into an advantage, to help you achieve true success in your ongoing journey to a fit you.

©2004 Green Mountain at Fox Run, Ludlow, Vermont. This information is the property of Green Mountain at Fox Run.

Alan H. Wayler, PhD is executive director at Green Mountain at Fox Run, an all-womens healthy weight loss program. For over 33 years, Green Mountain at Fox Run has developed and refined a life-changing weight loss retreat through lifestyle change, exclusively for women. A proven professional team offers time-tested strategies for helping women to put more balance into their eating, health and lives. To learn more about our weight loss spa – health retreat, visit us at: http://www.fitwoman.com

The Bible Cure for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain (Bible Cure Ser)

The Bible Cure for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain (Bible Cure Ser) Bestselling BibleCure series from Dr. Don Colbert.
Customer Review: More please!
As a Christian I must confess to my most shamefully partaking in the deadly sin of gluttony - it's those cakes that Margaret makes, they have a very rich sponge with a layer of jam and cream and I can't resist the urge to have 3 or more slices per sitting - in my defence the cakes are prepared in our cross shaped baking tray so I feel that the sin is lessened somewhat by this, but I digress. The sad fact is that I was a fat Christian and something needed to be done. God loves us all equally as his children but I feared that He might love His fat children slightly less and I for one wouldn't blame Him, fat people are not nice to look at. I have been following the advice of The Bible Cure for Weightloss and it worked wonders (like the miracles of Jesus himself) and I am no longer a fat Christian - praise be! I think the makers of this book should extend the idea to fitness videos, maybe with a fellow dressed as Jesus doing the routines. Just an idea.
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The Hormonally Vulnerable Woman : Relief at last for PMS, mood swings, fatigue, hair loss, adult acne, unwanted hair, female pain, migraine, weight gain, ... all the problems of perimenopause

The Hormonally Vulnerable Woman : Relief at last for PMS, mood swings, fatigue, hair loss, adult acne, unwanted hair, female pain, migraine, weight gain, ... all the problems of perimenopause According to Geoffrey Redmond, M.D., a majority of the 42 million American women between the ages of thirty-five and fifty-five suffer from vulnerability to their own hormones. Appearance, emotions -- and even sex drive -- may be affected. Symptoms include thinning hair, persistent acne, mood swings, low energy, loss of pleasure in sex, weight gain, irregular periods, and pain. While the media has emphasized the problems of menopause, Dr. Redmond explains that all too many women experience hormonal miseries even in their thirties. Lab tests are often normal because the problem is not the hormones themselves but how a woman's body reacts to them. Healthy, active women suddenly find that once quiescent hormones have taken over control of their lives. Because their problems are often dismissed as trivial, women who are hormonally vulnerable are frequently thwarted in their quest for help. Too often they are brushed off with remarks such as, "Your tests are normal; there's nothing wrong with you." This is tragic because, as Dr. Redmond demonstrates, hormonal balance can nearly always be restored with the treatments he details, which include individualized use of prescription medications, herbal supplements, lifestyle changes, and even spiritual practices. Many women have heard that testosterone can help sex drive, but most have not been warned about the damage that careless testosterone therapy can cause on skin and hair.

In this book, Dr. Redmond, an internationally recognized authority on testosterone in women, explains the only safe ways to use testosterone. With informative sidebars, quizzes, and personal stories of women who have overcome hormone vulnerability, this helpful book will empower you to find treatments for your hormone problems that are tailored to fit your own body, biochemistry, symptoms, and lifestyle.
Customer Review: every woman MUST read this book!!
Having read the book, Hormonally Vulnerable Women, and a number of other lesser, yet respected books, it quickly becomes clear who has the upper hand of insight and education when it comes to hair loss.

I met with Dr. Redmond, an endocrinologist, in NYC for my hair loss. I am glad that I did. He is easy to talk with, caring, concerned, responsive and dedicated to treating female
hair loss. I never once felt demeaned, ignored nor rushed. All of this counts to a great extent in todays world of medicine where the disease becomes the patient.

Not only was this my direct experience, I followed his plan and within a few short weeks my hair loss subsided.

For anyone who is unable to successfully treat their HL, has been to too many doctors to mention, spent countless dollars on topical treatments, tired out loved ones with constant complaining and is tired of the madness - you should buy this book!

Customer Review: A book that really gives good info about hormones
Dr. Redmond's book is one of the best I've read on the subject of women's hormones. Especially at menopause, women's hormones go haywire and cause all kinds of health problems. Dr. Redmond's knowledge gave me new resourses to try and I can't recommend this book enough for women going through the change and for all women who want to learn more about how they can help themselves feel better by understanding what their hormones are doing to them and why.

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