AAT: Challenging What the Heck Responses

Linda Craighead (author of 'Appetite Awareness Workbook') says:

"The key to reducing binges to normalized overeating is to stop the 'what the heck' response ... Anytime you overeat or break a food rule, you are vulnerable to having a 'what the heck response. The way you think and feel about having overeaten (or having broken a rule) determines whether you allow this event to turn into a binge. Each time you notice the 'what the heck' response try to identify which of the following types of unhelpful thinking was involved":

ALL OR NOTHING (AON) THINKING: can help people feel relieved or released, after they binge. They think in terms of polar opposites. So they label foods 'good or bad' or themselves either a 'success' or 'failure'. With AON thinking any unplanned eating becomes 'bad'. However this dichotomous view undermines their ability to stop in early stage of a binge. Once they cross a line, they don't think they can redeem themselves. So they release themselves from trying to stop eating. To stop AON thinking, change how you define success and failure. So you 'succeed' anytime you can stop short of a full-fledged binge. Stop thinking there exists a magical point where 'all is lost and you might as well go all out (and binge)." Think about calories as continuous, not dichotomous information, which will motivate you to stop whenever you can.

MAGICAL THINKING: "is a way you trick your concious mind into being unaware of reality for a period of time." Adults use magical thinking when they "really don't like the harsh reality" they are in ... (They) can excape reality for a moment by suspending ratioinal thought processes (like awarness of the caloric nature of food). This kind of thinking allows them to rationalize or "make excuses that justify continuing to eat". The worst rationalizations let them believe that waiting to get back on track (with eating) later will be easier, because in reality every calorie counts.

DENIAL: "or the 'I don't care' way of thinking ... keeps you from facing the painful reality that you DO care about your weight, even though you don't want to stop eating right now. So you temporarily discount something (like your weight) that is very important to you. Saying "I don't care" cuts you off from whatever motivatation you have to stop a binge. When you catch yourself in denial, challenge that style of thinking by acknowledging "both sides of what you really feel; for example, 'I do care about my wieght, but I'm feeling hopeless' ... Then you can deal with our real (ambivalent) feelings instead of pretending (not to care)."

HOPELESSNESS: makes you "feel resigned throughout the binge episode ... You don't get ... much relief at any point during the binge ... (but) you also don't believe you will feel better if you stop eaitng, so you undermine any motivation you might have to stop. Hopelessness comes from exaggerating negative events (like considering any slips as proof you will never succeed) and all or nothing thinking. To challenge hopelessness remind yourself that you CAN change eating behaviors, because you eat every day. You don't have to wait long for another opporutnity to change. To combat hopelessness, base your goal on your behavior, not your wieght or your shape, because those can only be changed indirectly. If you binge frequently, begin to stop a little earlier than before in each binge episode,

ANGER OR REBELLIOUS FEELINGS: All or nothing thinking can make you alternate between extremes of hopelessness and anger or rebelliousness, instead of finding a more moderate viewpoint about your struggles with eating or weight. However, focussing on what you can do, rather than thinking 'life is unfair' can help you get past extreme thinking. "Once you stop bingeing, your overeating will gradually decrease as wll, because your prevence for how your stomach feels will change ... For now, do whatever it takes to stop short of 'completely overstuffed'.

CONSCIOUS DECISIONS TO OVEREAT CAN TRANSFORM BINGE URGES: "When you make a conscious decision to eat or even overeat, you have not given up control; you (can) stay aware and watch what the ofod is doing or not doing for you ... You (can stop) binge eating entirely once you devlop better strategies to meet your food and nonfood needs." Using self-observation will teach you that 'overeating is a less negative option than bingeing. Expanding your awareness or 'using your wise mind' means you use all the information available about all possible options to make the most effective decision. That process requires "committing to doing what works, even when you don't feel like doing it. "Eventually your (binge) urges will weaken and usually disappar, because your sie mind knows that bingeing never really works.

CHALLENGE FEARS OF WEIGHT GAIN: Consciously deciding to overeat will not cause you to gain wieght, because you will only occasionally make that decision--only when you have a strong urge to binge. "Overall you will not be eating any more total calories per week than you did before you were making conscious decisions to eat.

WHEN YOU HAVE A STRONG URGE TO BINGE: stay conscious and 'focused on your stomach so you can stop as soon as eating no longer feels good' or the point of diminishing returns, when food no longer tastes as good as before or your stomach starts to feel uncomfortably full. Your stomach is the first place your body will register discomfort with large amounts of food ... Reducing amounts in binges is surprisingly easy for many people, especially those who usually respond with all or nothing thinking--either you binge or you don't. THERE IS NO POINT AT WHICH EATING MORE DOESN'T MATTER.

CHALLENGE EXCUSES AND IRRATIONAL THINKING: In order to prevent binges, challenge unhelpful thinking that encourages you to tune out and continue eating. Look for your excuses to binge and ask yourself whether those make sense when you think rationally about how food and calories work in your body. Here are common excuses for continuing to eat past comfortable fullness:

I might as well finish the package (or plate or bowl).

I can't throw this out (or I can't waste food).

I paid for it (or she cooked it), so I should eat it.

It will be easier to start over tomorrow (or on Monday).

You use excuses to 'buy time' before you get back on track after overeating or binges. Become aware of your excuses in order to get back on track as soon as possible. "Use your wise mind to look for a more reasonable, balanced thought that will encourage you to stay (or get back) on track.

CHANGE YOUR PREFERENCE FOR OVERFULLNESS: "When you are tuned into stomach sensations, you (will) notice the stuffed feeling you used to like doesn't really feel that great. Once you give up getting stuffed, you then notice the more subtle uncomfrtable feelings associated with overfullness ... (Then) comfortably full actually feels better than overfull ... Altering your preference from full to moderate fullness is more (challenging). Stopping at moderate fullness is not aversive, but more of a learned preference.