Problem Solving
Hi Everyone:
November was a great month for a lot of you in spite of Thanksgiving. Not only did people lose a lot of weight, many of you are getting good at “problem solving.”
Remember that the main goal of weight loss is to lose the weight and then KEEP it off, i.e. weight loss maintenance. In my weight loss program, I emphasize the importance of attacking the weight problem using different strategies (i.e. seeing a doctor every month and being weighed, using a food diary, cutting back on carbs, avoiding fast foods, portion control etc).
However, the most important strategy over all is the ability to problem solve. People who were able to identify different solutions when faced with problems were more likely to be successful in both weight loss and weight loss maintenance. For example, people who use a lot of different exercises during the weight loss phase are “problem solving” to be able to come up with exercises they like so they’ll stick with them. They identified the problem (not exercising) so they problem solved by doing a lot of different activities until they found one they liked.
If you have trouble problem solving, have no fear. First you can start by recognizing that there is a problem and figuring out what that problem is. After you identify the problem, try to come up with a list of solutions, not just one. This will help you find the solution that works best for you. And don’t get caught up in failure. If you find a solution doesn’t work for you then learn from it and move onto the next strategy. If you still can’t find a solution, we will figure it out together. Keep up the good work!!
Dr. T
