Perfectionism

In the latest journal from the ASBP (American Society of Bariatric Physicians), there was an excellent review of this common issue interfering with weight loss and maintenance by Dr John H Sklare. This is a summary of his review.

Characteristic of perfectionistic behaviour are individuals who feel like once they cheat on their diet that it's over; or, they believe that dieting means they can never eat foods they like again; or, they equate a minor slip with complete failure.

A perfectionist brings an unrealistic attitude towards weight management, expecting the impossible of themselves. They have an "all or nothing” mentality when it comes to creating a healthier lifestyle and managing their eating. The typical weight loss pattern for a perfectionist is that once they vary from their program, even slightly, they abandon the entire effort.

"For the perfectionist, mistakes and flaws represent failures to live up to one's own perceived expectations of perfection and may be interpreted as evidence of personal deficiencies.”

Since no one is perfect, this "all or nothing” mentality dooms the patient to failure before they even begin. This behaviour is typically traced back to childhood. According to research, perfectionism has frequently been cited as a central characteristic of individuals with eating disorders. The negative side effects of this kind of thinking include poor self-esteem, guilty feelings, pessimism about the future, depression, obsessive-compulsive behaviour, low motivation and lack of self-belief.

Probably upwards to 51% of all over-weight individuals have a serious problem with perfectionism when it comes to weight control.

There are a few ‘antidotes' to help this behaviour.

One: Set realistic goals.

Two: You must change the way you think. The irrational belief that: "I must be perfect or I am a failure,” only leads you to become frustrated and fail. For example, the thought that a minor slip means total failure promptly leads you to bingeing or giving up.

Three: You must use the boy scouts motto of: ‘Be Prepared.' Since falling off the diet wagon is very common, you must learn to be prepared for minor slips. It's suggested to have a ‘Retracking Plan' in place for this very event. You should write down a day's worth of healthy meals and snacks and purchase the ingredients so that they are available in the house at all times. This is a diet emergency kit. Once you slip, you can immediately return to your Retracking Plan and make these preselected items for the next 24 hour meal plan.

Set realistic goals, challenge your irrational perfectionist beliefs, and be prepared.

Always learn from your mistakes; don't be critical of them - everyone slips up!

You can do it - just don't ever give up trying!

Dr. Doug