 
The Mind/Body Connection To A Healthier You
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By Rachael E. Schindler
Published on Thursday, November 19, 2009 -
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Being a diet-and-exercise expert, as well as a pilates master, I deal with a wide array of clients, ranging from the highly motivated, extremely physically fit individual, to the exact opposite type, namely the unmotivated, sedentary individual who absolutely hates to exercise. While many factors may play a role in a person’s lifestyle habits—genetics, environment, physical injuries—many medical studies, including my own dissertation, concluded that there is a profound and undeniable connection between the effect of the mind (and/or spirit) on the body and vice versa. Understanding this connection helps me motivate and guide my clients to achieving their long-term health and fitness goals, and to maintain those outcomes for years to come.
So here’s some “food for thought.” Sheer willpower, reduced caloric intake, and even regular gym attendance may not be enough to uproot self-sabotaging eating behavior and thoughts. “I was good all day and just lost it at 4:00 p.m.” “I was bad already, so I decided to enjoy it and go all the way” (and finish the whole box of cookies.) My favorite one is “I’ll just take one”—and then you can’t stop (I call it the potato-chip syndrome).
Another common behavior is the “starve and stuff,” where you think you are doing “good” by either not eating or eating too little, and then you get so hungry that you just eat everything in sight!
By identifying these sabotaging thoughts and rethinking your relationships (yes, in the plural!) with food, with proper support you can learn to prevent diet damage.
Some clients may need assistance to identify or better understand their eating issues, and behavioral or cognitive therapy may be necessary if there has been a repeated pattern of failure to maintain a healthy diet or exercise program. Remember, the right tools for behavior change are essential to success!
In one randomized control study done in Sweden (2005), obese individuals underwent a 10-week therapy program. They lost weight during that period, and most continued to lose weight, according to an 18-month follow-up. The control group, without any therapy, gained weight. It is noteworthy to recognize that the 18 months of continual weight loss achieved by the majority of people in this particular study is significant and unique in light of the reality that most dieters regain all their weight (and maybe more) within a year; very few, perhaps 5 percent, truly maintain their weight loss.
So, what’s the answer to taking and keeping the weight off? Well, it’s not just exercise! Research has shown that approximately half the people who attend an exercise program drop out after several months. Why? Because these individuals have most likely been motivated by something external, such as a doctor’s warning regarding their health, an upcoming vacation, a wedding/bar mitzvah/class reunion, or even participating in a fitness challenge.
Whatever the initial motivation may be to get fit and lose weight, this study indicates that a person is not likely to stay the course and maintain a lifestyle of fitness unless they learn to internalize their motivation so that it becomes intrinsic—a part of their identity. Part of the uniqueness of the nutritional counseling services I offer involves being a constant motivator and an external support system that encourages, teaches, and works with the individual toward achieving a healthy lifestyle.
So how do you elicit the mind in helping the body achieve its fitness goals? Sadly enough, millions of Americans are stuck in the rut of behavioral intentions. Most people have the best intent when it comes to their health, but they lack the internalized concrete plan required to design and maintain it. In numerous studies, the efficacy of a weight-loss program more than doubled simply because participants were asked to think about and develop a detailed plan of implementation. So the bottom line is, speak with someone who knows nutrition and can understand your specific energy needs, and formulate a healthy plan that you can follow. Then, just do it!
Now, for those of you who find it difficult to understand how to convert all these health statistics into practical and simple steps, I’m here to help. I have seen time and again that people can change their behavior if they are honest and realistic about their motivation. First, identify personal and meaningful motivations. What will keep you going when the going gets tough? Are you distressed about your behavior? Are you interested in changing it? Are you ready to take action now?
The next step is to set practical, achievable goals. Instead of saying, “I will become more active,” declare instead, “I will go on a brisk walk on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.”
The last step needed to effect a lasting change is to be aware that your emotions affect your health, both negatively and positively. It is important to develop strategies to cope with stress and disappointment without resorting to self-destructive behavior such as eating junk food in excess. These unhealthy eating behaviors are ways of medicating anxieties—or feeding them (literally)!
To sum up the mind-body connection with regard to weight-loss: make up your mind, and you will make up your body!
Rachael E. Schindler, MA, MS, CAI, CPT, has over 18 years of experience in exercise physiology, Pilates, nutritional counseling, and teaching, as well as multiple degrees in forensic and developmental psychology. She specializes in food and behavioral issues in children and adults, offering the right combination of diet, exercise, and support. Insurance is accepted. She can be reached at Teichbergr@aol.com or 917-690-5097. ♦
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