Day 34 - Beck Diet Solution, Solve Problems

On Day 27, we learned about the Seven Question Technique.  On that day we learned to use it in fighting back against sabotaging thoughts prompting us to eat.  But the 7QT can actually be used to help solve any problem you’re facing, not just food-related problems.  And this is also good because even if the initial problem is non-food related, the negative emotions from that problem might lead us to turn to food for comfort if we don’t apply other strategies.

No matter what the problem is, ask yourself:

1.     What kind of thinking error could I be making (Review Day 26 to help you figure out the answer to this question).

2.     What evidence is there that this thought might not be true (or not completely true)?

3.     Is there an alternative explanation or another way of viewing this?

4.     What is the most realistic outcome of this situation?

5.     What is the effect of my believing this thought and what could be the effect of changing my thinking?

6.     What would I tell [a close friend or family member] if he/she were in this situation and had this thought?

7.     What should I do now?

See Beck, Judith S. The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think like a Thin Person. Oxmoor House, 2008.

For example, one BDS client was completely worn out at the end of the day after her parental and work responsibilities, and couldn’t bring herself to face the mountain of housework that awaited her every night.  After running through the 7QT, she concluded that she could start with the easiest thing, like a load of laundry, and then call a friend for support.

That being said, there are certainly some situations that are beyond your control – perhaps a serious health condition, a family member’s drinking problem, etc.  The 7QT can certainly help with the negative emotions generated by these problems.  But BDS also encourages us to reach out to others for support about the situations beyond our control.  Other people might have practical ideas as to how you can improve your life, even with problems that aren’t so easily solved.