Behavioral Activation In Weight Loss Processes

Behavioral activation is best known for use for certain mood disorders such as depression. However, this type of strategy aimed at increasing the repertoire of behaviors may have more benefits. For example, in so-called psychonutrition, behavioral activation can be a valuable tool to achieve weight loss.

Both the psychologist and the nutritionist can play an equally important role in guiding the person to improve their BMI (body mass index). While it is true that acquiring new habits requires constant effort, behavioral activation can serve as a support tool.

Behavioral activation

Behavioral activation uses the context and experience of the individual to study the functions of their behavior in the present moment. In the field of starting healthy habits that shape a new lifestyle, such as, for example, a weight loss process, it can help the individual to incorporate new ways of proceeding to their behavioral repertoire.

The basic structure of a behavioral activation program is based on activation. Let’s think that certain behaviors may not be motivating. However, performing these behaviors is necessary to achieve long-term results.

In other words, the performance of certain behaviors that bring the person closer to adopting the habits they need to achieve their goal may not be preceded by sufficient motivation. However, this motivation can come later, once the behavior has been carried out.

In short, behavioral activation makes people work from the “outside in” (seeking motivation not to do it, but when it has been done), breaking down certain activities to increase the probability that certain behaviors are established in the individual agent of change.

How can a behavioral activation program be implemented in weight loss processes?

Carrying out self-registrations is of vital importance to know the lifestyle of individuals. It is in turn essential to collect other key data for the initiation of behavioral activation.

The presence of a nutritionist or nutrition technician is of special relevance, since the process of initiating healthy habits and maintaining a healthy weight should also be relegated to the professional responsible for knowledge about nutrition.

The evaluation of the abilities of the change agent is also of special interest to shape the first steps towards behaviors that bring them closer to their objectives. Once the competencies and abilities of the individual are known, action can be taken.

To do this, small steps are set to bring you closer to your goals, so that changes are introduced slowly but steadily. This avoids in the person the feeling of boredom and the feeling of lack of resources that promote stagnation in activation.

Benefits of behavioral activation in weight loss processes

I’ve previously broken down habits to establish into smaller challenges. Continuing precisely with this thread, the person, dividing certain types of activities, has the opportunity to obtain the reinforcement that is derived from fulfilling the subgoals or intermediate steps, at the same time increasing the probability that they will establish the habit.

Among the benefits of behavioral activation, the following could be highlighted:

• It provides the person with a sense of competence and ability to perform certain tasks that may become difficult at first.

• It increases the motivation of the person once the achievement of the objective to be carried out has been achieved.
• It teaches other more complex skills or it brings to light competencies of the person that they did not have in the beginning.
• Works the thoughts and emotions as motivating or inhibiting elements of the objective behavior, the main focus being the performance of the behavior.

What activities can you increase or teach in a weight loss program?

We know that when a person decides to undergo a weight loss program or maintain a healthy weight, they often set unrealistic goals. For example, if a person does not usually exercise, running 20 kilometers the day he wants to start establishing it as a routine will only fill his body with soreness that is precisely an obstacle to repeat.

What’s more, setting goals that are strongly removed from current reality can generate a feeling of discomfort and frustration. The person may think that they cannot or are not trained, when the problem is only in the plan they have decided to follow.

Performing desired behaviors in a short time vs. realistic goals

Behavioral activation helps to acquire healthy habits. With this, the person who wants the change observes in himself small modifications in his routine without his objectives exceeding his capacity. This can be seen with the following examples:

• A person who is embarrassed to go to the gym because they do not know what exercise routine to do. He estimates that he only knows exercises to do for 20 minutes and at the same time these 20 minutes seem insufficient to him to achieve his purpose. With behavioral activation, you could start doing exercises during those 20 minutes, gradually expanding them with new exercises . It is about doing, getting going, activating what feeds or gives feedback to one’s own motivation.

• Someone who decides to change their eating habits, but doesn’t have enough cooking skills. Behavioral activation could start with the organization of the shopping cart, avoiding a certain percentage of ultra-processed.
• A person who is interested in exercising outdoors, but is afraid that others may laugh at her for being clumsy. In this case.  Behavioral activation could start with short walks.

If, in these examples, the intended behavior were carried out directly (going to the gym for an hour, not eating ultra-processed foods and cooking, going for a run …), without intermediate behaviors and activation, it is most likely that it would be carried out only once.

In short, behavioral activation not only helps to carry out certain activities that were not done before, but also establishes the behaviors that are desired in the long term.