The culture of punishment

Being involved in fitness all my life while also having a Masters in School Psychology, I tend to see the worlds of fitness and behavior change as one. After all, trying to lose weight is as much a change in behavior as it is a change in diet. Both are playing a role in one’s weight problems.

As parents and as children, we have been acculturated to believe that punishing others as well as ourselves will change one’s behavior. However, this is simply not the case and has been proven time and time again. Punishment does little to increase the desired or “target” behavior, which is what we are really after. When it comes to losing weight we always focus on the negative. We focus on reducing unwanted behavior through punishment, rather than increasing desired behavior through rewards.

This can become a vicious cycle for those trying to lose weight. Unwanted behavior occurs, which is usually overeating and/or making poor dietary choices. Then, to get back to doing things right, we punish ourselves through exercise trying to lose weight. Initially, the desired behavior (exercise) may increase, but this will not last long. As emotions build and the cycle repeats, you find yourself resentful of exercise while giving in more and more to unwanted behavior (overeating/poor dietary choices).

An alternative way to approach this dilemma is to focus on the desired or “target” behavior that you want to increase. In this case, it could be two behaviors, healthy dietary choices, and more exercise. For this to work, there must be an immediate reward that YOU value. Nor does it necessarily have to be monetary. The reward can be small and in the form of taking time to read a book, make more positive affirmations, and/or write a new weekly goal that includes something you find rewarding. Once again, avoid extravagant rewards. Often times, the smaller the reward, the larger the behavior changes.

It’s about creating positive forward momentum. It is inevitable that you will stumble. However, when you do, be sure to stop before you punish yourself for tripping. This is a very difficult thing to do, but if you are aware that we all have a tendency to resort to punishment first, you may have a better chance of recovering after making a dietary mistake and moving forward in a positive direction.