Reimagining Weight Loss and Resolutions

Bob struggled to maintain a healthy weight most of his life. He’d gain significant weight, beat himself up, and then would go on extreme diets that included excessive workouts. As a successful physician, he understood better than most of us the toll on his body, but he couldn’t seem to break the unhealthy pattern of dieting and overeating. We started working together on his birthday several years ago when he volunteered to be one of my first clients using a technique pioneered in England called Functional Imagery Training, or FIT.

FIT is simple and positive. It involves tapping into motivation and vivid mental imagery. The premise, instead of the tedious schedules of dieting, weighing, etc., is for people to use their imaginations to experience the future in detail using seven senses (the five you know, plus emotion and motion).

I was the first person in the U.S. to be trained in Functional Imagery Training. At the time that I ventured to England, I was looking for a tool to help me overcome a difficult time in my life that included a recently pieced-together broken shoulder from an accident. The technique helped me get beyond my fear of reinjury, but it wasn’t until I began practicing FIT with Bob and other clients that I appreciated the potential impact of this groundbreaking approach. The first part of FIT involves active listening by the coach or therapist, finding patterns, and noticing strengths and ambiguity. Many people say they want something, but there’s often an underlying conflict or ambiguity that keeps them from moving forward. It may be something like, “I want to lose weight, but dieting puts me in a bad mood, and I don’t want to be irritable or antisocial this holiday season.” We help the client explore these thoughts and feelings without judgment so they can determine what is most important to them.

Once Bob felt supported, established his “why,” and had a clear and realistic goal, I taught him how to use imagery. First, I invited him to close his eyes and to imagine in multisensory detail his life in one year on his birthday if nothing about his weight had changed. Difficult emotions arose.

Next, I invited him to imagine his own success, a different future in which he had been taking steps to eat well and exercise. What would his birthday be like next year if he had been eating well and exercising? I had him use all his senses to “be” in the experience. Not surprisingly, positive emotions arose. Imagery taps into emotions, and it is emotions that change behavior and amplify motivation.

“Emotion drives human behavior and FIT taps into emotion to keep us on track and resilient,” Jonathan Rhodes, FIT developer and psychologist, recently shared at a presentation to IBM coaches.

Bob and I met in person once a week for three weeks. I taught him how to use imagery daily by experiencing his day unfolding in his mind’s eye, his mind’s ear, his mind’s heart…in a way that supported his goals. He practiced it every morning and saw results quickly. He was optimistic, while mindful of not trying to do too much too soon.

We talked on the phone bi-weekly and then eventually once a month. I never told Bob how much or how little to eat or to exercise. I never asked him how much weight he had lost. That was the last thing he needed after trying so many restrictive diets that led to extreme fluctuations. For him, the new sensation of coasting easily rather than flooring the gas pedal or jamming on the brake was revelatory. Changing behavior did not have to be all or nothing. He was learning to trust himself. He saw there was a healthier, more successful model.

After seven months of practicing FIT, Bob lost 25 pounds without beating himself up. He didn’t use his pounds as a measure of success—or failure. He noticed other changes, too. The mindful practices he learned with FIT helped him feel more confident and focused.

I share this story at a time of year when the number one Google search is “weight loss.” There are a million products out there that prey on fear, shame, and unrealistic expectations.

Making time to imagine what we want may also benefit our brains. According to Rob Hopkins, author of From What is to What If, our fast-paced, consumer-driven digital world negatively impacts the hippocampus, the part of our brain that helps us to imagine. The hippocampus is receding due to an increase in stress, anxiety, and hopelessness.

If we put our imaginations to work for us, we might more successfully achieve goals such as losing weight or breaking addictions. We may also become believers in Albert Einstein’s truth: “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

Here are four FIT-related practices that can help you reach your 2024 goals:

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1. Focused attention

Arriving at the destination we desire is a process that involves all our senses. For example, “When you arrive at your weight loss goal, what will it feel like to get dressed in the morning? What will you notice as you go through your day?” The more vivid the experience/image, the better, since imagery is linked to emotion and emotion shapes behavior.

2. Channel your mind

The mind cannot hold two opposing images at once. If you are focused on a craving that will get in the way of you reaching your goal, change the channel in your mind and picture in greater detail to what you want instead.

3. Imagine your obstacles

This is more than positive thinking; it’s about planning ahead for potential setbacks and challenges and how you will overcome them. It’s imagining how you will see your way around them. The big picture is key.

4. Find a buddy or a coach

You can’t do it alone. Guidance from others you trust will give you a sense of connection and hope that will serve to expand your confidence and your imagination.

The less we consume and the more mindfully we eat, the better it is for our bodies and our happiness. Our 2024 vision can be realistic and hopeful.