There aren’t a ton of things I know for sure. It’s like this Albert Einstein quote:
The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.
– Albert Einstein
But if there’s one thing I am going to hang my hat on and follow, it’s when there has been decades of research examining a theory in different ways, by different research labs, and the theory still fits and helps us explain human behavior.
This is what occurred with Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985).
What is Self-Determination Theory
SDT is a well studied theory of motivation that can be applied to almost any human behavior we want to understand, including but not limited to:
- school performance
- work performance
- athletic performance
- having a healthy relationship.
- healthy habits and weight loss
- and many more
Three Basic Psychological Needs
What we know is that there are three key psychological needs that make up the cornerstone for making changes that stick over the long-term.
They are:
- Competence: Competence reflects the need to feel efficacious and capable of achieving desired outcomes. The idea that we can do what we set out to do. “I got this.”
- Relatedness: Relatedness involves the need to feel close to and valued by important others and to have a sense of belonging with peers, family, and the larger community. Feeling connection and support with important others. Feeling that you belong. “I belong here.”
- Autonomy: the experience of volition and psychological freedom in carrying out an activity. Freedom from excessive external pressure to behave in a certain way. “I have choices and options.”
Why Meeting These Needs Matters
People report more positive emotion, less negative emotion, and more vitality on days these three key needs were met (Ryan, Bernstein, & Brown, 2010).
When these needs were met, people reported a healthier diet, including higher intake of fruits and vegetables (Ryan, Patrick, Deci, & Williams, 2008).
When the needs were frustrated, people reported more unhealthy weight control behaviors and symptoms of eating disorders, including more binge eating (Thogerson-Ntoumani, Ntoumanis, & Nikitaras, 2010; Verstuyf, Vansteenkiste, & Soenens, 2012).
Also, autonomous motivation which is the kind most likely to occur when these needs are met, predicted weight maintenance 3 years down the road for women in a weight loss program (Silva et al., 2011).
How Does Dieting and How We Traditionally Approach Weight Loss Impact these Key Needs?
Can you think of any ways in which our approach to weight loss and dieting might negatively impact the need for autonomy, competence, or relatedness?
I think you see where I’m going with this, but I think there are probably just a few….
Autonomy
Does the way we typically approach weight loss give people a sense of freedom, choice, and avoid putting excessive pressure to do things a certain way?
Most of the time, absolutely not.
I see this on a regular basis from well-intentioned health care professionals. They think they know what’s best for the patient, and they make recommendations that come across as commands. The patient thinks they need to meet the doctor’s goals, even if perhaps it isn’t realistic for them or even something they want to do.
This often causes increased stress or pressure in the patient, making actual healthy habit changes unlikely.
Competence
Does the way we typically approach weight loss set people up for success? Just the stats for success alone tell us the answer to this.
For all the reasons we have discussed in recent posts about dieting and biology, and the research on self-control, much of the time dieting undermines our self-confidence and belief in ourselves.
I have worked with countless people who are incredibly hard-working, driven, determined people who struggle with their weight. Whether it’s someone who got their PhD or MD and are working at the top of their field, or someone who overcame poverty and works 2-3 jobs to put their kids through college, no one in their right mind would truly call these people lazy. And yet, they often think of themselves this way because they aren’t able to lose weight and keep it off.
This suggests a problem with our approach to weight loss, not the individual.
Relatedness
Does our approach to weight loss help people determine whether or not they feel truly supported and connected by people in their lives, and their community and even society as a whole? Do we even discuss this as a key factor in success with long-term healthy changes.
The vast majority of the time, absolutely not.
The research on the prevalence to weight bias alone answers this. We know that people are viewed and treated differently due to their weight in health care, work, and social settings, among others. This makes it harder to meet this key psychological need, and ironically makes it harder for them to lose weight.
Weight bias is associated with increased depression, more risk of further weight gain, and less healthy habits. If we want to change our health in a substantial way, this needs to change as well.
The Take Home Message
Much of how we approach weight loss erodes the very things that we know are helpful for long-term change. See any issues here?
So let’s talk about some solutions and things we can do.
Ways to Use the Science of Motivation to Help Meet Key Psychological Needs and Set the Foundation for Lifelong Habit Changes
- Learn to be a better goal-setter. This takes time and practice, but when it comes to setting and achieving goals, so many of us have not mastered this skill. Especially when it comes to weight loss, we often set our goals too high, then don’t meet them and this leads to a cycle of reduced feeling of confidence/competence, and feelings of failure. Learn to set goals that you are 90% confident you can achieve, and make sure you have made the goals into small enough “chunks” that they aren’t overwhelming. For example, if “walk a 5K” is a long-term goal, and you currently aren’t walking at all, you may need to make your more immediate goal smaller. Start with “walk for 10 minutes once per week” for example, then build from there.
- Stop setting weight-related goals. This is a big one, and not always well-received if you feel desperate to get weight off, but hear me out. I am not telling you to stop wanting to lose weight, but when you set the goals of lose 1-2 lbs per week, so I’ll be down 10 lbs by Christmas, this can set you up for failure if you miss the mark along the way or have a week where you maintain. The reality is, you can make significant and important habit-changes, and the scale may or may not go down 1-2 lbs a week. Instead, set a habit-goal, like grocery shopping and making at least 2 healthful meals this week. Or getting outside for a walk at least 3 times.
- Take a critical look at your support system. This one is important, but can be challenging. Look at the people around you and with whom you spend the most time. Are they “helping you” by becoming the food police and suggesting you have had enough? Is this really helping you? For most of us, absolutely not. Talk to people about what is helpful using clear language. Give them the benefit of the doubt and say, “I know you are trying to help, but I would prefer you don’t make comments about what I am eating.” If you don’t have support at home, connect with a supportive online group. There are a ton, go explore some Facebook groups and see which ones appeal and feel supportive to you. And stay tuned, The Psychology of Wellness will probably have one soon!
- Reflect on What Truly Works for You. What has helped you achieve your goals in the past? Do you like writing things out on a white board and checking off the days you exercise? Do you think its fun to order meal prep kits and make new things that way? Do you prefer to work out with a friend? Look at other areas of your life and think creatively about how they can be applied to healthy habits. How can you make healthy habits more enjoyable for you? For me, it’s watching mindless Netflix or listening to a podcast while I meal prep. Or it’s talking to a friend or listening to a podcast while I walk. That might sound fun to you, or terrible. That’s totally fine. By reflecting on what might work for you, you are supporting your own sense of autonomy.
- Take the pressure off, and experience more freedom. Give yourself the gift of taking the time pressure off of needing to lose weight immediately. This is essential so that you can relax a bit and actually explore what truly works. Remind yourself you are great just as you are. When you start from that place, it’s easier and more fun to explore new lifestyle options. Consider ways to make healthful living easier and more enjoyable and go have fun exploring new options, without the pressure to lose weight quickly. Take away the shoulds. What sounds intriguing to you? Think creatively and give yourself time and space to see what fits into your life!
References
Silva, M. N., Markland, D., Caraca, E. V. Viera, P. N…. Teixeira, P. J. (2011). Exercise autonomous motivation predicts 3-yr weight loss in women. Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise, 728-737.
Verstuyf, Vansteenkiste, Soenens, B., Boone, L., & Mouratidis, A. (2012). Daily ups and downs in women’s binge eating symptoms: The role of basic psychological needs, general self-control, and emotional eating. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 32, 335-361.