Jan 14 2025 1
Ever wondered how to give your brain a workout that can also help with your weight management journey? Enter neurobics: mental exercises designed to strengthen your brain’s agility and resilience. Combined with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), neurobics can help you rewire unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours around eating. Let’s dive into how this works and why it matters.
What Are Neurobics? Neurobics are like aerobics for your brain. They involve engaging your senses and challenging your usual ways of thinking. For example, using your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth or navigating your home in the dark can activate different neural pathways. These simple exercises stimulate the brain, promoting neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and grow.
Why Does Neuroplasticity Matter for Weight Management? When we repeatedly engage in behaviours like emotional eating or skipping planned meals, we strengthen the neural pathways supporting those habits. Neuroplasticity means these pathways aren’t set in stone. With intention, we can create new pathways that align with healthier eating patterns and self-care.
How CBT Fits In CBT is all about identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Neurobics can supercharge CBT by:
- Breaking Autopilot: Neurobics force your brain out of its comfort zone, making it easier to spot habitual patterns (like reaching for snacks when stressed).
- Boosting Awareness: As you engage in neurobic activities, you become more attuned to your thoughts and feelings, creating space to implement CBT techniques.
- Strengthening Commitment: Practising novel tasks reinforces your ability to tolerate discomfort—a key skill in breaking free from emotional eating.
Practical Neurobic Activities Try these brain-boosting exercises:
- Switch Hands: Use your non-dominant hand for eating. It slows you down and encourages mindful eating.
- Change Your Environment: Rearrange your kitchen so healthy snacks are more accessible than processed foods.
- Savour the Moment: Close your eyes and focus on the textures, tastes, and smells of your meals. This makes you more present and reduces overeating.
Pairing Neurobics with CBT Here’s an example: Imagine you’ve had a stressful day and want to reach for comfort food. Instead of acting on impulse, try a neurobic exercise like counting backward from 100 by sevens. This pause helps disrupt the automatic urge, giving you a moment to apply CBT techniques like challenging your thoughts (“Eating this won’t solve my stress”) or substituting a healthier action (like journaling or walking).
Thank you for listening to me today and this is a summary which I hope is helpful.
By combining neurobics with CBT, you’re equipping yourself with tools to reshape your relationship with food and strengthen your brain at the same time. Start small, stay consistent, and celebrate each step forward. Your brain—and your body—will thank you.
Bye for now
Deirdre
