Do Not Open This Now (Just Kidding):

Do Not Open This Now (Just Kidding): Why Delayed Gratification Can Be Such a Powerful Tool in Your Toolkit
by Katie Jay, MSW, Certified Wellness Coach
Director, NAWLS
www.nawls.com  
At this very chocolaty time of year, it's hard to not be swept away in the moment. Remember the candy commercial "My Moment, My Dove"?
Our society embraces immediate gratification at Easter and all throughout the year. We are inundated with images of jetsetters racing to keep up with the Jones's, buying the next really cool e-gadget with one hand and a latte in the other. Irrespective of today's economy, for the most part, when we see something we want we just buy it. Or, if it's edible, we buy it and then we eat it.

You may remember a study by a Stanford University psychology researcher on immediate and delayed gratification which began in the 1960s. In the study, hungry four-year-olds were given a marshmallow. They were told that they could either eat the single marshmallow now, or if they waited 15 or 20 minutes for the experimenter to run an errand and come back, they could have two marshmallows.

About one-third of the children grabbed the single marshmallow right away. Some waited a little longer, and about one-third were able to wait for the researcher to return.

The long-term results of the study were even more interesting. Years later, the children who were able to delay their gratification were more positive and self-motivating. They had more successful marriages, higher incomes, greater career satisfaction, better health, and more fulfilling lives.  

What does this mean for weight loss surgery patients?
While many of us would probably have fallen into the first category of children who preferred immediate gratification over delayed, that is not to say that we are destined to have lives that are unfulfilled or unrewarding.

We know that WLSers are at increased risk for regain, depression, diabetes, the list goes on. So, for us practicing delayed gratification and mindfulness is paramount.  

When we are surrounded with an onslaught of Easter bunnies, banquet feasts, and sabotaging coworkers pedaling carb-laden conference fare, it's easy to give in. It is sometimes just easier or more convenient to do what others encourage us to do, and that's precisely why we need to practice delayed gratification.

This is a particularly tempting time of year for everyone, but remember to be gentle with yourself nevertheless. If you've had a love affair with a certain chocolate bunny, the best thing you can do right now...is not beat yourself up.

You can pick yourself up and dust yourself off, starting over as often as necessary. The more you practice, the better you will become at staying on track, sticking with your plan, and tolerating delayed gratification.

It's important to not stay down when we fall. We will all fall, but getting back up is the key.

Start by making a chocolate confession to a safe friend or at a support group. Hiding in isolation with our food secrets only increases our shame and the likelihood that we will continue with our self-sabotaging behaviors. You can practice delayed gratification for the long-term results we all crave.   I encourage you to embrace this new, sweeter way of living; I promise it'll be sweeter than any chocolate bunny who hops in your path .  
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