Can't Lose Weight ‘Cause I’m a Creature of Habit
Habit might be the very reason you can’t lose weight. How much of a habit is overeating? What about eating particularly fattening foods? Is this something you do out of habit? Is binge eating one of your habits? What about emotional eating? 
Check yourself out on how strong your weight gaining habits are. Respond to the 12 statements* below using the rating scale of Strongly Agree through Strongly Disagree.
Pick the descriptor that best fits you and your habit. If you have more than one habit, rate each one separately. Give yourself 5 points for each statement you rate as strongly agree, 4 points for agree, no points for undecided, 2 for disagree, and 1 for strongly disagree.
Strongly Agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly Disagree
___________ is something…
… I do frequently.
… I do automatically.
… I do without having to consciously remember.
… that makes me feel weird if I do not do it.
… I do without thinking.
… would require effort not to do it.
… that belongs to my (daily, weekly, monthly) routine.
… I start doing before I realize I’m doing it.
… I would find hard not to do.
… I have no need to think about doing.
… that’s typically ‘me’.
… I have been doing for a long time.
The higher the score, the stronger the habit.
Verplanken, B. & Orbell, S. (2003). Reflections on past behavior: A self-report index of habit strength. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 33, 1313-1330
