The three core components of bodily intelligence

In his bestselling book *Emotional Intelligence*, Daniel Goleman argues that the traditional view of intelligence as merely a cognitive ability is too narrow. He synthesizes research findings showing that emotions and social relationships are crucial factors influencing intellectual performance. He uses the term "emotional intelligence" to describe this ability. Bodily intelligence, on the other hand, is a new concept focused on weight management. It integrates psychological research on eating, appetite, body image, and movement, rather than simply focusing on the nutritional value of food, thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of weight control.

Bodily intelligence has three components:

1. Eat smart: Know why you want to eat, and eat purposefully with the right eating habits. You'll be surprised to find that only a small portion of what you eat is due to hunger. Recognizing this and developing new habits will help you reduce your food intake or avoid unnecessary eating.

2. View your body wisely: Have a non-critical, positive, yet realistic understanding of your body image. Unrealistic views of your body shape may be a reason why you've failed to lose weight in the past. If you don't see the expected changes, it's difficult to stick to the plan. A correct understanding of your body image will help you set realistic and achievable goals, preventing discouragement and maintaining your motivation.

3. Exercise smartly: Enjoy exercise and be able to adjust the intensity appropriately. It's very likely that you've had unpleasant experiences with exercise in the past. Once you understand the reasons for that unpleasantness, you'll be able to find an easier way to make exercise a part of your daily life.

Similar to Cindy and Marty, people with bodily intelligence don't diet, but they aren't indifferent to their diet. They might desire a movie star's physique, yet they are satisfied with their current body shape and even unconcerned about some imperfections. Similarly, they may not be fitness enthusiasts or even dislike exercise, but exercise has become a habit in their lives. A key realization accompanying bodily intelligence is that there is no single, foolproof cure for obesity. You can only achieve enjoyable and sustainable weight management by cultivating good habits and attitudes that become second nature.

To increase your physical intelligence, you need to cultivate the habit of not feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable when discussing your weight and body image. Since we'll be discussing these issues over the next 200+ pages, it's helpful to use language we can all understand.

First, fat is a very relatable word. When needed, it provides the body with energy, such as keeping you warm in winter. But it's also a fundamental element of a woman's curves. If you shrink back every time you hear this word, you need to learn not to be so sensitive. It's just fat, and it has nothing to do with your personality, moral character, diligence, or other attributes unrelated to adipose tissue. If you still feel uncomfortable with this harmless word, then repeat it until it sounds ridiculous, loses its meaning, and thus diminishes its function.

Secondly, the degree of overweight and obesity can be well described by Body Mass Index (BMI), which refers to the ratio of height to weight, replacing the old height-weight charts that were difficult to use and derived from unreliable life insurance company data. BMI is a method for assessing body fat and is generally accurate, but for muscular men, the measured value is higher than the actual value. For both men and women, a BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and 30 or above is considered obese. Using a BMI calculator, Cindy's current BMI is 20.1, which is within the normal range, while her heaviest score was 33.8, clearly indicating obesity. Marty's BMI is 24, also within the normal range, just below the overweight threshold.

Your dieting history

Despite years of consistent dieting, many people still gain weight. If you're one of them, it's time to review your dieting history to identify what went wrong and find a new, better approach.

First, please circle the answers you selected for the following 10 questions:

1. How often do you diet: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Always

2. During your diet, what is the maximum weight loss you can expect in a month? 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, >20

3. What is the maximum weight gain in a week? 0-1, 1.1-2, 2.1-3, 3.1-5, >5

4. Generally speaking, how many pounds does one's weight change in a week? 0-1, 1.1-2, 2.1-3, 3.1-5, >5

5. Does a 5-pound weight change affect your lifestyle? Absolutely not, a little, some, extreme.

6. Eats moderately when with others, but overeats when alone. (Never, Rarely, Often, Always)

7. Always thinking about food: never, rarely, often, always

8. Feeling guilty when overeating: Never, Rarely, Often, Always

9. Do you pay attention to the types of food you eat? Absolutely not, a little, somewhat, extremely.

10. How many pounds do you weigh between your maximum weight and your desired weight? 0-1, 1-5, 6-10, 11-20, >21

You have completed a revised dieting tendency test, which has been used in numerous studies. For each question, if you circle the first option from the left (never, never, or 0-4), you get 0 points; if you circle the second option, you get 1 point; the third option, you get 2 points; the fourth option, you get 3 points; and the fifth option, you get 5 points. Add up your scores for all 10 questions to calculate your dieting tendency score.

For women, a dieting tendency score of 16 or higher (including 16) indicates a dieter or long-term dieter, while for men, a score of 12 or higher is sufficient to be considered a dieter. Dozens of studies have demonstrated that long-term dieting does not lead to weight loss. According to data from dieters, they eat less than non-dieters, and although their weight fluctuates more, their actual weight does not decrease over the entire period from start to finish.

Besides failing to reduce weight, dieting can also cause several undesirable side effects. Long-term dieters don't decide when and what to eat based on their internal hunger pangs, but rather rely on externally imposed, approved food lists and quantities. As a result, their normal eating frequency is disrupted. As long as they rely on dieting, weight loss is impossible. Furthermore, once dieting stops, dieters controlled by external factors are no longer guided by internal factors and may overeat or even binge drink.

For example, research has shown that when non-dieters overeat high-calorie foods, they may compensate by eating less at the next meal. Conversely, when dieters overeat, they may continue binge eating. Their mindset is, "Whatever! I've already ruined my diet plan, I might as well keep eating," leading to yet another unfinished cycle of dietary restraint, accompanied by frustration, irritability, and decreased concentration. The period of binge eating after the diet ends is accompanied by feelings of guilt, self-blame, and decreased self-esteem. It is a typical form of cyclical, fluctuating dieting.