12 YOU’RE HARD ON YOURSELF

Give yourself a break: research published in the Journal of Social and

Clinical Psychology found that after indulging in a doughnut, dieters with ‘self-compassion’ could hold back on further eating better than those who focused on the negative implications of their indulgence. If, after an off-the-diet biscuit, you’re filled with feelings of hopelessness, self-hatred and regret, chances are you’ll resign yourself to failure and finish the packet. But if you imagine you’re counselling a friend who has just eaten that biscuit, you’d be more likely to assure them one biscuit won’t ruin a diet. Look at your food diary: you’ll see that 99 per cent of the time you’re doing great, then you can start again. The same goes for running. If you hit the wall before finishing a run and have to shuffle home, the demoralisation can be paralysing, but if you look at your log and see how many miles you’ve covered, or days you’ve run, you’ll see that one bad day is no big deal.

ADAPTED FROM RUNNER’ S WORLD: RUN YOUR BELLY OFF! BY JENNIFER VAN ALLEN AND PAMELA NISEVICH BEDE (£ 9.99, RODALE)