The attitude towards oneself and one's actions is a very important factor contributing to success or failure. Already when planning and setting goals, as described above, a certain mindset can be decisive. A common trap that obese and slimming people fall into is so-called black-and-white thinking, i.e. using extremes. This is especially true when it comes to self-perception and food-related issues.

Typical patterns of extreme thinking sound like: "when I lose weight I am worth something - when I gain weight I am worth nothing", "losing even a few kilos makes me physically attractive/attractive - gaining even a few kilos makes me look disgusting!"I lose weight when I don't eat sweets (or any other "forbidden" product) - if I eat even a little, it doesn't matter how much I eat, because the weight loss has failed anyway", "in order to lose weight, you don't need to overeat - when you overeat, everything is gone and there is no point in controlling yourself any further", "if you eat too much one day - you have to starve yourself the next".

Extreme thoughts cause extreme emotions - from euphoria and delight to discouragement and anger. They also contribute to extreme behaviour - from an exaggerated commitment to weight loss (strict dieting, exhaustive exercise), to a lack of any concern for one's own health (uncontrolled overeating, neglecting sleep, ignoring ailments, lack of physical activity).