weight management help in halifax
There is so much pressure put on people to lose weight. It may be pressure by their medical teams, by their concerned families, or even by society.
Even in a relatively small city like Halifax, there are some pretty outrageous procedures, diets, and exercise regimens out there all promising to help you lose weight and keep it off in an extreme way.
Sometimes these work for a short while but then weight rebounds in a nasty way. Other times, they do not work at all which leaves us feeling miserable about our attempts.
So, what does the scientific literature say? What is the best way to maintain weight?
Psychological therapy for weight management starts with getting to know you and your motivation for change. The work is to set goals which are realistic, safe, attainable.
Often, part of the problem is that people use weight as the sole indicator of health. Many people do not recognize obesity as a chronic medical issue. As such, people are shamed to hate their bodies, and do not feel good about exercising in public.
Anyone who is experiencing difficulties with weight knows the shame others place on the when they are getting into a bathing suit, boarding a plane, or ordering a meal in public. When body image dissatisfaction is central, the first order of business is to work on helping you accept your body and build your body image – because why would you want to exercise and eat healthy (and continue to adopt these behaviours over the long term) when you are feeling badly about yourself?
The next step is to build motivation to practice health behaviours. We will look at building a set of values and construct a self-image related to why you want to go on this journey. Is it to be a healthier mother, sister, or friend? What would you achieve if you were healthier? Are you willing to work hard, even if the results are not evident right away? We will shift the goal from being skinny to being healthy and knowing what you can do with this newfound health.
We will not focus on the scale as that is not a good indicator of progress (I can even show you countless studies showing this). I will instead help you focus on learning to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in exercising and eating well. To work hard, even if you do not see results on the scale (because you know that you are more healthy from the behaviours you have adopted).
So let’s work together to help you concentrate on what matters and adopt healthier weight patterns.
If you’ve seen the rest of my website, this is where I usually link out to books which I use to guide my therapeutic practices.
This time, I think I will start by linking to a podcast first.
Even in a relatively small city like Halifax, there are some pretty outrageous procedures, diets, and exercise regimens out there all promising to help you lose weight and keep it off in an extreme way.
Sometimes these work for a short while but then weight rebounds in a nasty way. Other times, they do not work at all which leaves us feeling miserable about our attempts.
So, what does the scientific literature say? What is the best way to maintain weight?
Psychological therapy for weight management starts with getting to know you and your motivation for change. The work is to set goals which are realistic, safe, attainable.
Often, part of the problem is that people use weight as the sole indicator of health. Many people do not recognize obesity as a chronic medical issue. As such, people are shamed to hate their bodies, and do not feel good about exercising in public.
Anyone who is experiencing difficulties with weight knows the shame others place on the when they are getting into a bathing suit, boarding a plane, or ordering a meal in public. When body image dissatisfaction is central, the first order of business is to work on helping you accept your body and build your body image – because why would you want to exercise and eat healthy (and continue to adopt these behaviours over the long term) when you are feeling badly about yourself?
The next step is to build motivation to practice health behaviours. We will look at building a set of values and construct a self-image related to why you want to go on this journey. Is it to be a healthier mother, sister, or friend? What would you achieve if you were healthier? Are you willing to work hard, even if the results are not evident right away? We will shift the goal from being skinny to being healthy and knowing what you can do with this newfound health.
We will not focus on the scale as that is not a good indicator of progress (I can even show you countless studies showing this). I will instead help you focus on learning to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in exercising and eating well. To work hard, even if you do not see results on the scale (because you know that you are more healthy from the behaviours you have adopted).
So let’s work together to help you concentrate on what matters and adopt healthier weight patterns.
If you’ve seen the rest of my website, this is where I usually link out to books which I use to guide my therapeutic practices.
This time, I think I will start by linking to a podcast first.
…and maybe a tv show for the Coles notes.
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Books which inspire my work on weight management:
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If you live in the Halifax area and wish to receive assistance for diet and weight management from a Psychologist, please contact me if you have any questions or would like to book an appointment.
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