WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

ARE YOU STRUGGLING FROM WEIGHT MANAGEMENT ISSUES?

Relationship with food can be complex and everyone has different experiences. Often, psychological issues and life experiences can lead to weight management issues, which in turn can lead to mental health problems. At Select Psychology, we provide professional mental health services to help you cope in a safe and confidential environment.

Sleep Problems

WHAT IS WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT THERAPY?

The goal of weight management is to help you cultivate behaviours, techniques and habits that enable you to maintain a healthy weight. Obesity is experienced by a growing number of people of all ages. If you find yourself in the vicious cycle of attempting to diet only to fall off the wagon several days or weeks later, then you’re not alone.

It is recognised that losing weight is often very difficult, and there can be important psychological components to eating that are overlooked, such as food cravings and emotional distress. Psychological problems can affect an individual’s ability to make and sustain the behavioural changes that lead to weight loss. Weight loss management with the help of a therapist may be just the thing you need. Consulting a professional can assist you with the psychological component that comes with losing and maintaining weight.

The Symptoms

If difficulty in losing weight and keeping it off sounds familiar, then you may well benefit from one-to-one weight management sessions. If you have a severe weight condition (Body Mass Index of above 40, or 35 with co-existing health conditions such as diabetes) then you may be considering bariatric (weight loss) surgery. There are various surgical options and there is clear evidence that gastric surgery for obesity can result in weight loss. 

However, if you are considering weight loss surgery, it is important to meaningfully address any underlying emotional eating or eating difficulties prior to the surgery. It is known that weight regain after successful weight loss typically occurs when behavioural changes slip and emotional eating becomes difficult to manage. It may be helpful to seek therapy before and after weight loss surgery in order to maximise weight loss and minimise relapse.

Pre-surgery psychological assessment

 WHEN TO SEEK THERAPY FOR WEIGHT LOSS

You should consider therapy for sleep problems when you experience:

Shortness of breath

Increased sweating

Snoring

Difficulty doing physical activities

Low self-esteem and confidence related to your weight

Joint and back pain on a regular basis

Fatigue or often feeling tired quite quickly

THE BEST THERAPIES FOR WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT

Intensive Behavioural Therapy

Psychotherapy

BENEFITS OF THERAPY FOR WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT

Reframe faulty thoughts about food, eating, your body and yourself

Establish a regular pattern of eating

Set clear limits with oneself and with others, and maintain clear boundaries

Learn about self-care

Understand the basic principles of healthy eating, including consequences of food

Understand the basic principles of habit change

Replace negative eating habits with other, more pleasurable activities

Adopt a lifestyle consistent with long-term weight loss maintenance

Manage stress effectively

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT

If you are suffering, it is best to seek treatment as soon as you are able to, but in the meantime there are things that can help while you wait for your first appointment: 

Positive self-talk: Going on a weight loss journey can be daunting and quite scary in the beginning. You must be your own cheerleader through this and believe that this will help you become a better version of yourself.

Healthy eating habits: Choosing healthier alternatives and gradually changing your unhelpful eating habits can help kickstart your weight management journey slowly and steadily.

Exercise and physical activity: Engaging in some form of physical activity can help manage your weight in a healthy manner and help you achieve your goal.

Change your environment: Do not underestimate the impact our surroundings can have on our mood and our habits. If you are in a surrounding that allows unhelpful habits to persist, it’s time to make some changes.

Set realistic goals: This is by far the most important thing to remember! Balancing your actions can help you say much more consistent.

Dieting: Dieting, if done the right way, is an effective way to manage your weight. Beware of fad diets that claim quick results and promote unhelpful eating habits. Remember: a healthy diet is a lifestyle choice, not a quick formula to lose weight only to fall back on unhelpful eating habits.

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HOW CAN OUR PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS MANAGEMENT?

We offer a wide range of therapies to help with weight management and give you the tools to cope and understand your emotions. We are a private mental health service with highly trained therapists and no waiting lists.

This is how therapy would work:

Step 1

Get in touch

The first step is recognising you have an issue and seeking help – BOOK A FREE TELEPHONE CONSULTATION and start the process by providing a space and time to share your needs with us.

Step 2

Telephone Consultation

You will be heard and understood through a confidential phone conversation. Often called the ‘triage’ this is where you can share more about your needs, and we can advise on therapy pathways and provide initial guidance where possible.

Step 3

Appointment Offer

We will match your needs with the best fit practitioner for your therapy pathway and offer you an appointment within two weeks.

Step 4

Initial Assessment

Before you begin a course of therapy, your therapist will need to conduct an assessment in order to agree a course of therapy with you that will best help you and address your goals. This is still part of the therapeutic process and will provide you with a better understanding of your difficulties and how you may start to approach them.

Step 5

Your Therapy

Following on from your assessment, you will move onto therapy. Appointments are 50 minutes – these can be anything from weekly to monthly, depending on your individual circumstances. The number of sessions required to feel better will depend on your needs and therapy plan, this can range between 8-16 sessions, but in general more time is needed to address more complex issues.

Step 6

Feeling Better

As you start to improve, you can agree on changes to the frequency of sessions as required. Ultimately, there will be a time when both you and your therapist agree that you no longer need to continue in active therapy

HELPFUL THINGS TO KNOW

What is weight loss therapy?

Weight loss therapy is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy with a specific focus on lifestyle changes that enable weight management. It is primarily to deal with the psychological side of weight management.

What are the best ways to manage weight healthily?

Some tips for healthy weight management are:

  • Avoiding sugary drinks
  • Exercising on a regular basis and being consistent 
  • Incorporating fruits and vegetables in your diet
  • Watching the portion size 
What are some easy lifestyle changes to begin my weight loss journey?
  • Do not eat in front of the TV or computer
  • Set realistic goals
  • Choose healthier alternatives 
  • Meal preparation instead of ordering in or eating out

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