Transition to a Healthy Lifestyle

Goals

Overweight patients can benefit from different psychologically-based techniques to help them lose weight and keep it off in the long run. We now know that while dieting and exercise are vital for weight loss, the biggest key may be the overweight person’s own body image. The goal of psychotherapy with a client who is trying to lose weight is to help understand the emotional factors that led to their weight gain in the first place. The focus is on a person’s behavior and belief system.

Strategies

Some techniques include teaching clients self-monitoring and mindful eating. This has proven to be very useful for losing and managing weight. Self-monitoring involves regularly recording everything eaten in a day and how much exercise is done each day. Actually viewing a behavior on paper makes an impact and will allow for goal-setting. One of the things psychologically-based weight loss strategies can do is aid clients in understanding their achievements and realizing that they have not failed.

Clients can benefit from eating and living more mindfully, creating inner calm, and allowing for more self-care. Dr. Bartlett supports her clients in learning to manage their reactions and live with more peace in all areas of their lives. Read more on the right about how a meditation practice can help lead to a healthy lifestyle.

Obstacles

A vital part of achieving a healthier lifestyle is considering ways to become more active. We know that people are more likely to drive their cars than to ride their bicycles or walk. Lack of exercise decreases the amount of physical activity a person gets each day. The popularity of television, video games, and Internet has also contributed to the growing trend of a sedentary lifestyle. We have become so used to the technology that life has become virtually unimaginable without it.

Additionally, we realize that food is often used to cope with emotional demands such as loneliness, anxiety, or depression or to celebrate life events. Psychotherapy can be useful in overcoming a long history of emotional eating.