Weight Management Counseling in Chesterfield, VA
Jaden hopped on the scale. Ever since he was a kid, he had struggled to manage his weight. Jaden remembers vividly the first time someone called him fat—he was only seven. He has always worked hard to eat well, and he exercises regularly. A few times, Jaden has lost over forty pounds, but he always put it back on. Jaden tries every new diet or exercise fad that comes out, but he is also weary. Nothing seems to work long-term. Jaden desperately wants to lose the weight, but he also is sick of the contentious relationship he has with his own body. Can you relate to Jaden? Many can. Many people, both men and women, know what it is like to watch what they eat, make time for exercise, and check all the right boxes without seeing the long-term change they want. They are exhausted from following the latest, greatest health trend. Therapy for weight management offers an alternative. Instead of focusing on tight rules for what to eat and what not to eat, counseling’s goal is to help people make peace with their own body and live in a way that promotes emotional and physical health. Therapy looks at any underlying emotional and psychological wounds that may be making weight management more difficult and seeks long-term healing. People are often empowered to make lasting health changes when they go to counseling for weight management.
“I think there’s so much emphasis on body image and results and outcome, but really what you should be after is to be healthy and to feel good about yourself.”
—Abby Wambach
Oftentimes, when people are seeking to manage their weight, working with a trainer or a nutritionist is an important step, but oftentimes, the emotional component to weight management is just as important as the physical. People’s minds and bodies are whole units. What is happening in an individual’s body can affect their emotional health. What is happening in an individual’s emotional health can affect their physical health. Weight management counseling zeroes in on that mind-body connection and seeks to help people think of their health holistically.
Thriveworks Chesterfield provide weight management therapy, and we have seen many clients learn to love and accept their body, and in the process, experience better physical and emotional health.
Body Weight in America
It is no secret that many Americans are struggling with high body weight. High percentages of men and women, children and adults are either obese or overweight. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that…
- Twenty percent of adults (ages 20 and older) in the US are considered overweight.
- Twenty percent of adults in American are considered obese.
- Twenty percent of kids ages 12-19 are considered obese.
- Seventeen percent of kids ages 6-11 are considered obese.
- Nine percent of kids ages 2-5 are considered obese.
These statistics represent more than numbers on a scale. Difficulty managing weight can be a symptom of a deeper emotional or psychological challenge.
Body Image and Therapy
What advantages might working with a therapist as well as a trainer give to someone who is managing their weight? Working with a therapist to achieve a healthy body image may allow people to heal underlying mental health challenges as well as build up their emotional resolve.
- Healing underlying wounds. The numbers on the scale may be the most visible sign of pain, but not all wounds are visible. When people struggle with their weight management, anxiety, depression, or another mental health challenge could be making that struggle more difficult. Many eating disorders may keep people trapped in an unhealthy weight—either over or under weight. These issues of mental health are foundational for healthy living. Weight management therapy seeks to go deeper than a number and help people heal in a holistic way.
- Building resolve. Following narrow rules about what to eat or how to exercise can leave people yo-yoing between weight loss and weight gain. Therapy for weight management takes a different approach. Instead of focusing on dos and don’ts, counseling often focuses upon building self-awareness. When people are aware of what their minds and bodies are telling them, they are often empowered, and they often have the resolve to navigate the ups and downs of weight management.
For example, negative and untrue thought patterns hinder people from being at a healthy weight, but oftentimes, people are not even aware of these patterns. Through counseling, people can become more aware of what messages they are telling themselves about their body, and change the message if it is untrue or negative. People often believe unhelpful and untrue things like…
- Food is a reward for being good.
- Overeating or indulging deserves to be punished.
- It is impossible to feel comfortable in one’s body.
Instead, people can learn healthier thought patterns, including…
- Healthy motivation (not rewards and punishments).
- Coping skills that do not involve food.
- Reasonable expectations about weight loss and/or gain.
- How to process and bounce back after a setback.
Setting Up Appointments at Thriveworks Chesterfield for Weight Management Therapy
The goal of therapy is to refocus people’s attention upon being emotionally and physically healthy instead of being focused upon a number or strict dieting rules. If you are ready to try counseling for weight management, Thriveworks Chesterfield has appointments available. When you contact our office, your first appointment may be the following day. Weekend and evening sessions are offered. We also accept many different insurance plans. Let’s work toward emotional and physical health together. Call today.
