Managing Weight in Newport News, VA—Counseling
Roy wanted to be there for his friend’s wedding, but he did not want to be in a fitting room, trying on a tux. Trying on clothes was not his favorite activity. Some guys like developing their own style but not Roy. As much as Roy tried, he never liked his body. He did his best to be healthy—eat well and exercise often. Roy even lost over ten pounds a few times. Unfortunately, his weight loss was always driven by some fad diet that he could never sustain. After he put the weight back on, Roy always felt even worse about his body. He does not want to have a perfect body. No, Roy just wants to feel comfortable and confident in his own skin. A lot of people are just like Roy. They care about living a healthy life, but weight management has been hard for them. The gym and the kitchen are often the focus of most weight management plans, but there is another way. Because emotional health and physical health are intertwined, more and more people are going to therapy for weight management. At counseling, the focus is not what to eat or how to exercise. Counseling for weight management, instead, focuses upon giving people the emotional support they need to sustain long-term changes for their health.
“I personally battled with my own body image for years. I used to tell myself, ‘You can’t wear anything sleeveless or strapless.’ And all of a sudden I was like, ‘What if I just didn’t send such negative messages to my brain’ and said, ‘wear it and enjoy it?’ And now I’m more comfortable in clothes than ever.”
—Drew Barrymore
Health is often calculated by the number: weight, clothing size, cholesterol level, weight measurement. But an individual’s overall well-being involves much more than these numbers. Living a healthy life looks like accepting one’s body, in all its flaws and strengths. Living a healthy life looks like learning healthy coping skills (that do not involve food). Living a healthy life looks like finding treatment for physical and mental illnesses. Therapy for weight management does not focus upon particular health numbers but upon living a healthy life.
If you are ready for a different approach to weight management, consider reaching out for mental health care. Thriveworks Newport News has helped many clients find ways to pursue their health in a holistic way. As they take care of their emotional health, they are often able to sustain long-term changes for their physical health.
Weight Management in America: A Growing Challenge
Many children and adults in the US are struggling with their weight. They are often wanting to change and trying to change, but they are seeing little results. The Centers for Disease Control outlines the scope of the problem:
- 9 % of kids ages 2-5 are obese.
- 17 % of kids ages 6-11 are obese.
- 20 % of kids ages 12-19 are obese.
- 20 % of Americans ages 20 and older are overweight.
- 20 % of Americans ages 20 and older are obese.
These percentages are not just numbers—they are real people who have unique challenges in their lives. In the dialogue about weight, often, this personal element is often forgotten, but therapy for weight management tries to restore that personal focus. For some, their personal and emotional challenges are intertwined with their weight challenges. For some, therapy for weight management is the right next step that will help them improve their overall health—both emotionally and physically.
Holistic Health
There are many potential benefits of thinking about weight management in a more holistic way. Because people’s minds and bodies are a part of their health, emotional problems can hold them back physically. Counseling for weight management seeks to identify and over these so that people can build their physical health upon a strong foundation of emotional health. For example, therapy may help people find a diagnosis and treatment for any mental illness that is affecting their weight. Therapy may also equip people to make long-term changes.
Diagnosing and Treating Mental Illness: Eating disorders can develop in anyone of any body size. Some eating disorders cause people to gain weight. Others cause them to lose weight. In either case, if someone is struggling with an eating disorder along with their weight, treating the eating disorder is critical. Similarly, anxiety and depression disorders can also affect people’s body image and weight. Getting treatment for these disorders may be an important step for weight management.
Making Long-Term Changes: Certain emotional skills are vitally important for sustaining long-term health changes. For example, it is important for people to build resiliency and learn how to manage setbacks. There will always be good days and bad days. Similarly, it is important that they motivate themselves in a healthy way, staying away from punishments, rewards, and blame. People may need to learn healthy coping skills if they are using food to manage their emotions. All of these emotional skills may contribute to long-term, sustainable weight management.
Scheduling an Appointment for Weight Management Counseling at Thriveworks Newport News
If you are ready to meet with a therapist for weight management, Thriveworks Newport News is ready for you. When you contact our office, a real person (our scheduling specialist) will answer and help you find a time for your session. New clients often meet with their counselor the following day. We offer evening and weekend appointments, but we do not put our clients on a waitlist. We also accept a variety of insurance plans. Let’s work toward a healthier you. Call today.
