Help for Weight Management in Virginia Beach, VA—Therapists and Counselors
Rosie stood in front of the dressing room mirror and felt tears welling up. Many women love shopping and new clothes, but she has never liked it. “Maybe I would like it if I liked my body,” Rosie thought. Ever since she was a kid, Rosie had struggled against herself. She still remembers when a teacher at school referred to her as “chubby.” Rosie told herself that she would never be called that again, but decades of dieting got her no where. Rosie had lost significant weight several times, but even then, she did not love her body or feel comfortable in it. Each time, she gained the weight back. With each up and down, Rosie grew more frustrated. She didn’t want to be a super model—she just wanted to feel at home in her own skin. Rosie is not alone in her struggle. Many people can relate. Many people struggle with weight management, and they are desperate for a long-term solution. Many people have found that solution in an unlikely place—not at the gym but at the therapist’s office. Dieting and exercise can all too easily focus upon narrow rules that are easy to break, but counseling for weight management takes a different approach. It focuses upon holistic health—emotionally and physically. Therapy for weight management’s goal is a loving, accepting relationship with the body, and this, often, is the foundation of long-term change.
“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
Many people are like Rosie, and they are ready to try a different approach. Thriveworks Virginia Beach offers counseling for weight management, and we have helped many clients who are tired of yo-yo dieting and the latest health craze. Instead, they want a holistic approach to their health that works for the mind and their body.
Obesity in America: A Big Challenge
That many Americans are struggling is not a surprise, but the extent to which people are struggle may be. The Centers for Disease Control studied the weight of Americans of all ages, and they found that…
For Kids:
- 12-19—20 percent are obese.
- Ages 6-11—17 percent are obese.
- Ages 2-5—9 percent are obese.
For Adults (Ages 20 and older):
- 20 percent are obese.
- 20 percent are overweight.
There are many ways to measure health: weight, cholesterol, blood sugar, waist size, and more. These numbers, however, only tell part of the story. The emotional component to weight gain and management may not be seen, but it is just as important. This component, however, is often neglected. Therapy for weight management is trying to bring it back into focus.
Counseling and Body Image
When people are working to manage their weight, they often go to the gym and work with a trainer. More and more, they are also going to counseling and working with a therapist. There are a number of benefits that people may receive from counseling that may help them manage their weight. A few of those benefits may include…
Diagnosing and treating any underlying mental illnesses: One potential hindrance to weight management could be an undiagnosed or untreated mental illness. Eating disorders can occur in people of all shapes and sizes, and they can harm an individual’s emotional and physical health. If an eating disorder is damaging one’s relationship with the body, then treatment may be of utmost importance. Similarly, many anxiety and depressive disorders can disrupt an individual’s appetite (either increasing or decreasing it, depending upon the individual). Finding treatment may be the first step of weight management.
Learning emotional skills for long-term change: Fad diets and exercise crazes focus upon following a particular plan with rules that are easily broken. Counseling, instead, aims to teach people the emotional skills that will set them up to sustain difficult changes. That may include how to love and accept oneself, including one’s body, in all its strengths and weaknesses. It may include cultivating self-awareness. It may include learning how to recognize negative and untrue thoughts that are undermining one’s weight management. People often sabotage their own progress without evening knowing it. They may say things like…
- Food is my reward for being so good today.
- I could never learn to love this body or feel comfortable in it.
- After overeating, I need to skip dinner as a punishment.
When people become aware of these thoughts, they can learn to change them, and instead…
- Learn healthy ways to motivate themselves.
- Stop using food as a punishment or reward and instead use it for health and social purposes.
- Develop healthy coping skills (that do not involve food).
- Strategize how to overcome setbacks.
Counseling at Thriveworks Virginia Beach for Weight Management
If you are ready for a more holistic approach to weight management, consider therapy for weight management. Thriveworks Virginia Beach has appointments available. When you contact our office, your first appointment may be the following day. We offer evening and weekend sessions, and many different insurance plans are accepted. If you are ready to get started, so are we. Call today.
