Why Weight Matters
There are many reasons why weight matters.
There are many assumptions and a lot of false information circulating within society about people who live with excess weight. The stigma and judgment aimed at people struggling with their weight, that is prevalent in our society, causes a lot of shame and grief for many people, and can make the weight management process even more fraught and complicated.
We know now that excess body weight and obesity is caused by a very complex interplay between genetic, environmental behavioural and social factors.
It is absolutely not a case of a moral failing or laziness.
When there is a diagnosis of an illness, or a medical or psychological problem that is the cause of weight gain or weight loss it can make the prospect of losing or gaining weight quite overwhelming and distressing.
Most people who are overweight or underweight are well aware that this is the case and have often tried all sorts of diets and other strategies to address this. Empathy, support and practical help can help make managing weight less stressful and overwhelming.
Setting unattainable goals that are difficult to achieve and maintain can lead to disappointment and an abandonment of efforts.
Losing just 5 to 10% of body fat is enough to bring about significant health benefits. This is a more achievable and a less threatening way to approach weight loss.
Being overweight or underweight can impact on ones wellbeing in a multitude of ways that can be negative and at times life threatening. Sometimes it is an obstacle when it comes to conception and a small increase or decrease in body fat can make all the difference when trying for a pregnancy.
Has losing or gaining weight been an elusive and frustrating roller coaster for you? Have you perhaps lost and gained weight repeatedly over many years?
Do you have an underlying medical or psychological problem related to your weight?
Losing weight is the easy bit for most people it is keeping it off year after year which is the challenge.
There is mounting evidence to suggest that dieting is a major predictor of future weight gain. I do not recommend or support extreme diets, fads, or cutting out any major food groups.
Overwhelming research demonstrates that maintaining a healthy weight is a very complex process that is determined by functions deep within the brain that dieting actually sabotages. It is not willpower or being good or bad that enables you to lose or gain weight. In fact the all or nothing thinking that accompanies most eating plans can be partly attributed to creating feelings of being out of control around food.
Through demystifying the myths and facts I will work with you to achieve a healthy and sustainable weight.
Food and eating are as vital as the air we breathe. Food is our primary fuel for living. Given that we can’t survive without it, it is a shame it is burdened with so many negative implications. Food is often used as both a reward and a punishment and very often it’s the same food that represents both. For example if you are good you can have an ice cream and if you are bad you can’t have it. We internalize these messages from a very young age and then layer them with all sorts of cultural and societal pressures and meanings and before we know it, food and eating can become a much-unwanted enemy in a battle that, it seems, can never be won.
I work with my clients to challenge their thoughts around food and eating and to implement strategies aimed at re-establishing a healthy relationship with this most primal of urges.
