Every time I read the words or hear the words "guilt free" I feel a slight tinge, and sometimes a great tinge of discomfort. When the words "guilt free" are used when discussing food and eating, especially as a way of selling products I cringe even more. As if people who are feeling vulnerable about their weight need to be humiliated and shamed any...
It is so important to have a space, a place and a time where you can share your story. And, when you share it, you are given the care, respect and space you need to feel safe. Safe from harm, safe to be heard and safe to ask for help. When I talk about obesity here I am not talking about being over weight or about someone who would like to lose a f...
Imagine a sound track that is played to you on the radio, the TV, your computer, phone or wherever you get your music from, and it is of a song with lyrics you really don't like. Not only do you not like these lyrics, but the words are harsh, taunting and cruel. This sound track comes on as soon as you wake up in the m...
There is amazing research being conducted about the causes of obesity and the complexities involved in trying to lose weight and keep weight off. One thing we know for sure is that diets don't work and we also know that for many people living with excess weight, over eating is not necessarily the cause of their excess weight. As a society we need t...
"Hyper Vigilance, Exhaustion, Fatigued, Tedious, Frustrating, Annoying, Humiliating " These are some of the words that I have heard expressing how utterly exhausting losing weight and maintaining weight loss can be. Always thinking about what you eat, how much you've eaten, when you will eat, how much exercise you will do, did, might do, the "will ...
There is much heartache with the toll Covid is taking on people's mental health, It is a hard time, a scary time and a lonely time for so many of people. If ever there was a time for self-compassion it is now. At the risk of sounding a bit "out there" I feel it is something worth talking about. Many people are reaching out, worrying about pote...
When people reach out to me for help with weight loss, there is sometimes a profound expression of sadness and stress from living in a body that society judges harshly. There is rarely a day that goes by where they are not impacted by the relentless and misguided assumptions about who they are and how they live their lives. There is...
Lately I've been reflecting on the idea of accountability and self-responsibility when it comes to weight loss and weight management. A common notion is that if someone is not losing weight, all they need to do is step up and take some responsibility. That is, it if they really wanted to achieve weight loss all they have to do is just "try harder" ...
A sentiment that gets echoed time and time again in my work is people's sense of failure and disappointment when it comes to weight loss. The roller coaster of losing weight only to regain that weight over and over again after each significant weight loss is exhausting and distressing. Here's the thing though! You haven't failed. You nev...
I really feel for people wanting to lose weight for many reasons. It is a vulnerable place to be asking for help with weight management. Also, for the most part many of these people have heard and tried a lot of the recommendations currently available. Apart from the understanding we now have, ie that losing weight is far more complicated than impl...
Something I often reflect on when people talk to me about their weight is a raw and ever present sadness that surfaces in our sessions. It is not unusual for people late in life, sometimes well into their eighties to talk about the pain they felt as a child when someone shamed them for their weight. People recall with such clarity, the shame they f...
When it comes to weight loss, this time of year brings all sorts of goal setting ideas, resolutions, dietary guidelines, portion control suggestions, exercises tips, and recipes for 101 ways to cook with celery. Although I work in the field of weight management I have nothing new to offer in this space. However, I have a suggestion that might be wo...
As a counsellor working in the area of weight management, I sometimes I feel like I'm sitting in the corner occupying a space that is always hidden. I'm talking about the great weight debate. There seems to be two main discussions (I'm sure there are more) but these two dominate the media and mainstream ideologies around people living with excess w...
Assumptions are dangerous when it comes to other people's weight. They are dangerous for a multitude of reasons. The biggest reason is that an assumption is often closely followed by a judgment. A judgment is often linked to attitudes and preconceived ideas. And, more often than not these judgments are linked to things that might not be true....
The trouble with weight loss as we know now, is that keeping it off is very challenging and difficult. This is eternally frustrating and disappointing for people, and can quite often thrust them into a state of past thinking about what it was like when they had lost weight previously. They reflect on what they did, how they felt, and then there is ...
I sincerely hope everyone has been coping in these unusually challenging and turbulent times? I really miss being with my clients face to face, but I have found zoom, face time (audio or video) skype and old fashioned phone calls have been working quite well. It has enabled me to expand my hours and locations as people can dial in from any where no...
I know there must be endless emails arriving in your inbox with information, news and updates about the corona virus. I don't want to overload you with more of the same and I see that the social media is flooded with how to stay fit and eat well at this time. What I do want to do is pop in to check how my clients, colleagues and friends are managin...
Managing to eat well if you need to self-isolate for a while. It is indeed unprecedented times, and there is understandably a heightened sense of anxiety and uncertainty for everybody with the spread of the Covid 19 virus. It is completely normal and understandable if you are feeling this way and feeling that life feels out of control at the moment...
Have you ever wondered why all the following still let you down when it comes to weight loss? dietary knowledge scholarly knowledge of the calorie content in food understanding of macro and micro nutrients the nutritional profile of all foods Here are some thoughts I want to share with you about why this might be the case: We are not perfect a...
I often hear people wishing that they never felt hunger, or saying that they have an intense fear of their hunger because they equate eating with weight gain. As a consequence they detach from hunger sensations. While this gives them a temporary feeling of control, what often happens is that eventually their body and brain does wha...
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