Weight loss strategies that work!

Review these helpful strategies and ask for help when you need it!

Find Good Role Models:  Did you know that a person will more likely follow suggestions and adhere to necessary weight loss lifestyle changes if the health care provider they work with is knowledgeable and also follows a healthy lifestyle?  Healthcare providers who are physically active, eat healthy and can discuss their own emotional eating triggers, develop better rapport with their patients as well as provide inspiration and support.

Teamwork: If you have been unable to achieve an ideal body weight after 5 or more years of effort, you might have more success working with a team trained to help you.  The team most likely will include your mental health professional (psychologist, therapist), a nutritionist, a physical trainer and your physician.  You most likely will gain added benefit from the variety of support you get from each of these professionals.

Psychology:  Did you know that many patients' severe weight problems arise from emotional problems, attitudes, or beliefs that truly need to be addressed in psychotherapy? You may continue to struggle with both losing the weight and keeping it off, if the psychological and emotional problems and issues are not resolved.

Readiness: Understanding your readiness to lose weight is the first step!  Are you contemplating losing the weight or have you begun to take action? Have you had success, but are now having trouble maintaining the weight loss?  Once you get professional help in identifying your own readiness level, you must also address the behavioral and emotional readiness factors.  These may include the costs and benefits of keeping the weight versus the costs and benefits of losing those pounds.