Weight Loss Programme: My Approach
I set up Mindful Eating with the aim of helping people to lose weight. It’s unique because it’s an educational weight loss programme, where I teach clients about how food, nutrition, psychology and lifestyle all play a key role in weight management. I’m a great believer in knowledge because knowledge is power, and during my experience working as a Nutritional Therapist it’s been great to see clients learn things about themselves and food which they wish they’d learned sooner, and it’s so rewarding to see them become more equipped with the tools they need to lose weight- and keep it off for good. It’s important to take into account individual preferences when offering a weight management service, as some people prefer a group setting and others prefer more personal one-to-one sessions. For this reason, clients can choose from one-to-one sessions or small groups.
A ‘Dual Approach’ Weight Loss Programme
In my practice, I’ve also come across people who have embarked on all sorts of weight loss plans, only to re-gain a lot of their weight. Lack of nutritional knowledge, such as not realising the importance of balancing blood sugar levels to control hunger, and certain beliefs about food and dieting can result in unhelpful food choices. For example, some people mistakenly believe that all dietary fat is bad for you, and that all low-fat or ‘diet’ foods help you to lose weight. Certain ingrained beliefs can also make it more difficult to lose weight, such as believing that you don’t have any choice over what you eat, or believing that you’re hopeless at losing weight.
Unlike some weight loss plans that focus mainly on diet, my weight loss programme invites clients to look at not just the nutritional aspects, but the psychology too- an effective weight loss programme requires this dual approach. Addressing unhelpful thoughts and beliefs is key, such as thinking you deserve to eat a certain food, thinking that you’ve ‘blown’ it after eating a biscuit, and thinking there’s no point in watching your food intake until the holiday period is over. Our repetitive patterns of behaviour tend to stem from ingrained attitudes and beliefs, so it’s really important to address our mindset too.
Our environment constantly bombards us with tempting food, so if we want to control our weight, it can
really help to eat more mindfully- this can be as simple as thinking before we eat. For example, considering whether a particular food really will taste as nice as it looks- maybe it won’t, so maybe it’s not worth eating after all. Incorporating mindful techniques into a weight loss programme can be really helpful in setting up new healthy eating practices.
The Problem with ‘Quick Fix’ Weight Loss Plans
The problem with diets where everything is done for you, such as being told which foods to eat and avoid, or a diet where your day’s food intake is rigidly ‘prescribed’ in a calorie-controlled format, is that the diet will inevitably end. The trouble is, people don’t always have the skills and knowledge to prevent themselves from going back to how they ate pre-diet. Many short-term weight loss plans don’t address underlying beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and habits- my weight loss programme encourages you to do just that.
Health, Not Just Weight Loss
What I love seeing when clients lose weight is all the improvements in health that they notice: more energy, better digestion, less joint pain, improved mood, more inclination to get active and improved blood cholesterol results. If you have a lot of weight to lose and your weight loss goal seems a long way off, you can start to enjoy improved health benefits almost straight away, which can help motivate you. Whilst following my weight loss programme, I encourage clients not to think purely about the weighing scales, but also about how they’re improving their health along the way.
My Weight Loss Programme: Building Habits For Life
My programme moves away from the restrictive, often unsustainable ‘diet’ approach, and instead focuses on long-term behaviour change. It helps clients to build the skills and habits that they can then use for the rest of their life- habits that you no longer have to think about, a bit like cleaning your teeth. This programme aims to help you gradually build new habits that become automatic, whilst phasing out those habits that have prevented you from managing your weight in the past. Importantly, it aims to help you achieve a way of eating that is sustainable- and enjoyable!
If you would like to speak to me about how I could create a weight loss programme for you, give me a call on 07961 423120, or email me at info@mindfuleating.org.uk
