Recently, I have been reading up on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its benefits in any and all aspects of life… I figured I would share some of my thoughts 🙂

Weight loss is an important issue in today’s society as diet and exercise have been the cornerstones of weight loss for years. Weight can affect a person’s self esteem, confidence and morale, causing extreme emotions since staying active and sticking to a healthy diet can be a major challenge. There are so many diets out there and there and those who have tried every program without permanent success. The reason these diets have never had permanent success is because behavior analysis and behavior modification have never been part of the equation. By learning how to make permanent changes in your thinking, you can make permanent changes in your eating.

The cognitive behavioral approach to weight loss and maintenance is the only proven method for permanent healthy weight loss and healthy weight management. Cognitive behavioral therapy empowers people and encourages positive elements such as self-monitoring, plans for eating and exercise, the setting and achieving of goals, and above all, an awareness of preventative methods towards unhealthy habits. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you succeed because it addresses your thoughts and beliefs and how these two elements affect your behavior.

The purpose of cognitive behavioral therapy is to figure out how thoughts and beliefs play an active role in weight management and subsequently, modify them accordingly in order to achieve optimum health. Being overweight can lead to serious health problems that affect millions worldwide. The many health problems to consider include: heart disease, type II diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, infertility, and so many more. Lifestyle modification is the only successful and proven method for healthy and permanent weight loss; each individual must learn how to create a deficit by decreasing the energy coming into the body and increasing the energy expended on a daily basis.

An individualized program combined with the support of a licensed therapist can help a person lose weight; all patients learn how to: control their diets, increase their own personal motivation for activity, develop coping skills to handle any problems normally associated with diet programs, understand weight maintenance skills, change their own body image and their expectation of body image, increase self confidence and self-esteem, create stress management techniques that work for them, and the knowledge to set reasonable and attainable goals for future weight loss and weight management. Without lifestyle changes, people will always experiences relapses, which lead to more negative thinking and that is what cognitive behavioral therapy changes; individuals are educated on how to think differently and overcome common dieting traps of negative thinking. With cognitive behavioral therapy, you can feel in control during challenging situations, feel confident in your abilities to follow a healthy regimen, remain motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and love yourself for who you are and what you can accomplish.

Don’t wait till your weight becomes a health risk; be proactive enough to address the problem and find a solution. Help yourself win… change your behavior to change your life. Think Smart for Health.