3 Reasons You May Need Therapy on Your Weight Loss Journey

No matter which tools you use to achieve your weight loss goals, it is important to address the varying emotional aspects that may come along with your weight. Speaking with a therapist from the beginning can be an invaluable source of support for sustained weight loss.

Dealing With Emotional Eating

Many people with weight problems have emotional trauma or use food as a coping mechanism to deal with their mood or day-to-day stress. Not only is talking about your troubles therapeutic, but your therapist might recommend additional intervention to aid you in achieving better mental health. Antidepressant can be useful for dealing with generalized anxiety or depression. For some people, once they find the right medication, they may struggle less with food addiction or emotional eating. Finding the right medication can take time to not only determine what helps but do not have unwanted side effects, such as weight gain.

Battling Self-Esteem Issues

When you are uncomfortable with your appearance, you may face issues with self-esteem that could hinder your weight loss. Lack of self-confidence may prevent you from attending support groups or joining a gym. Your therapist can give you the tools necessary to work on yourself from the inside out while trying to lose weight. When you have always struggled with your weight, you may not realize you can face just as many issues with self-confidence even if you reach your goal weight. For some people, they notice stark differences in the way they are treated when they are smaller, which can add to self-esteem issues. People may be more courteous or flirty, which can be hurtful and frustrating when you are the same person, just smaller.

Addressing Social Changes

Unfortunately, relationships can change in a negative way when you lose weight. If you do not have the support of friends and family, you may find there are people in your life who are not always encouraging of your weight loss efforts, and some may try to sabotage you. It is not uncommon for romantic relationships to dissolve when someone is trying to lose weight or once they have reached their goals. This can be a sign of a bigger problem, such as your partner's insecurity that if you are smaller you might leave them.

Similarly, friendships may change when you lose weight. Your heavier friends may feel like they cannot relate to you. If you attract new friends after you lose weight, it is common to feel suspicious about their motivations and wonder if they would have been friends with you when you were heavier. It is much easier to sort out these changes with a neutral third-party. Your therapist may help you see which relationships are healthy and which ones may not be in your best interest.

Losing weight may seem like the ultimate goal, but many people on a weight loss journey find there are emotional aspects that are not always easy to overcome. Working with a therapist in individual therapy from the beginning can give you the support you need as changes occur.


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