Losing significant amounts of weight is no easy feat. If it were, we wouldn’t have such high levels of obesity in the United States. Nearly 75% of adults in U.S. are overweight or obese, according to recent findings, and many of those individuals have attempted to shed those excess pounds once, if not many times. If you’re among them, it can be easy to feel hopeless.
Our specialists at Delta Medical Weight Management Center in Southaven, Mississippi, led by Dr. Ulric Duncan, want you to know that there is hope and help to be had. We’re pleased to provide effective weight-loss programs that include behavioral counseling, a component that can make all the difference.
Read on to learn about behavioral counseling, including ways you could benefit.
How behavioral counseling works
During your behavioral counseling sessions, Dr. Duncan and his team will help you identify habits and eating triggers that make weight control challenging. We’ll then guide you toward replacing those habits with healthier alternatives and teach you ways to best navigate situations that often lead you to overeat or make less than ideal lifestyle choices.
Additional aspects of behavioral counseling you can expect include:
- Education on healthy food choices and portion sizes
- Guidance around safe and effective physical activity
- Accountability and support, all along the way
- Troubleshooting, for any new challenges that crop up
Dr. Duncan will also help you see that “perfection” is not the goal or even realistic. Instead, you’ll have some days that go better than others. What matters is that you maintain compassion for yourself and get back on track—something that we can help you accomplish.
Behavioral counseling effectiveness
As part of a healthy weight-control program, behavioral counseling is a proven method for attaining lasting success. A study that looked at 89 programs that lasted for 12-24 months and included at least 12 behavioral sessions showed that participants of such programs lost significantly more weight compared with those whose programs did not address behavior. People who had behavioral counseling also showed a markedly lower risk of developing diabetes.
In other words, behavioral counseling can make weight loss more doable and your efforts less grueling, while bolstering your chance at long-term success. Your program might also include additional treatments, such as weight-loss medications, the Orbera® gastric balloon, colon hydrotherapy, and vitamin B12 injections.
To learn more about behavioral counseling or get started with the weight-loss support you need, call Delta Medical Weight Management Center today, or email us through our website.