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| GENERAL INFORMATION
This pattern of behavior is common for several reasons. (1) Some rapid weight loss diet programs put your body into a starvation mode which causes it to become more efficient at storing fat when you stop dieting. (2) Most diets create a psychological rebound effect because you feel deprived of certain tastes and favorite foods while on the diet and this feeling of deprivation leads to a burst of uncontrollable overindulgence when you go off the diet. (3) Diet programs do not take into account individual differences between people. They have everyone follow a certain "program" without addressing the different eating patterns, personalities, and motivational factors for each individual. Most people who have weight problems are very knowledgeable about calories and dietary matters. The problem is not a lack of information, nor is it a lack of character strength. The failure of conventional diet programs is due to the fact that diets tend to create a time-limited, temporary change in behavior. The person learns to follow a particular diet successfully for a limited period of time, but eventually falls back into old faulty eating habits. Assuming that your weight gain is not due to a thyroid deficiency or other health problem, being overweight is a psychological, motivational and behavioral problem, involving deeply entrenched habit patterns and impulse control problems. In my practice, I have found that it is productive to address the individual psychological and motivational factors which affect each person in a way that is unique to their life style and personality in order to establish a sound foundation for a permanent change in habitual eating habits. I usually use three to four visits, which are structured in a way that allows us to identify clearly and specifically the nature of the person's motivation to lose weight and the obstacles which stand in the way. I teach my patients to use a form of self observation and evaluation which pinpoints the specific behavioral changes which they need to get in control of their pattern of eating. It is not sufficient to know what you are supposed to be eating, it is necessary to make some changes in the structure of your eating behavior, eating environment and thinking in order to succeed in establishing effective weight control. WHAT I CAN MAKE AVAILABLE TO YOU: These procedures are usually completed in four visits. Then I have you continue to make use of the behavior modification techniques you have learned, along with repetitions of the taped hypnotic procedures at home. If you are not a local resident, but wish to consult me for weight control, I can arrange my schedule to complete the procedure in two double sessions, requiring only an overnight stay locally. These visits will be preceded by an initial telephone consultation to get you started on collecting information I will need to expedite the process. |
Copyright Marvin S. Beitner, Ph.D. © 1995-2007 |
Some have struggled with weight
problems from childhood on; for others the problem did not arise until their teen
years or adulthood. Most people who have consulted me for weight problems have
made many efforts to lose weight on their own, or by getting into some kind of
diet program. Usually they have tried many different kinds of diets and
have participated in many different diet programs. They usually start each
program with great enthusiasm and have some initial success in losing
weight. Eventually they go off the diet and gain back all the weight they
lost plus a few extra pounds. They wind up with nothing to show for their money
and efforts except the unhealthy effects of cyclical weight change and a greater
sense of personal failure.