Weight Loss

In the United States today, more than one third of adults are obese according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. There are many social, psychological, and medical reasons why obesity is so common. Media advertising is full of tantalizing promotions for cheeseburgers, pizza, fried chicken, and just about any food (usually unhealthy) you can imagine. Often times the temptation gets the best of us, especially when we’re hungry and living life in a hurry. It’s easy to stop at one of the many fast-food chains and snag a quick, unhealthy meal. Though it’s true that our nation has become very reliant on fast and prepackaged foods, there is much more to the obesity epidemic than Golden Arches and Colonel Sanders. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, psychologists suggest that your emotions are the number one reason for struggling to lose weight. For many, food becomes a source of comfort, easing issues like anxiety, depression, and negative self-image. The underlying reasons for these emotional problems vary for each person.

Common emotional reasons people struggle with weight loss include:

• History of abuse.
• Internalized negative messages about self.
• Past trauma.
• Mid-life emotional issues.
• Emotional stress.

Christian weight loss counseling will help you process and break free from emotional barriers you carry that prevent you from losing weight. Your counselor will also help you recognize other things that might be hindering your progress such as:

• Unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits.
• Not knowing healthy ways to lose weight.
• Social and cultural influences.
• Medical and genetic factors.

If you want to learn how to lose weight and maintain a healthy way of living, Christian counseling for weight loss can help. With help from your counselor you will learn more about underlying issues that contribute to your struggle with weight loss and why you might have been unsuccessful at losing weight in the past.

At what point is a person considered overweight? Obesity is classified as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by his or her height in meters squared. A BMI over 30 puts you at increased risk for serious health problems. Most know that being overweight is unhealthy, but they might not understand the full effect that obesity can have on their body.

Serious health risks of obesity include:

• Coronary Heart Disease.
• High Blood Pressure.
• Stroke.
• Type 2 Diabetes.
• Metabolic Syndrome.
• Cancer.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Sleep Apnea.
• Reproductive Problems.

Many who want to lose weight say that health is a huge motivating factor. Losing weight will boost your energy levels, promote better sleeping habits, and help you feel better overall. Don’t be fooled by trendy diet plans that promise you can lose weight fast. Christian weight loss counseling teaches you healthy ways to lose weight by changing your way of life, one step at a time.

Tacoma Christian Counseling offers Christ-centered solutions for weight loss. Christian weight loss counseling will help you do more than lose weight. We will work with you on building a faith-filled life in Jesus so that you can live according to his word.

The principles of our approach to weight loss include:

• Building a Christ-centered lifestyle – We will focus on shifting the priorities in your life towards Jesus Christ through Bible study and prayer. When you make Him your focus, you will see positive change in all areas of your life, not just your weight.
• Making good choices for whole-person health – Getting out of old, unhealthy habits is important. By taking it one choice at a time, you can work towards creating healthy habits that promote wellness for your body, mind, emotions, and spirit.
• Providing support through Christian group counseling – We provide weight loss counseling for individuals, but we encourage joining our Christian weight loss counseling groups. There you will gain support and accountability from others who understand your struggle.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Weight Loss

At Tacoma Christian Counseling, Christ is our focus for healing and newness. Through making Him your healer, you will find the support, wisdom, and guidance for living a healthy life that serves God as He commands. With that in mind, your counselor will pull from all available resources to help you reach your goals. From a medical perspective, cognitive-behavioral therapy is shown to be very useful when counseling for weight loss.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on changing how you think about yourself and how those thoughts influence your actions. Self-awareness surrounding your self-talk will help you end negative thinking that stands in the way of progress.

Have you ever told yourself things like:

I don’t have time to cook healthy meals.

I’ll always be overweight. There’s nothing I can do about it.

I don’t have the support I need to lose weight.

I’ve tried it all. Diets don’t work for me.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) challenges these kinds of thoughts and transforms them into positive, motivational talk that will encourage you to take action. CBT strategies for Christian weight loss counseling include:

• Goal setting.
• Reinforcement from Christian weight loss counseling group members.
• Changing your mindset from I can’t toI CAN!
• Finding incentives for positive choices.
• Creating new habits rather than forcing trendy diet and exercise plans.

You can lose weight and keep it off! Christian weight loss counseling will show you how to transform your life so that you can work towards being all you are created to be. At Tacoma Christian Counseling, we promote weight loss programs that are super-charged with faith in Christ for healing and growth.

Maybe you’ve tried countless diets plans and weight loss programs that didn’t work for you. You might be thinking, “What makes Christian counseling for weight loss any different?” There are many reasons to choose Tacoma Christian Counseling including:

• Weight loss plans that work – The first reason to choose Christian counseling for weight loss is simple: It works! Extreme weight loss programs that promise instant results are usually unhealthy, temporary solutions. We offer you an alternative, lasting solution based on living a life of faith, fitness, accountability, and nutrition with support from fellow Christians.

• Experience you can trust – With us you will find professional help from highly-skilled licensed counselors who are dedicated to helping you reach your goals.

• We support and encourage your faith – For those who understand the importance of turning to Christ for healing, Christian counseling is the way to go. At Tacoma Christian Counseling, we not only support your beliefs, but encourage them and use your faith as a catalyst for healing and growth.

What Does God’s Word Say About Keeping Healthy?

From the beginning, the people of God were taught how to care for their body and spirit. In the Old Testament, God’s people were given dietary laws. Why is that so? Besides the obvious reasons for bodily health, these laws (as with many Old Testament teachings and history) were meant to set God’s people apart and acted as a foreshadowing of Christ who provided the people with something more substantial than law – life through his word and promise written on the hearts of his people.

They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them – Romans 2:15

Christ will not only show you how to live a healthy life, but he’ll give it to you that you should be able to succeed–not by following law, but by the Spirit and word of God.

Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God – Matthew 4:4

In the New Testament, we are under the grace of God–a promise of redemption through Christ Jesus. In that we strive to honor God through service and caring for what was given us. Our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit, and we should treat it accordingly.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? – 1 Corinthians 3:16

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own – 1 Corinthians 6:19

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God – 1 Corinthians 10:31 

Additionally, Christ talks about the importance of temperance, or in other words, self control. Anything in excess, including over-eating is sinful. Like other temptations of this world, Christ Jesus offers wisdom, protection from temptation, and remission of sin for all who seek him.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; – 2 Peter 1:5-6

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags – Proverbs 23:20-21

There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it – 1 Corinthians 10:13

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed – John 8:36

The best way to lose weight is by living and understanding God’s true heart for us. If you’re ready to get off the weight loss roller coaster, turn to Christian weight loss counseling. There you will find everything you need to completely transform your life, inside and out!

How do I enroll in one of your Christian counseling groups?

Tacoma Christian Counseling offers a variety of counseling for groups. Each group is set for a designated time frame with set dates of enrollment. To learn about the current groups we offer along with enrollment information, visit our Christian counseling for groups page.

Do you also provide individual Christian weight loss counseling?

Yes. Christian weight loss counseling is available to anyone who wants support and guidance for living a healthy, Christ-filled life. We do encourage you to join our group sessions because they are shown to be very effective in combating weight loss struggles.

Will I be weighed during sessions?

You are encouraged to record your weight and measurements weekly to help you track your progress. Understand that periods of plateaued weight loss happen, but with dedication to Christ you will see results.

How does Bible study help with weight loss?

Bibles study provides you with support and guidance from God. Learning what God expects of you can provide you with motivation and strength, while leaning on Christ for understanding and support offers you powerful tools for positive change.

Now The Time To Make Positive, Lasting Change. Contact Us To Learn More About Christian Weight Loss Counseling.

Don’t continue to struggle with weight loss. There is hope and promise in Christ. Through Him you are given everything you need to live a healthy life. To learn more about Christian counseling for weight loss or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (253) 777-1997. or contact Tacoma Christian Counseling online.