Body Positive Weight Management

Body Positive Weight Management 

Body Positive Weight Management: It sounds interesting, but what is it exactly?

BPWM is an approach to weight loss and overall healthy living designed to help individuals living in larger bodies find weight loss solutions without constantly worrying about their weight and what they are eating. We take a mental health first approach to weight loss, meaning how we feel about ourselves, the goals we come up with, and the ways we motivate ourselves to get there are done from a place of kindness. We do this all while infusing scientifically-tested principles of behavior change that help you change your habits and actually lose weight for good. 

My journey to a weight loss psychologist started very personally. Growing up, I watched my dad struggle with his weight; he went on so many different diets, had bariatric surgery, and even tried new medications like Ozempic. While some of his efforts helped with weight loss, it was never as much as he hoped, and he was always left frustrated and defeated. My dad and I are very close so his struggle felt personal! When I was in graduate school, I decided I wanted to tackle this problem using everything we know about the science of weight loss and behavior change to develop a method for weight management that not only works, but leaves individuals feeling stronger and better about themselves every step of the way. Toward this aim, I sought out specialized training in medical weight management and bariatric surgery and began developing what has blossomed into BPWM. 

What BPWM targets: 

Finally find freedom from non-stop worry about eating and your body

Negative and punishing internal self-talk sabotages weight loss efforts. By taking an approach to weight loss that is rooted in kindness, we can free ourselves from the constant self-judgements and put all that energy into lifting ourselves up, rather than putting ourselves down. 

Stopping the weight yo-yo 

If you’ve tried many different diets with some success, but haven’t been able to keep the weight off over time, you’re not alone. The majority of weight loss solutions out there are NOT focused on your mental well-being, and this is why research shows the vast majority of diets fail. 

Gain confidence in your body and yourself  

If you have tried a number of diets over the years and have lost confidence in yourself and your ability to make change, we’ll discuss weight loss strategies that are designed for long-term success, including how a body positive approach results in sustainable weight loss. 

How We Do It: The 4 Pillar Approach

Pillar 1: Observing patterns with mindfulness & compassion

In this stage, we’ll focus on observing our eating, exercise, sleep, and coping habits. Taking stock of where we are is a crucial first step in any change process. Developing mindfulness skills will help us observe ourselves and our behaviors with clarity. At times, what we notice may be challenging, which is why we'll do all of this with a good dose of kindness and compassion towards ourselves.   

Pillar 2: Setting sustainable goals

In this stage, we’ll learn a little bit about the science of weight loss, knowledge that is imperative for helping us pick our goals. And, we’ll use what we learned in Pillar 1 about compassion to set feasible targets – we’ll identify your right next step to get you moving towards larger lifestyle change. 

In this stage, we’ll dive into the science of weight loss and the art of goal setting. Building on the compassion we learned in Pillar 1, we’ll set realistic, achievable targets that are the right next step in your weight loss/wellness journey.  

Pillar 3: Celebrating your effort and making gains on your goal

After setting a goal, the next step is finding a rhythm. This stage focuses on steady progress and learning how to encourage ourselves. When bumps in the road arise, the process involves gently returning to your goal—again and again—cultivating the consistency that supports sustainable change. 

Pillar 4: Putting it all together

As progress builds, it’s hard not to feel inspired! In this stage, we harness our momentum to find a next right step that builds naturally from what we’ve just accomplished. By layering together many goals, we reach milestones in weight loss and healthy living that once seemed unattainable. 

The Nuts and Bolts: 

16-week group course and coaching program run by Dr. Jill Guarecuco, clinical psychologist. 

Course: Each week you receive didactic material through short, digestible videos. Videos are accompanied by worksheets/exercises and meditations to put what you’re learning into practice. You have lifetime access to the course materials. 

Group Coaching:  Once a week for 75 minutes, we’ll come together as a group to practice our mindfulness skills and discuss the weekly didactic material. We’ll also workshop any challenges and share our struggles and successes. Research robustly supports the role of social accountability in successful behavior change, so we’ll rely on each other to hold us accountable and keep us encouraged. 

Putting It All Together: 

Body Positive Weight Management is an approach to weight loss and overall healthy living designed to help individuals living in larger bodies find weight loss solutions without constantly worrying about their weight and what they are eating. Grounded in science, compassion and the belief that everyone is capable of successful behavior change, BPWM helps individuals make healthy lifestyle changes, lose weight, and maintain their changes over time.   

I’ve used the science-based principles of BPWM many times myself to improve variation of my diet (darn veggies!), build a consistent meditation practice, and develop a regular sleep schedule. All of these changes have helped me maintain my weight and take care of my body. For my clients, I’ve similarly seen them transform their goal of “losing weight” into actionable behaviors (e.g., buying groceries weekly, decreasing snacking at night) that are sustainable over time, result in weight loss, and improve overall health. My experience is that there is relief in knowing how to identify and act upon the next right step in your weight loss journey; BPWM aims to provide just that: a map to sustainable weight loss.  

Feel free to schedule a meeting with Dr. Guarecuco if you have questions about BPWM. You can also join our email list below to learn when the next group cohort is enrolling (early 2025!).