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| SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2020
Psychologist says
mindset is key in
losing
weight By Anne-Gerard Flynn
Special to The Republican
Clinical psychologist Brenda Temblador works with patients preparing for weightloss surgery at Baystate Medical Center, but notes some of the counseling she does can be applied to anyone looking to better manage their weight. “Mindset is probably the most important part of losing weight and trying to be healthy and live healthy,” Temblador said. “We talk about mindfulness all the time in this program. We think about what am I doing, what am I eating? Is this portion of food the right amount for me?” She adds, “We encourage people to think about this not on an anxious, obsessive level but to really pay attention.” “Am I hungry? Am I not hungry? Am I full,” said Temblador who is clinical supervisor in the hospital’s adult outpatient behavioral health department. Additionally, she said it is also “important for people to assess why they want to lose weight and give themselves a clear vision of what goals they have and what are the difficulties going to be in trying to achieve them.” “It is important to pay attention to all of these things before embarking on some kind of eating plan and is really vital for success,” said Temblador who holds a doctorate in her field and has worked at Baystate for more than two decades. She said she talks “a lot about emotional eating” with her patients. “How much of what they are eating and the choices of what they are eating have to do with more emotional motivations rather than I am hungry and I need to eat something,” Temblador said. She said it is good to be aware and to apply mindfulness if “whenever I am having some sort of uncomfortable emotion and I am trying to get rid of it, I find food and the food makes that emotion go away.”
“For example, I am having Temblador said. of cake and at least “feeling all of the stuff you are not a really bad day at work and I “It is more likely you will eat good about that” as opposed supposed to be eating is right am leaving and I think I will the healthy salad that is on the to their past behavior of “eat- in front of your face,” Temblahave some chocolate. The plan then if there is no plan ing much more than that.” dor said. idea of eating chocolate is go- and you are just going to try to Temblador said people “Or, mom comes and says, ing to make me feel better. We fulfill that craving quickly and have different motivations for ‘I made this for you,’ and you all do that to a certain extent easily.” wanting to lose weight. She realize that is not something and that is not problematic,” She also cautions her said a health scare can be the you should eat. We work on Temblador said. patients about “being very “biggest motivator,” but does what is going to motivate you “But when I regularly deal negative or punishing or beat- not always sustain motivation through those situations.” with anxiety or depression ing yourself up – all of those especially if it resolves. She termed “preparing, or sadness by eating then it kinds of things – is not at all “People needing to lose planning ahead, keeping yourbecomes a habit and difficult helpful.” weight in order to have self focused on what you are to change and that is where “The people I see have weight-loss surgery may also doing” as “all of those things mindfulness comes in.” berated themselves all of the be motivated by the desire to that can help people.” She added, “Am I eating just time or been berated for failmove better, play with their She also said that family to feel better? Am I having a ing,” Temblador said. children, get on the rides at support can be a “make or craving that has nothing to do “Every time they do someSix Flags, and embarrassing break kind of thing for a lot with being hungry and time thing wrong, they get on the events that have been very of people” trying to lose or for a meal?” scale and it goes in the wrong crushing to them,” Temblador manage weight. “It is important to pay direction and they feel like a said. “Sometimes I have converattention and guard against failure. It is important to push “Some of these things can sations with folks, asking how that because the does your fammore I do that ily feel about the more I enyou wanting to gage in emotionhave weightal eating and the loss surgery,” easier it will be to Temblador engage in emosaid. tional eating,” “I go into Temblador said. great detail, “Trying to resaying what sist that is going it will mean to be hard but to them if necessary to stop you go to the this emotional Christmas eating habit.” dinner and She helps don’t eat their patients address dish. Would this habit by it make more teaching them sense to talk to “mindfulness them ahead of exercises.” time and say “We can do this this is what I very intensely by am doing so doing things like I am going to eating slowly, have to give up chewing your certain things food and tasting or change Clinical psychologist Brenda Temblador works with patients preparing for weightit as you are eatthings, and can loss surgery at Baystate Medical Center. (ANNE-GERARD FLYNN PHOTO) ing,” Temblador you help me said. with this and “Also, presupport me paring a meal with this?” that aside and figure out what be motivating enough to get and looking at it. Making She said she encourages her them started and maintain decisions on what is the right has happened.” patients “to get family support Temblador added, “Don’t their motivation.” amount of protein, the right and that way they can really berate yourself for doing She added, “Getting started be helpful.” amount of vegetables on my something you feel is not a and keeping motivated is the plate. Being very thoughtful “Families sometimes have good thing, but say, ‘OK, I can hardest thing ever for everyand paying attention.” a hard time maintaining good start right now to change,’ one.” Temblador said she somehealthy habits too, but if they and be again in this moment “I focus with everyone on times asks “people to plan are aware and they are part to move forward and not wait what are the things that are what you are going to eat.” of the plan, there is a better until Monday.” going to keep you motivated “So, when you are having a chance they will stick with She cited the example of when, for example, you are bad day the plan is there that supporting the person,” Temyou will eat a healthy salad,” someone having one slice at Thanksgiving dinner and blador said.
“Just being open and honest a good amount is vital.” She said she sees varied strategies among her patients in terms of social events around food. “Some people will say I just decided to try a little bit of everything and that might be satisfying,” Temblador said. “I have had other people bring a dish to the meal that they can contribute and they will have that rather than the other things. I have had people avoid going to these situations because it will be too hard not to have the foods that are there or avoid having large quantities of it.” She added, “A lot of people I see have had problems with weight for a long time, and have not been able to get it under control and have maybe tried all sorts of different things.” “Some work temporarily but usually none work forever,” said Temblador of diet trends. “For them weight-loss surgery may be the answer.” What does Temblador suggest in general to people trying to better manage weight? Here are some of her tips: “Start with small goals. To say I want to lose 100 pounds is probably not sustainable. Don’t go too extreme with an eating plan. Do one where you can maintain the level of eating. Eating healthy is a main goal for me, though my patients have other goals and this is where I say, ‘What is doable for the rest of your life?’ If having a protein shake twice a day is not your thing, then sustaining that is probably not the tactic you should use. If eating three meals a day with reasonable portions is something you can sustain, then that is what we should try to do and not worry about how much weight you are going to lose or losing a lot quickly. It is about what is sustainable, what you can maintain over the rest of your life.”