By Robyn Osborn, PhD
The American Lung Association writes the following about smokers: “…each time you try [to quit smoking], you learn a little more about the quitter in you. You become a little wiser about what to do and not do the next time.” We can learn a lot from this perspective.
As someone who works in a multidisciplinary medical center dedicated to helping people manage weight through working towards wellness, I wish that more people would look at previous weight loss attempts with this same positivity. I wish that any effort at weight management was viewed as a learning experience that would bolster future efforts. Instead, when weight is regained (or never lost at all), these attempts are too often considered “failures.” Read the rest of this entry »
It’s a new year and many of us are already overwhelmed with the constant balancing act of work, life, and family.. The busy-ness of our lives can impose serious demands on our emotional and physical well-being. So how do we find time for ourselves that won’t affect our hectic schedules and postpone our everlasting “to do” lists?
Mindfulness and meditation can be used to help all individuals manage stress and their overall wellness. Anyone can benefit from meditation. In this workshop, we help you get started. This is an introductory meditation course for those who would like to learn about the practice of meditation. We will also offer a second and more intermediate course for individuals who are already familiar with meditation.
What You Won’t Learn at the Gym
By Susan Silver, HFS
There are lots of misconceptions about how much physical activity we are “supposed” to get and what it means if we get less than the news media says we should.
For example, many people think, “If I don’t exercise every day – or most days of the week – there’s no point in doing anything because it won’t be worthwhile.”
See what Dr. Scott Kahan and others have to say in this article on why we should not be so hard on ourselves during the holidays. Read the rest of this entry »
Are supplements useful to promoting my health? Which fortified foods can make a difference? How long does it take to reduce cholesterol with lifestyle interventions? Won’t my taste buds rebel if I lower sodium intake? Do I need to eliminate sugar in order to prevent my risk of developing diabetes?
Our nutrition and fitness experts, Nicole Brown, MS, RD and Kathy Rodgers, MA, RD, CDE, look forward to answering these types of questions and will serve up the latest recommendations on preventing diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Read the rest of this entry »
Myth-Busters: A new series in our blog called myth-busters tackles facts vs. fiction about popular weight and wellness related topics.
This month’s topic: Meditation. Read the rest of this entry »
Dr. Kelly Theim is a psychologist at NCWW who patients may initially meet during the behavioral psychology assessment or during the Stress and Coping group on Saturdays. Dr. Theim is passionate about helping you achieve your health and wellness goals. She approaches behavior change in a collaborative manner using a variety of tools, rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Read the rest of this entry »
If you are reading this blog post, you likely know how hard it can be to manage weight and health. Perhaps the only thing more difficult is talking to our kids about weight. A recent survey found that parents of teens find it more difficult to talk about weight with their child than talking about sex, drugs, alcohol, or smoking!
Many teens struggle with weight and body image. Yet for many parents, talking to your teenager about weight can be difficult or may feel awkward. Some parents may feel unprepared to have these conversations; others may worry about saying the “wrong thing.” We want to help!
For years, our professional team has primarily worked with adults to develop long-term strategies for building health and balancing weight. We often hear from our patients that they can’t find similar resources and support to offer their kids.
So, we are starting our first adolescent program for weight and wellness. Led by Dr. Robyn Osborn, this program aims to give adolescents a safe place to build a gentle and appropriate approach to weight, body image, and health. The program is aimed at girls, ages 12-15. We will offer individual appointments with teens, family sessions, and groups and classes for teens and their families to support the development of healthy weight, body image and lifestyle.
If you have younger kids, you might take a look at this free ebook, created by Dr. Scott Kahan and colleagues at the STOP Obesity Alliance and Alliance for a Healthier Generation. This conversation guide for parents of children 7-11 years old will help parents develop a compassionate, loving, and productive approach to talking with kids about weight
When
For more information about getting your teen involved, please call the front desk at 202-223-3077 or contact us by email at communications@nationalweight.org.
Weight and sleep are bidirectionally related —that is, people who weigh more tend to sleep less and people who sleep less tend to weigh more. Did you happen to catch last month’s New York Times article “Harming Our Health with Eyes Wide Open” by Jane E. Brody? Read the rest of this entry »
In October, NCWW will be starting a new wellness series, “Embrace Your Health,” with Nicole Brown, MS, RD and Kathy Rodgers, MA, RD, CDE. Read the rest of this entry »
Workshop on Eating and Anxiety
Facilitated by Dr. Bill Picon
Saturdays in July – 12:30-2:00pm
July 6, July 13, July 2o, and July 27 (4 consecutive weeks)
Anxiety is a biological and psychological response to perceived or anticipated danger. It is a signal of “dis-ease” that is felt physically and registered mentally, indicating that something is not right and demands attention. Given that we are biologically hard-wired for survival, this emotional signal of danger urgently disrupts our focus and and attention to thoughtful behaviors.
Anxiety also stands out as perhaps the most pervasive trigger for emotional eating.
It makes sense that would be true because so many of us find that eating comforts and soothes us in such familiar and easy ways. Eating can restore the sense of ease or feeling of well-being that escapes us when we are anxious. Anxiety-based emotional eating is often called “stress eating” or “comfort eating.”
While this sort of emotional eating is commonplace and normal for everyone, for people who need to consciously regulate eating, it is helpful to learn how to systematically manage your stress and comfort eating.
Is this you? Do you need to better understand your anxiety and stress/comfort eating in order to support your weight management efforts? Do you need to develop a more systematic approach to this aspect of weight management? If so, please consider this next workshop.
As a participant, you will learn about your specific anxiety eating, as well as your general approach to managing anxiety. You will be guided to interesting readings and have the opportunity to learn new approaches that will take some of the pressure off of eating for anxiety regulation. Some of the approaches will include techniques for chronic, generalized anxiety – such as meditation, relaxation, mindfulness and breathing; others will focus on methods for addressing underlying anxiety stressors for resolution of acute anxiety.
Please contact us for more information or to sign up.
Overview
Have you had an interest in yoga but felt it was too intimidating? Read the rest of this entry »
The NCWW team practices it’s core principles and values. One of our Center’s missions is to increase our daily steps (yes, many of us use fitbits too!) and to figure out creative ways to get more movement. Standing desks and active workstations are gaining increased popularity and Dr. Robyn Osborn’s new “FitDesk” has become the newest office hit. The next time you have an appointment, feel free to take a look.
On May 5th, Nicole Brown, MS, RD, LD, HFS led a group of member from the North District Virginia Dietetic Association, friends, and family for a community walk to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This walk was held close by in Bon Air Park of Arlington, VA where several hundred people participated to support this important cause.
Overview
Have you ever wanted to try yoga but were uncertain about visiting a traditional yoga studio? Read the rest of this entry »
Dr. Renu Mansukhani, the Associate Clinical Director for Medicine at NCWW, is an endocrinologist whose practice focuses exclusively on obesity medicine and helping patients with weight management. You will first meet her at the information session where she often states, “I love what we do, and the special relationship we build with our patients makes me look forward to coming to work every day.”
Read the rest of this entry »
