Rapid Changes in Weight & Fitness May Require Therapy

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

29 Aug 2006 12:30 PM

I read an interesting article today that made a lot of sense to me. It discussed the fact that people who engage in intensive fitness or weight loss programs that reshape their physical bodies, may want to engage in psychotherapy in order to help reshape their mental image as well. Specifically cited were weight loss surgeries and other rapid weight loss programs, but the psychological aspect associated with building a fitness program should not be ignored.

People who have a poor mental image may or may not have a poor physical body. For example, I know at least three women who have deep intimacy and self-image problems and they are very physically fit and have no weight problems whatsoever.

As I have stressed over and over in this blog, fitness is about the entire person and not just limited to your physical body. But when you are changing the external image, you have to pay attention to the internal mental and emotional image you have yourself.

Stress Intimacy Issues

Many women and men alike have trouble with physical intimacy when they feel they are not attractive. When they begin an intense physical exercise regimen combined with dietary changes, they may effect physical changes to their body but if they do not work on their mental and emotional images - they will still feel like the person they were before.

Physical fitness is about learning to accept and appreciate their bodies. It's about understanding that loving yourself is equal parts loving your personality, your spiritual self, your emotional self and your physical self. When you go through extreme weight loss or physical sculpting of your body, you may fail to recognize that just because your exterior has changed you are not different on the inside.

A beautiful person is beautiful whether they are obese or underweight. Your ability to be intimate with other people whether emotional or physical is also based heavily on how you perceive yourself.

Have you altered your own self-perceptions as a part of your physical fitness or weight loss program?

Related Articles:

My Food Journal

The Importance of Self-Image in Pregnancy

Friends and Mental Health

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger