Cognitive Behavioral Wellness Coaching through Beck Institute empowers clients by teaching them the skills they need to make lasting changes in their habits. Program Director Deborah Beck Busis has years of experience helping her clients improve their health, build resilience, and stay on track to maintain their progress long term. Hear from client Lucy (name has been changed to protect the client’s privacy) as she describes her experience with wellness coaching in her own words.
My life has been transformed for the better due to the guidance and support of Debbie Beck Busis. Before Debbie, “food noise” dominated my life. My thoughts revolved around all aspects of food. As soon as I had finished one meal, I became obsessed with thinking about the next one. It seemed like food was on my mind every waking minute of the day. Debbie has taught me valuable thinking and behavioral skills that have literally changed the way I live my life.
I tried many weight loss methods and diet programs: Diet Center, LA Weight Loss, Optifast Liquid Protein Diet, Pritikin, Overeaters Anonymous, calorie counting, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, and Weight Watchers. I was a diligent student of all of these programs, and I successfully lost weight when I was following each specific plan—but couldn’t keep it off. I became a human yo-yo with my weight, and it was maddening. My thinking and my dieting were rigidly black and white. I was in “all or nothing” mode constantly. Either I was “on track” and following a diet’s specific program without deviating, or I was “off track” and eating the house down.
In “off-track mode,” I would start craving all the foods that had been off limits on the diet. I would eat myself into a food-numbing coma, pack on the pounds again and then feel disgusted with myself. It was a vicious cycle that continued for thirty years, and it ruled my life. I felt as though my constant obsessing about food made me a prisoner in my own mind and body.
My thinking about myself and my relationship with food was completely altered after I started having sessions with Debbie. She helped me identify the unhelpful eating patterns that plagued me daily. I used to think when I had eaten something that was not on whatever current program I was following, “I’ve blown it, I might as well eat my head off for the rest of the day.” That “day” often turned into weeks and months. Debbie taught me how to reframe my all-or-nothing thinking, recognizing that I had just made one mistake from which I could recover immediately; I realized it didn’t make sense to compound that one mistake with many more.
Throughout our sessions, we developed a file of note cards that contained strategies to refer to when I felt like I was going to binge or when I would get down on myself and beat myself up for going off track. For example, if I was feeling an overwhelming craving to overeat, I would read a card that said, “When I get a craving, it will go away on its own but I can make it go away faster by changing where my attention is.” Debbie and I discussed different activities I could do to change my focus, such as going for a walk, engaging in a project, reading a book, or calling a friend. It was very challenging initially, but Debbie assured me that the more I didn’t give in to the urge, the easier it would get, and the cravings would go away. They did! She told me to imagine how I would feel once I resisted the urge to give in to my craving. I imagined feeling proud of myself, and that encouraged me to stay on track.
Other strategies helped make me accountable for staying on track and strengthening my resistance muscle. I soon became much more aware of my habits and able to identify unhelpful thought patterns. I learned how to respond effectively to my thinking and to adopt a long-term lifestyle mindset.
Most importantly, Debbie helped me to see that it wasn’t the end of the world if I overate on occasion. I used to get very down on myself if I slipped or binged. I remember initially being embarrassed to tell Debbie when I went off track because I felt like a failure and I expected her to see me that way as well. That was the most surprising thing; Debbie never judged me or acted disappointed. She focused on helping me figure out what had led to the mistake and what I could do differently in the future. And, to put my mistake into perspective, she helped me recognize the eating decisions I deserved credit for that day and that week and my many accomplishments over the long-term. This has been huge for me. I never knew how to manage setbacks before, and I would have to bottom out before trying to get back on the stick again. She helped me believe in myself again. Debbie Beck Busis and her coaching approach have taught me invaluable problem-solving skills for life, and I am grateful for her support each and every day.
Do you need help achieving your personal health goals, improving your diet, losing weight, or beginning and sticking to an exercise program? Our Wellness Coaching program can help you with this and much more! Not only do we offer the one-on-one coaching Lucy described, we also offer live and recorded workshops and webinars, group coaching, and online resources to help support your wellness journey. Learn more and get started today!