Effective Weight Loss: An Acceptance-Based Behavioral Approach: Clinician Guide
Effective Weight Control: An Acceptance-Based Behavioral Approach comes in two volumes. This page is for the Clinician Guide. Click here to access the Client Workbook.
Effective weight control provides a scientifically validated solution to the challenge of sustainable weight control. With over two-thirds of U.S. adults classified as overweight or obese, the health risks of excess weight, including heart disease and diabetes, are significant, yet long-term weight loss remains difficult to achieve. This book introduces acceptance-based treatment (ABT), an innovative approach that builds on cognitive and behavioral principles while incorporating acceptance-based strategies to address the psychological and emotional barriers to weight management. By fostering psychological flexibility, ABT helps individuals make health-conscious, values-driven decisions even in the face of cravings or discomfort. Research shows ABT leads to greater and more lasting weight loss compared to traditional treatments, particularly for those prone to emotional eating or food cue reactivity. Combining proven behavioral tools like self-monitoring with strategies such as mindful decision-making and acceptance, this program offers a practical framework for achieving and maintaining meaningful weight loss. Ideal for clinicians and individuals alike, this book delivers a structured, evidence-based approach to lasting success.
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Introduction and Principles of Treatment
Chapter 1 – Session 1: Welcome
Chapter 2 – Session 2: Calorie-Cutting Keys
Chapter 3 – Session 3: Goal Setting; Weighing and Measuring
Chapter 4 – Session 4: Labels, Planning, and Calorie Accounting
Chapter 5 – Session 5: Control What You Can, Accept What You Can't; The Home Food Enviroment
Chapter 6 – Session 6: Physical Activity and Willingness (Part 1)
Chapter 7 – Session 7: Willingness (Part 2) and Values
Chapter 8 – Session 8: Forming Good Habits and Flexibility
Chapter 9 – Session 9: Restaurant Eating; Handling Weekends and Special Occasions
Chapter 10 – Session 10: Barriers to Living a Valued Life
Chapter 11 – Session 11: Friends and Family
Chapter 12 – Session 12: Introduction to Defusion and Urge Surfing
Chapter 13 – Session 13: Strategies to Help Defuse and Increase Willingness
Chapter 14 – Session 14: Review of Dietary Principles, Mindless Eating (Part 1), and Portion Sizes
Chapter 15 – Session 15: Mindless Eating (Part 2) and Mindful Decision-Making
Chapter 16 – Session 16: Transitioning to Biweekly Meetings
Chapter 17 – Session 17: Maintaining Losses Over the Long Term
Chapter 18 – Session 18: Willingness and Reducing Barriers to Physical Activity
Chapter 19 – Session 19: Committed Action
Chapter 20 – Session 20: Overeating and Emotional Eating
Chapter 21 – Session 21: Lapse Versus Relapse and Reversing Small Weight Gains
Chapter 22 – Session 22: Revisiting Commitment and Transition to Monthly/Bimonthly Meetings
Chapter 23 – Session 23: Maintaining Motivation
Chapter 24 – Session 24: Looking Ahead
Chapter 25 – Session 25: Celebrating Accomplishments
Appendices
References
Front Matter
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Introduction & Theoretical Background
Weight control is a significant health concern, with over two thirds of adults in the United States classified as overweight or obese. Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and reduced quality of life. Even a modest 5% weight loss can improve health markers like blood pressure, glycemic control, and cholesterol levels (Goldstein, 1992). However, sustaining weight loss is difficult. While diet programs can lead to short-term results (3–6% weight loss at 12 months; Tsai & Wadden, 2005), fewer than 20% of participants maintain a 10% weight loss after one year. The modern environment, filled with calorie-dense foods and sedentary habits, makes lasting weight control particularly challenging.
Cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBTs) for weight loss focus on calorie tracking, portion control, and exercise planning, offering important tools for weight management. However, these methods often fall short because they don’t address the psychological and emotional drivers of eating behavior. Many individuals
Therapist Guidance
Each Treatments That Work® title is published as part of a pair:
- Clients use the Workbooks which contain elements of psychoeducation, skills development, self-assessment quizzes, homework exercises, and record forms.
- Clinicians use the Clinician Guides which contain step-by-step instructions for teaching clients skills and overcoming common difficulties.
Although written for the client, the exercises in the workbook are intended to be carried out under the supervision of a mental health professional. The authors suggest that the most effective implementation of these exercises requires an understanding of the principles underlying the different procedures, and that mental health professionals should be familiar with both the Client Workbook as well as this Clinician Guide.
Therapists with an active subscription to a Psychology Tools ‘Complete’ plan are licensed to use Treatments That Work® titles, and to download and share chapters with their clients.
References And Further Reading
- Butryn, M. L., Webb, V., & Wadden, T. A. (2011). Behavioral treatment of obesity. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 34(4), 841.
- Catenacci, V. A., Grunwald, G. K., Ingebrigtsen, J. P., Jakicic, J. M., McDermott, M. D., Phelan, S., . . . Wyatt, H. R. (2011). Physical activity patterns using accelerometry in the National Weight Control Registry. Obesity, 19(6), 1163–1170.
- Church, T. S., Thomas, D. M., Tudor-Locke, C., Katzmarzyk, P. T., Earnest, C. P., Rodarte, R. Q., . . . Bouchard, C. (2011). Trends over 5 decades in U.S. occupation-related physical activity and their associations with obesity. PLoS ONE, 6(5), e19657.
- Diliberti, N., Bordi, P. L., Conklin, M. T., Roe, L. S., & Rolls, B. J. (2004). Increased portion size leads to increased energy intake in a restaurant meal. Obesity Research, 12(3), 562–568.
- Forman, E. M., Butryn, M. L., Hoffman, K. L., & Herbert, J. D. (2009). An open