By Meghan Vivo
John is a retired professional from New Jersey who used to weigh close to 400 pounds. “You don’t see a lot of 70-year-olds who weigh that much,” he says. “I was sick, I couldn’t get around well. I knew I was headed in the wrong direction.”
After eight weeks at Structure House, a renowned residential weight loss facility in North Carolina, and continued efforts at home, John lost 200 pounds in one year – a tremendous success that he has managed to maintain years later.
“For people trying to lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off, residential treatment is a must,” John advises.
Research from Structure House confirms John’s observations. A recent study shows that residential, immersion-style obesity treatment programs that focus on lifestyle change, physical activity, and healthful eating help people achieve significant weight loss and improve their quality of life.
Here are a few reasons why residential weight loss programs like Structure House have been so successful in helping overweight and obese individuals lose weight and keep it off long-term.
Emphasis on Long-Term Lifestyle Change
What initially attracted John to Structure House is that “it’s a common-sense program that presents lifestyle change in manageable pieces, and is doable in the world we live in. The staff teaches weight maintenance from the beginning, with a focus on how to live in a logical and sensible way.”
One of the most important features of residential weight loss programs is the emphasis on lifestyle change and developing a new relationship with food. These programs are not diets, nor do they ask you to eat “magic” or packaged foods. They will guide you through understanding the psychological and emotional basis of your eating patterns and evaluating why you have struggled in the past. They will also offer educational classes on stress management, dealing with boredom, and assertiveness training, among others.
“I had always heard, ‘If you want to lose weight, you need to change your life,’” says John. “But lifestyle change was just a word to me – I didn’t know what it meant. Unless you’re given skills and shown how to do it, I don’t think you can grasp what it really means.”
Everything You Need in One Convenient Location
Unlike some weight loss programs that require participants to live in a local hotel and find their own transportation to and from the facility, at Structure House residents live on-campus in their own fully equipped apartments. The gym, dining room, classrooms, and staff offices are just steps away. Structure House is located in Durham, North Carolina, in close proximity to walking trails, parks, colleges, movie theaters, and a variety of cultural events that residents can enjoy in their free time.
One of the benefits of living “on-campus” at a residential weight loss program is following a daily schedule. Structure House provides each participant with a journal to help them track their meals, their weight, their exercise, and their emotions throughout the process. Residents choose from a variety of fitness classes and eat meals together at specific times of the day.
“I’m confident in this program because they’ve worked at it and studied it,” John explains. “They are experts in weight loss and maintenance, and give participants a sound education and framework to work from.”
Individualized Weight Loss Plan
Just because you have enrolled in a weight loss program along with a number of fellow weight-loss hopefuls doesn’t mean you will all share the same plan. Week one at Structure House begins with an individual intake session, fitness and medical evaluation, and nutrition planning. Residents who crave even more personalized treatment can choose to participate in individual therapy sessions, personal training, private cooking lessons, and individualized meal planning.
Residential weight loss programs help overweight or obese adults grow accustomed to eating consistently healthy meals at regular times. At Structure House, participants plan their meals one week in advance, choosing from a variety of “normal” foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. They also learn how to plan and prepare healthy, delicious meals at home using a cookbook provided by the program and lessons learned during treatment. Residents don’t blindly put food into their bodies; rather, they are provided with extensive nutritional information and guidance, as well as tips for avoiding eating triggers and managing cravings.
Some of the best weight loss programs enlist the services of licensed therapists and social workers who help participants understand the underlying reasons they turn to food for emotional support and comfort. Structure House also offers continuing support after formal treatment ends through Internet resources and ongoing communication with the staff and therapists.
After participants return home, they are encouraged to maintain their Structure House journal and send pages to their therapist who will review them and give feedback for as many years as the resident continues to send pages in. Participants who attended the program 20 years ago continue to send pages in for review without charge.
In addition to therapeutic support, residents at Structure House report feeling encouraged and understood by the other participants who are experiencing the same challenges and victories.
“Unlike outpatient care, Structure House offers a complete program that includes you as part of a cohesive community,” notes John. “The people who come here are fascinating – they’re from all walks of life and all backgrounds, and have different types of life experiences.”
Having a peer support group that is accessible throughout the day builds a sense of community and reduces the sense of isolation many overweight or obese individuals feel. Many participants report finally being in a place where nobody is judging them or staring at them. Being part of a group also serves as a motivational tool because others hold you accountable to your goals and cheer on your successes.
“Obesity is a condition that is very isolating,” John explains. “It’s hard to understand it by yourself, but much easier when you can see it in other people. At Structure House, you’re surrounded by a group of people doing the same thing you are. You’re going to classes together, sharing ideas and experiences, and eating three meals a day together. I realized this isn’t a condition that is unique to me, and that realization has helped to take away some of the stigma.”
Exercise Tailored to Your Fitness Level
When exercising on your own, it can be hard to know which classes to take, how hard to push yourself, if you’re doing exercises correctly, and most importantly, how to stay motivated. Residential weight loss programs like Structure House offer multiple classes each day at three different fitness levels and encourage participants to get at least 30 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each day, as well as strength training two to three days a week. Each step of the way, the residents have a schedule they can follow, experts that offer feedback and guidance, and a wide variety of options to choose from.
The primary goal of Structure House’s fitness team is to help participants find exercises that fit into their daily lives at a level that is sustainable in real life. Residents are exposed to dance, martial arts, step aerobics, chair yoga, low-impact kickboxing, Pilates foundations, karate/self-defense, and many other classes. The gym is fully equipped with a range of machines, including extremely low-impact cardio machines for individuals with limited mobility.
Far Away From the Pressures of Home
Weight loss is a challenge in any environment, but it’s especially difficult to achieve by yourself at home. It’s easy to say, “I’ll start on Monday,” and then by Tuesday morning you’re saying, “Okay, maybe next Monday.”
For people who are serious about losing weight, it’s important to get away from everyday life at home and live in a structured environment with fewer temptations and distractions, especially during the first few weeks of a new program. Going somewhere to focus exclusively on your body and your health is an excellent way to jumpstart any kind of weight loss plan.
“I have found that to achieve lasting results, you have to get away from the environment that contributed to the condition you have,” says John. “Within the first few days here, you start to emerge from the sugar fog – you think more clearly and your attitude improves right away. Without the pressures of daily life at home, you can work on the things you’ve always wanted to change and take the time to break old habits and learn new techniques.”
When you choose a residential weight loss program like Structure House, you know three things: the methods you use to lose weight are safe, reliable, and backed by research; you will be surrounded by supportive and caring staff and fellow residents; and you will see results. You’ve tried fad diets, self-help weight loss programs, and get-thin-quick schemes. Now commit to a weight loss solution that really works.