Aisling Connolly, co-founder and director of Motivation Weight Management Clinics, has shed light on a critical but often overlooked factor in maintaining weight loss. According to Connolly, diet and exercise alone are not sufficient for long-term success. Instead, addressing “mental weight” is essential for sustaining weight loss.
Connolly’s clinic focuses on the concept of mental weight, which refers to the psychological factors that influence one’s ability to maintain a healthy weight. Even after achieving weight loss, if one’s mental weight remains high, it can lead to difficulties in keeping the weight off, as psychological triggers may prompt a return to previous unhealthy habits.
“Clinical studies indicate that lasting weight loss requires addressing the underlying reasons behind eating habits,” Connolly told RSVP Live. “Many individuals understand nutrition but fail to address the root causes of their eating patterns, such as emotional eating.”
Connolly explains that from a young age, many people develop associations between negative emotions and food, often due to early life experiences where crying led to being fed. This psychological pattern can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including overeating or turning to other substances like cigarettes or alcohol.
To combat this, Motivation Weight Management Clinics utilize a mental weight report, which is completed monthly and involves 65 questions designed to assess a person’s mindset. This report helps identify unhealthy habits, attitudes, and triggers, enabling clients to address and overcome these psychological barriers.
“It’s not just about physical hunger; it’s about emotional hunger,” Connolly emphasized. The approach aims to change clients’ relationships with food by addressing their mental and emotional triggers.
For those struggling with conventional diets, Connolly suggests starting with an assessment at Motivation. “Our approach is significantly different from traditional methods. It’s challenging, but the results are worthwhile,” she said.
Founded by Connolly and her husband Paul in 1995, Motivation Weight Management Clinics operates multiple locations across Ireland and offers online programs for personalized consultations. The clinic’s success stories extend globally, with clients achieving significant weight loss in regions as far afield as Australia and Dubai.
