Effective Weight Loss: An Acceptance-Based Behavioral Approach: Workbook

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 struggle

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 Clinician Guide as well as this Workbook. 

 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.

• 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 trial of an acceptance-based behavioral