Matilda Moffett - Clinical Psychologist

10/01/2025

"Happy New Year! 🎉 This is the perfect time to set meaningful goals for the year ahead, but resolutions don’t have to be overwhelming or unrealistic. Here are a few tips and ideas to help create achievable resolutions that set you up for success:

How to Make Realistic New Year Resolutions

As the new year begins, many of us feel inspired to set resolutions that promise a fresh start. Yet, by February, many of these aspirations are left behind. Why does this happen? Often, it’s because our goals are too vague, overly ambitious, or not aligned with our lifestyles. This year, let’s focus on making resolutions that are both realistic and achievable. Here’s how.

1. Set Specific Goals
A common mistake is setting goals that are too broad. For example, “exercise more” or “be happier” are admirable intentions, but they lack clarity. Instead, break these down into specific actions, such as “eat a serving of vegetables with every meal” or “practice gratitude by journaling three things I’m thankful for each day.”

2. Make Resolutions Achievable
While it’s great to aim high, resolutions should be realistic. Consider your current lifestyle, commitments, and resources. If you’re new to exercise, committing to daily 5 a.m. gym sessions might set you up for disappointment. Start with manageable steps, like walking for 20 minutes three times a week, and build from there.

3. Ensure Goals Are Measurable
Ambiguous goals make it hard to track progress. Instead of saying, “I want to eat more healthily,” set a measurable target, like “ I will include good quality protein source at each meal” or “I will have at least 5 different fruit and or veg a day’. Measurable goals give you clear benchmarks to celebrate along the way.

4. Focus on What Matters
Your resolutions should align with your values and passions, not societal expectations. Reflect on what truly matters to you. Do you want to deepen relationships, improve your health or fitness, or learn a new skill? By prioritising personal significance, you’re more likely to stay motivated.

5. Plan for Obstacles
Every goal comes with challenges. Anticipate potential hurdles and brainstorm solutions. For instance, if your goal is to cook more from scratch, identify quick and easy recipes for busy days or keep a stash of healthy frozen meals on hand.

6. Build Accountability
Accountability increases the likelihood of success. Share your goals with a friend, join a group with similar aspirations, or use tools like journals or apps to track your progress. Having someone to check in with can keep you on track and motivated.

7. Celebrate Small Wins
Progress is a journey, and every milestone is worth celebrating. Reward yourself for hitting smaller targets, like completing a week of consistent workouts or sticking to your budget for a month. These celebrations reinforce positive habits and keep you motivated.

8. Reflect and Adjust
Life is unpredictable, and it’s okay to tweak your resolutions as needed. Regularly assess your progress and make adjustments to ensure your goals remain relevant and achievable. Flexibility doesn’t mean failure; it’s a sign of growth and adaptability.

Conclusion
Making realistic New Year resolutions isn’t about being perfect—it’s about making steady progress. By setting specific, achievable, and meaningful goals, you’ll be better equipped to turn your aspirations into lasting habits. Remember, the journey is just as important as the destination. Here’s to a successful and fulfilling year ahead!

28/11/2024

A quick reminder of the Obesity & Bariatric Surgery Support Group event taking place on Thurs 12th December at 8pm...

Can't believe this will be the last Support Group session on 2024! Where has that year gone! 😮

Join us for our December Support Group featuring a Patient Panel, where you will hear different peoples stories and be part of the discussion talking openly about the ups and downs of the Bariatric journey.

We also encourage discussion and questions with Dawn & Robyn our dietitians and our Clinical Psychologist Dr. Matilda Moffett and myself.

When: Thursday, December 12th, 8 - 9 PM

www.zahertoumi.com/supportgroup

We look forward to seeing you there! Open to everyone.

08/03/2024

Embracing Spring lifestyle and eating habits

In Winter we tend to be:

Less active - we are often outside less due to the cold weather and shorter days, and less likely to be active and sociable with others.

Craving less healthy food - we often seek more carbohydrate and high fat ‘stodgy’ foods because our bodies have evolved to do this in the winter months when food was scarce.

More prone to ‘comfort eating’ - we often feel lower in mood because reduced light can negatively affect our mood. As we are also less likely to go out and be sociable or undertake activities that help lift us, we are more vulnerable to “comfort eating” whereby we look to food in an attempt to feel good or manage difficult thoughts and feelings.

It is a great time of year to become more aware of these issues in your day to day life. As we move into the brighter spring months it will help if you can start to:

- Be outside as much as possible to get natural sunlight. Ideally in the morning, but any time of day can help even if it is for a few minutes during a break.

- Plan ahead for quick and easy to prepare balanced meals that help to regulate your appetite, energy and mood. There are plenty of healthy recipes available online or you can reach out to a dietician to support you with this.

- Become more aware of your mood using a simple rating scale of 1-10 ( where 1 is low and 10 is high). It can help to make a note or use a food & mood diary to track patterns or triggers for negative or positive mood/thoughts and unhelpful eating as a response to this.

Simple ideas to try instead:
- removing tempting items from the environment
- distraction through an activity
- talking to a friend or relative
- making a soothing warm drink such as a herbal tea
- going for a short walk

29/11/2023

As a starting point, lets talk about lifelong eating for lasting weight loss...

Attempting fad diets for quick weight loss is normal and quite common, but they often provide only short-term results. Many individuals discover that once the diet ends and their target weight is reached, the pounds tend to return. Let's explore more sustainable approaches to lasting health and well-being!

Here are 5 ways you can move away from dieting and cultivate life-long eating habits:

Steer Clear of Quick Fixes:
Fad diets promise rapid results but often lead to a cycle of weight regain.
Temporary solutions can leave individuals feeling frustrated and demotivated.

Cultivate a Lifelong Approach:
Shift focus from short-term diets to sustainable, long-lasting eating habits.
Consistent routines provide a sense of stability and promote psychological well-being.

Nourish Your Mind and Body:
Opt for foods that not only fuel the body but also contribute to mental well-being.
Nutrient-rich choices positively impact both physical and psychological health.

Say No to Hunger and Weakness:
Healthy eating should not equate to deprivation or weakness.
Prioritise foods that satisfy both physical and psychological hunger.

Choose Soul-Nourishing Foods:
Select foods that contribute to both physical vitality and emotional fulfilment.
Building a connection between food and positive emotions supports a holistic approach to well-being.

If you want to learn more psychological skills for emotional eating why not attend our free support group I will be running on 14th December at 8pm with Zaher Toumi - Weight Loss Surgeon

23/11/2023

Who does not do emotional eating? 🤔

At least on some occasions (and frequently for many of us), we eat and drink not when we are hungry or thirsty but when we are sad, happy, tired, stressed, anxious....

Learning more about emotional eating and acquiring a toolkit to help with emotional eating is helpful to all of us.

This session will be of great value to people affected by obesity and who had bariatric surgery. It will also be helpful to almost everyone!

For our December support group, we are joined by our Dr Matilda Moffett - Clinical Psychologist

Matilda is going to be sharing tools and practical tips to help with emotional eating. I am looking forward to it!

⏰️Note our new time this month: 8pm

DECEMBER: Thursday 14th December – 8pm

Join Zoom Meeting here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82503917197?pwd=Mk8ycmtsdEp1UEtwaWR0bjV4VTk1Zz09

Meeting ID: 872 3355 5949

Passcode: 933332

www.zahertoumi.com/supportgroup

See you then!

14/11/2023

Hello and welcome! I am a clinical psychologist with specialism in the psychology of weight management. I created this page to provide information and guidance for people with weight management issues.

I work as part of a multidisciplinary team with Zaher Toumi - Weight Loss Surgeon and Dawn Shotton from Dietwise. As part of this team I undertake psychological assessments to help individuals to be as psychologically prepared as possible for bariatric procedures.

As part of this work I also provide ongoing therapy to help individuals to better understand and manage their relationship with food as well as address any body image or weight concerns. I bring a warm and friendly approach to assessments and therapy, fostering a safe, comfortable and confidential space for clients to explore their issues.

In some cases specific therapy requirements may be beyond my scope and therefore my team of psychologists at Select Psychology www.selectpsychology.co.uk are available to provide additional support.

In my leisure time, I spend time with my family, run regularly and enjoy leaning to cook new recipes. I stay engaged in continuous learning through podcasts, journals, and books. I am particularly passionate about exploring the science of food, the impact of ancestral evolution on our modern lifestyles, and the social and psychological factors influencing our eating habits.