Food often plays an important role in our culture and social gatherings. Consequently, when building a sustainable diet it is important to find healthy ways to incorporate foods that reflect our values into our meal plans. In this session we will be introducing strategies for making healthy appetizers to have when entertaining or attending social functions, giving tips and education on selecting healthy appetizers when eating out. 

We will introduce you to the MWM Structured Meal Plan that we offer for those patients who wish to try it. Research has shown that some modest weight loss at the beginning of a weight management program can be motivational and help build confidence. This diet is meant to be followed for about 3 to 6 months and in the meantime, patients are coming to the group medical visits and are working on the long-term, dietary changes that they can sustain and enjoy.

This is the first session of the 4-week Food Planning module. Registering for Session 1 will secure you a spot for the rest of the module. You only need to register for Session 2, 3, and/or 4 if you would like to submit a progress check to update us on your medical conditions.

Nutrition and food knowledge without application does not lead to behaviour change. Education through food planning and culinary skills has been shown to improve nutrition and overall diet quality.  This course addresses food planning and cooking skills required for healthy eating to benefit chronic disease management. Learning how to better plan and cook more at home can contribute to better health, prevention of weight gain and sustainable weight loss.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. You do not need to register for this session unless you need to update us on your medical conditions or you are making up a missed session.

Tools to conquer an obesogenic world: Increase motivation & willpower, change destructive habits, and learn how to alter your food environment. In this talk patients will learn: 1) multiple ways to increase their motivation on a daily basis. 2) what willpower is, how it functions, and how not to deplete it throughout the day. 3) to identify self-destructive patterns and learn how to change them. 4) to set realistic goals and learn how to get back on track when things take a negative turn. 5) how to alter their food environment to counteract an obesogenic culture. 6) how to stay full, be satisfied, and have more energy on fewer daily calories. 7) to potentially incorporate meditation, affirmations, and priming with minimal effort to achieve maximum benefits. 8) to develop a desire for more movement even if they don't enjoy exercising. 9) to stay empowered towards a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life by adopting lifestyle changes learned from the "blue zone" areas of the world. Presenter: Lynda Montis Lynda is an internationally recognized motivational speaker and entrepreneur. She draws on her formal training as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with a specialty in weight management, her experience as a certified yoga, Pilates and barre instructor, as well as her personal experience losing and maintaining the loss of 42% of her total body weight. Lynda has struggled with weight issues since childhood and after 4 pregnancies decided to dedicate her time and education to the study of nutrition, obesity and movement. She opened a Yoga and Wellness Centre in Richmond Hill, Ontario and began teaching and leading numerous workshops in both movement and weight loss through lifestyle changes including presenting at the Annual Canadian Holistic Nutrition Conference. Lynda is passionate to share numerous tips on ways to increase motivation and willpower as well as how to make changes to destructive habits and personal food environment. She is also looking forward to sharing her current interest in the study of the longest lived cultures of the world and their lessons for us to age with mobility, vibrancy & joy.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module.

Our body is the only vehicle we have to take us through this life and it is important to invest in taking care of it so it can run smoothly. In this session, we will highlight the valuable role of stretching in maintaining flexibility and daily activities as we age. Guidelines for stretching will be discussed and different types of stretching will be introduced throughout the session. Whether it be taking a break from screen time, unwinding after a long day, or used in conjunction with meditation or a pain management program, stretching can be a wonderful way to improve our physical and mental wellbeing. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. You do not need to register for this session unless you need to update us on your medical conditions or you are making up a missed session. This is the first session of the 4-week Building A Healthy Outlook module. Registering for Session 1 will secure you a spot for the rest of the module. 

Our mindset holds tremendous power when it comes to facilitating behaviour change. The way we think impacts our attitude, motivation, and resilience when it comes to sticking with and pursuing our goals. In this 4-week module, we will practice managing unhelpful thoughts using strategies based in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Common thinking traps will be addressed such as negative predictions, mind reading thoughts, all or nothing thinking and self-criticism.

This is a special topic group facilitated by the medical director, Dr. Michael Lyon. Understanding how our body expends and stores energy is a critical aspect of weight management. In this session we will identify behaviors that can cause a “sluggish” metabolism, discuss the physiological and external factors that impact metabolic reactions in the body, and introduce ways to cultivate a healthy metabolism.

Mental health plays a significant role in obesity management. We will talk about the relationship between mental health and obesity. We will also talk about the definition of anxiety, the differences between everyday anxiety and anxiety disorder, different types of anxiety disorders including panic attack disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post traumatic stress disorder. 3 c's of anxiety recovery will be introduced: calm your body, correct your thinking, and confront your fears.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. You do not need to register for this session unless you need to update us on your medical conditions or you are making up a missed session.

In this talk we will discuss: The new scientific dangers of processed food. The manipulation of our diet to create "heavy users". Food as a form of substance abuse? Strategies to battle food cravings and curb food addiction. How to control hidden triggers in your food environment - at home, restaurants, grocery stores & workplace. How to conserve willpower and maintain self-control. Stress relief - what works & what doesn't. Presenter: Lynda Montis Lynda is an internationally recognized motivational speaker and entrepreneur. She draws on her formal training as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with a specialty in weight management, her experience as a certified yoga, Pilates and barre instructor, as well as her personal experience losing and maintaining the loss of 42% of her total body weight. Lynda has struggled with weight issues since childhood and after 4 pregnancies decided to dedicate her time and education to the study of nutrition, obesity and movement. She opened a Yoga and Wellness Centre in Richmond Hill, Ontario and began teaching and leading numerous workshops in both movement and weight loss through lifestyle changes including presenting at the Annual Canadian Holistic Nutrition Conference. Lynda is passionate to share numerous tips on ways to increase motivation and willpower as well as how to make changes to destructive habits and personal food environment. She is also looking forward to sharing her current interest in the study of the longest lived cultures of the world and their lessons for us to age with mobility, vibrancy & joy.

Life is busy with lots of distractions and competing priorities. Not surprisingly, we can have the best intentions to pursue certain goals but still lack the consistency to move forward with them. In this session, we will explore the power of goal setting as a tool to help facilitate change in your life. Whether it be giving you more clarity and direction, providing a contingency plan for anticipated challenges, monitoring your progress, or increasing your motivation, there are lots of benefits from using this tool when building new habits. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. You do not need to register for this session unless you need to update us on your medical conditions or you are making up a missed session.

This is a special topic group facilitated by the medical director, Dr. Michael Lyon. Understanding how our body expends and stores energy is a critical aspect of weight management. In this session we will identify behaviors that can cause a “sluggish” metabolism, discuss the physiological and external factors that impact metabolic reactions in the body, and introduce ways to cultivate a healthy metabolism.

For patients who have had bariatric surgery.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

Sometimes healthy eating can be associated with feelings of deprivation or boredom. In this group, we will showcase creative ways to makeover some popular desserts, introduce some cooking strategies that can help with managing sweet cravings and keeping you on track with your health goals, as well as provide you with the opportunity to sample some healthy treats.

As many of us know, self-monitoring, meal planning, goal setting and budgeting are all helpful behaviors for weight management, however, following through with these behaviors is not always easy. In this group we will be introducing and explaining how to use different apps that can help make these strategies more achievable as well as enjoyable. This session is designed to assist individuals in better understanding and taking advantage of new technology to overcome barriers to healthy behavior change.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. You do not need to register for this session unless you need to update us on your medical conditions or you are making up a missed session.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

Being healthy is hard! Using the latest scientifically based knowledge, this course will provide applicable, real-life skills to start and stick with healthy habits. The course focuses less on "what" to do and more on "how" to do it. Participants will learn to recognize and manage what gets in the way of sticking to healthy habits including being more mindful about choices, developing self-compassion, and how to live a life that reflects what truly matters. Participants will learn new ways to live a healthier life, even if you don't really want to.

Please note it is strongly recommended that individuals purchase Dr. Lee-Baggley's book "Healthy Habits Suck"  before starting this course with us, as the sessions are based on its content. You can buy her book from Amazon.ca.  

When it comes to sustainable weight management, healthy eating and home cooked meals are often essential to adhering to a healthy diet. Unfortunately, there are many barriers to implementing these behaviours that prevent people from using them on a consistent basis.
In this session, we explore the meal planning strategy (meal repurposing) as an approach to address common barriers to meal planning (E.g. lack of time, energy, motivation, etc.). 

Various ways to utilize leftovers and convert them into other healthy meals will be discussed and recipes will be provided. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

Embracing The Coach Not The Critic: A Constructive  And  Solution-Oriented Approach To Pursuing Our Goals

How does our attitude towards ourselves and our performance impact our ability to achieve our goals? In this session, we will explore common thinking traps that contribute to an "all or nothing" mindset, along with strategies to help avoid falling into fruitless rumination cycles. Balanced approaches for setting goals, giving yourself feedback, and practicing self-compassion will be discussed. Participants will also have the opportunity to apply strategies from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to challenge perfectionistic thinking patterns. 

Sometimes take-out happens. We probably all have experienced those nights where we hadn't meal prepped or grocery shopped, were feeling tired, or maybe just had a craving.  This session is designed to help us stay on track when life gets busy and we have to/ or just opt to order out. During the group we will discuss strategies for making healthier food choices when ordering fast food or dining out so that these events don't derail your progress with your health goals. Applying these techniques can help with weight maintenance and avoiding relapse during high risk times.

When it comes to behaviour change, one of the barriers that can get in our way is trying to use the same approach to problem solving, even when that approach has not worked for us in the past. To make the learning process more enjoyable and effective, we need to be able to identify these unhelpful reactions and adopt more helpful coping mechanisms that will empower us to move forward. In this session, we will explore some of the common traps people fall into when trying to troubleshoot challenges and we will discuss helpful alternative approaches that can be used in their place. 

Are you in need of hitting the reset button? This group is specifically designed for individuals who are looking for support in getting back on track with their health goals. Too often, our progress gets derailed when we beat ourselves up over a lapse with unhealthy behaviours and procrastinate moving forward. In this session, we will provide the opportunity to gain insight from previous lapses, practice self-compassion, and develop a come back plan for moving forward. Everyone loves a good comeback story and this is a great chance to call a timeout as you get ready to write the next chapter on your weight management journey. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. You do not need to register for this session unless you need to update us on your medical conditions or you are making up a missed session.

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module. 

This module is for registered participants only. If you have successfully registered for Session 1, your spot is secured for the rest of the module.