There is an ironic fact that makes losing weight difficult for a lot of people, according to Susan Silverman. Until they are in a place where they are completely happy with themselves and who they are, they won't be able to effectively change their situations, she said.

Because of this, the Auburn-based wellness and nutrition consultant works with clients on their minds as much as their bodies.

“Your motivation has to come from being healthier, living longer and feeling better,” Silverman said.

Silverman started Team Wellness in September after having worked for and participated in a number of national weight loss programs. Such programs, she said, can be extremely frustrating because they only deal with numbers like calories, points, inches and pounds.

“With those diets, you walk in and feel horrible, like you have failed,” Silverman said. “I want this to be positive.”

Instead of focusing on numbers or lofty goals, Team Wellness focuses on eating as many whole foods as possible. It focuses on trying to fit some exercise into your life as possible, and finding time for yourself.

Cutting out most food and starving yourself is unhealthy and unrealistic. Intuitive eating only when you feel hungry is more affective, she said.

Joining a gym and saying you are going to run five miles a day is nice, but it is not an easy system to maintain, she said. Instead, try walking for 15 minutes at first.

“My treadmill is a great place to hang my clothes,” she said.

Setting a goal to lose 100 pounds is a lofty one, she said. It is more affective and realistic, Silverman said, to try and lose a pound a week.

“After a year, you've lost 52 pounds,” Silverman said. “That's a lot, and by then it has also become a lifestyle change.”

Silverman said her first meetings with clients usually focus on the food and personal habits. But she also counsels on self-reflection through activities like journaling, which are just as important as walking or running, she said.

“Until you are comfortable with who you are, you can't be successful at this,” Silverman said.

How does she know?

After not being very successful herself with all the diets and programs that are out there, Silverman has lost 35 pounds this year taking her own advice.

It is a lot more comfortable taking advice from someone who has faced the same thing you are facing, she said.

“Their battles are mine,” Silverman said. “Anything they came up with, I've been there.”