orking with clients with food related issues, and we have found skills training to be very effective at Wellspring. DBT teaches four different behavioral skills
- Distress Tolerance
- Emotion Regulation
- Interpersonal Effectiveness
Wellspring uses DBT informed modules to practice these skills at each group and individual session. As a result, our campers become better copers and self-regulators.
Food, Cooking, And Nutrition At Wellspring
How’s The Food?
Wellspring firmly believes that a dietary plan will only work if the person actually enjoys the food he or she is eating. Therefore, we’ve put tremendous thought and effort into creating menus that our campers will absolutely love. Over the years we have fine-tuned our many healthy recipes to serve our campers’ absolute favorites at every meal. Wellspring’s emphasis on natural whole foods that are low in caloric density, but high in nutrition and fiber means that each meal campers consume is filled with delicious, healthy options. We always aim to serve our campers “loveable foods that love them back”. In other words, foods that are not only flavorful and satiating, but that also encourage health and sustainable long-term weight control. Many campers are surprised to learn that, with just a few modifications, many of their favorite foods such as pizza and hamburgers can still fit within their plan.
“To my surprise, the food was AMAZING. I have been going to sleep away camps since I was 10 years old and the experiences I’ve had at all these camps put together doesn’t even compare to the experience I had at Wellspring.”
Marena lost 20 pounds at camp and lost 20 more pounds at home.
What Can I Expect On The Menu?
Our daily menus include three delicious meals and two healthy snacks that have been developed by culinary and nutrition experts especially for the Wellspring program. We aim to serve meals that are well-balanced and filled with nutritious ingredients and are just as appealing as the foods our campers ate before coming to Wellspring. Each meal includes a “controlled” plate with a balance of protein, starch, and vegetables in specified portions. Campers are allowed and encouraged to supplement their “controlled” meal with selections from our “self-controlled” food bar, which consists of a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable options, condiments/toppings, and proteins such as cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, soup, and egg whites. As the utilization of the “self-controlled” food bar is at each camper’s personal discretion with guidance from our dietitians, campers are able to create a diet that meets their individual caloric and nutritional needs. We teach campers you don’t need to be hungry to be healthy!
“I really love all of the food here and at the end of the day you never go to bed hungry.”
On a typical day, the “controlled” foods provide campers with their baseline calories and other nutrients with a focus on fiber and protein. This intake is supplemented by choices from the “self-controlled” food bar until a camper reaches the nutrient intake that is appropriate for him or her. The only requirement at meals is that campers self-monitor all of the food they eat. Campers then learn to use the information recorded in their self-monitoring journal (with the help of their behavioral coach and nutrition team) to determine the caloric intake that will help them reach their goals.
“The food is awesome. I loved almost every meal that they served”
Will I Feel Hungry?
By placing an emphasis on nutritious and filling foods such as lean proteins, high fiber starches, and natural produce, Wellspring meals allow campers to lose weight without feeling hunger or deprivation. The added ability to control their food intake from the “self-controlled” food bar allows our campers to make choices that are more “in tune” with their hunger levels at that specific time. This increases their mindful eating skills and reduces the chance that they will be hungry at the end of the meal. Most of the participants at our program report that they are pleasantly surprised to discover how much food t