Action

Well, we finally made it...we're taking action. We've come out of denial (pre-contemplation), thought about changing (contemplation) and taken the steps necessary to get prepared (preparation). Now it's time to take action!

Real, effective action begins with commitment. Once the commitment is made, it's time to move. People often equate action with change. We've learned in the last 4 weeks that action is just one of the stages of change...and no more important than the rest. Changes made during the action stage are more visible to others than those made during other stages, so they receive the greatest recognition. Although change "looks" good during the action stage, the change that people can't see needs to be recognized and celebrated during the other stages as well.

The key to permanent change includes:

Changing your level of awareness
Changing your emotions
Changing your self-image
Changing your thinking

The work you will continue to do internally will make the difference in the action you take each and every day. How you think about yourself and others has EVERYTHING to do with following through on your commitment to lose weight or whatever else you are working to change.

To change behavior, lose weight, and keep it off for life, it takes massive action.

• making your enviormrnment safe
• buying and preparing foods in advance
• planning ahead to always have the appropriate foods available
• saying no to the bad and yes to the good
• choosing exercise to burn calories and relieve stress...

just to name a few... however, even with all of these great things being done, unless you are dealing with your relationship with food, you will not succeed at keeping the weight off.  The stages of change are powerful when you examine and participate in ALL of them, from pre-contemplation to maintenance.

Take action this week. Lots of it. But make sure you are doing the internal work to assure that the progress you're making by taking action, will be for life!

Always encouraging you,
Letha

Preparation

So, you worked through your denial and spent time contemplating about changing your life…are you ready for action?

There is a subtle but important stage between contemplation and action, the presence or absence of which, can make or break the effort to change. This stage is preparation.

I’ve seen a lot people over the years try lose weight without being prepared for it.  They see some temporary results but not the permanent change they are looking for.

Preparation is a lot like contemplation but a lot more forward looking… you begin to focus on the future you. It involves careful planning, positive self re-evaluation and commitment.

In the preparation stage we start to turn away from the past.  We begin letting go of the activities and circumstances that lead us to overeating, like eating while in a depressed state. We begin changing hobbies – like having fun exercising instead of baking and finding new friends who enjoy the same.

In the preparation stage it is important to insure support of your family. It’s time to go public! It’s important to let the people closest to you know that you decided to get fit and lose some weight in the process and it will require a certain investment of time and resources as well as changes in your usual routine.

During the preparation stage:
 

Take small steps...even the smallest changes over a period of time add up to permanent change!

 

Set a date...decide when you’re “starting” and stick to it! No going back!

  

Go public…make sure the people in your world know that you’ve decided to make changes.

 

Treat your change as a major event…as if you had an appointment for a serious operation!

 

Create your own plan of action…people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.

Commit to your plan…decisions are at the heart of Action. Out of your decisions action will flow!

 

In the preparation stage, you’re getting anxious about getting started and taking some ACTION!  Don’t skip this very important stage of preparation though…it’s crucial for your long term success!

Always encouraging you,

Letha

Contemplation

Change...it's on the horizon, or is it? We've moved from pre-contemplation to contemplation and that's a good thing. We just need to make sure we don't stay here too long. Some people spend a life time contemplating!   In the contemplation stage we've come out of denial, we're looking at our problems as our problems, and we're thinking about how to solve them. That's a far cry from what we talked about last week, but if we're not careful we can get stuck here. Those that do, are called chronic contemplators.

In the contemplation stage, we're eager to talk about, read about and spend time thinking about our issues. The problem is, we're not ready for action until we get a greater understanding of our behavior. Contemplators want to change but the desire to change exists simultaneously with resistance to change! Action brings with it, a fear of failure, so it's easy to see why contemplators get stuck!

During this stage, people become more and more aware of the potential benefits of making a change, but the costs tend to stand out even more. This conflict creates a strong sense of ambivalence about change.  Because of this uncertainty, the contemplation stage can last months or even years. During this stage you may view change as a process of giving something up rather than a means of gaining emotional, mental or physical benefits.

If you are contemplating behavior change, there are some important questions to ask yourself: Why do you want change? Is there anything preventing you from changing? What are some things that could help you make this change?

As you continue to do self-evalation in the contemplation stage, you'll find yourself getting closer and closer to stage 3...preparation stage. When contemplators begin the transition to the preparation stage, their thinking is clearly marked by two changes. First they begin to focus on the solution rather that the problem, and they begin to think more about the future than the past. The end of the contemplation stage is a time of anticipation, activity, anxiety, and excitement!

Here's to not getting STUCK in the contemplation stage!  We've got changing to do...no time for getting stuck here!

Always encouraging you,
Letha