by Diana Chaloux
Are you ready to change? Simple question right? Maybe not. So you say you want to lose weight and start living a fit and healthy lifestyle, but are you willing to commit to the changes in your diet and exercise program that will be necessary for you to succeed? If the answer is no and you try jumping head on into a fitness regiment anyways, you run the risk of becoming frustrated, discouraged and worst of all giving up! That is the last thing that you want to do! So before you start trying to create the ideal fit and healthy you, be sure you are ready for it! This is a quick look at the stages of change, as you read through try to identify the stage that you are in currently and think of what it will take for you to reach that next stage.
Dr. James Prochaska defined the stages of change as follows:
Pre-contemplation: In this stage you are not ready for a change in lifestyle, you think it is impossible for you to make the changes to become fit and healthy. In this stage you may even justify your resistance by making excuses for yourself, you”re too busy, or you don”t have time to cook, or you don”t have any time to lead a fit lifestyle because you are a busy mom or dad. You may not see any benefits to exercise but it may be on your mind because someone in your life is telling you that you need to lose a few pounds. Another cause for being in this state of mind is that you have possibly tried in the past to lose weight and were unsuccessful (this all comes around to not being in the right state of mind to begin with!) So you have convinced yourself that you just “can”t do it”.
Contemplation: In this stage you may be thinking about exercising and changing your lifestyle and your nutrition but you aren”t quite ready for that commitment and leap just yet. It is typical for people who rank in this category to be making plans within the next few months to start making some changes. At this point you may have started to realize that there would be some great benefits to leading a fit and healthy lifestyle. In these people”s minds they think “I might change” but haven”t really identified that powerful motivator that will make them take the leap from thinking of changing to doing it!
Preparation: In this stage you have made the decision that yes you are going to make these changes. You have realized the vast benefits to the quality and quantity of your life if you make the necessary lifestyle changes. At this point you are ready to dabble in at least some minor changes and see what kind of results that you get. During this stage it is important to identify what your goals are and what changes you are willing to make and start implementing now. This is the stage where you can begin defining your fitness vision, and recognizing what is really motivating you to start making changes. This is the point where you can start setting short term realistic goals for yourself. This is also an easy time to go overboard and try to change your entire life in a day! Try to avoid doing this because there is a much higher tendency to quit if you allow yourself to become too overwhelmed!
Action: This is the “Just Do It” phase. You”ve figured out what is motivating you, you have considered the obstacles that have stood in your way in the past, you have figured out what you need to do to make the necessary changes and you are doing it! You are implementing your plan of action, you are setting goals each week and then following through. Now keep in mind that it is also easy to have lapses during this phase, at this point the new activities and eating styles that you have added into your daily routine are probably not habit%85 yet. If you have a relapse into an old habit for a day don”t beat yourself up, this is a process and it gets easier! You have to give yourself time to adapt to your new behaviors, they may be unfamiliar at first just as if you were starting any type of new routine. Think of this as starting a new job, you may be unsure and feel awkward for your first few weeks in a new place. You may not know where everything is or what the correct protocol is, but as time goes byyou become confident in your work environment. You know where everything is and you can come into work each day and face new challenges knowing that you have all the tools that you need to succeed at your job. Think of fitness in the same way, soon enough you will have all the tools you need to achieve your fitness goals and live a fit and healthy lifestyle!
Maintenance: At this point, you are in the zone. Exercising and eating right are a habit and a part of your lifestyle. You probably have experienced many of the great benefits of changing your lifestyle including weight loss, improved confidence, lowered risk of heart disease, diabetes, etc. You probably have more energy and you probably even enjoy exercise and look forward to it as an important part of your day! In this phase it is important to keep things fresh and be very wary of lapsing back into old behavior patterns. Maybe it is time to try a new sport, a new routine, try mixing up your cardio, try taking it outdoors. You want to avoid boredom which can be a major cause for a relapse. Focus on the positive changes that you have made and continue to set goals for yourself, creating your ideal fit and health self is a continuing process, and the benefits are endless!
So these are the stages of change in a nutshell. Do you understand now why it is very important to identify where you are mentally before embarking on your journey to the new fit and healthy you? If you are in the right state of mind and understand the many benefits that you will attain, you can succeed at accomplishing your fitness goals! So what stage are you in?
Diana Chaloux is a certified personal trainer through ACE, AFAA and FPI. Diana is a fitness coach as well as an NPC National Level Figure Competitor. She is co-founder and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit (http://www.d2bfit.com ) based in San Antonio, TX and she is the star of the fitness DVD “Fitness Deadlines”. Diana can be contacted at contact%40d2bfit.com
