The Stages of Change
We are always giving people a nudge to enhance their diet and improve their health and fitness, but we never expect you to be perfect from day one. You have to make small changes day by day, but make sure they are permanent changes.
Change has always been a necessary aspect of life and work. People react, respond and adjust to change in a sequence of six predictable stages. It is likely that you will have to cope with a variety of changes in the near future. Your success and fulfillment – your emotional, mental, spiritual and physical well-being – depend on how well you adapt to change.
Which Stage are you in?
Stage 1 – Loss to Safety
In Stage 1 you admit to yourself that regardless of whether or not you perceive the change to be good or ‘bad” there will be a sense of loss of what “was.” “I don’t want to change my diet”…You probably don’t see a need to improve your diet or health and fitness, or you haven’t established important reasons to change what you are doing. Consider how your weight and health will suffer if you don’t make changes now.
Stage 2 – Doubt to Reality
In this stage, you doubt the facts, doubt your doubts and struggle to find information about the change that you believe is valid. Resentment, skepticism and blame cloud your thinking. “I won’t be able to make these changes. I am never going to be healthy and fit”… List the benefits of a better diet and doing more exercise and commit to a start date. Don’t put off making plans for positive changes.
Stage 3 – Discomfort to Motivation
You will recognize Stage 3 by the discomfort it brings. The change and all it means has now become clear and starts to settle in. Frustration and lethargy rule until possibility takes over. “I am looking forward to going to the beach at Christmas and feeling confident”…. Develop a plan of attack and set a goal for yourself to work towards.
The Danger Zone
The Danger Zone represents the pivotal place where you make the choice either to move on to Stage 4 and discover the possibilities the change has presented or to choose fear and return to Stage 1…. “I’m thinking about changing my diet”… You know why you want to make changes but you haven’t started yet.
Stage 4 – Discovery to Perspective
Stage 4 represents the “light at the end of the tunnel.” Perspective, anticipation, and a willingness to make decisions give a new sense of control and hope. You are optimistic about a good outcome because you have choices. “I’ve started to change my diet”… Well done! Now you need to make healthier, nutrient-rich food choices. Make specific plans for how you’ll eat well at home, work or at social events.
Stage 5 – Understanding
In Stage 5, you understand the change and are more confident, think pragmatically, and your behaviour is much more productive. Good thing. “I enjoy healthy foods. They taste better and it’s becoming a habit”… Your taste buds are now on your side and your new healthy habits are working for you most of the time. Fatty or sugary foods are now a turn-off.
Stage 6 – Integration
By this time, you have regained your ability and willingness to be flexible. You have insight into the ramifications, consequences and rewards of the change — past, present, and future. “Healthy eating is now automatic for me and part of my new lifestyle”… You are more active and choose healthy foods without feeling deprived and it doesn’t feel like a diet. You wonder why you didn’t make the change earlier!
Moving forward through the six stages is normal and can take time. It’s normal to experience slip ups and have days when you feel you’ve gone back a stage.
If you’re too serious about counting calories and you find it hard to enjoy food, go easy on yourself. Stress elevates your cortisol hormone, which triggers cravings, retains abdominal body fat and makes matters worse. It’s time to chill out about your diet. It’s helpful to reassess your habits and goals to see whether they are working for you or against you. Which is it?
Come see us if you want an individualised nutritional plan, to talk about your health and fitness and start training, or for some helpful tips to reach your goals. You CAN do this! We’ll be right here if you need us. We will help program you against failure.
(Redeveloped from the CCMC 2009)
“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” – Thomas Carlyle
The Power of Ritual
Life is wasted in the in-between times. The time between when your alarm first rings and when you finally decide to get out of bed. The time between making a decision and doing something about it. Slowly your day is whittled away from all the unused in-between moments.
Rituals prepare our body and more importantly our mind for the next activity.
We all have rituals – our morning ritual may consist of waking at a certain time, exercise, showering, breakfast and a coffee. Our evening ritual may include preparing for the following day, a chamomile tea or hot milk, reading a book before lights-out and sleep.
At a personal level, rituals can help shape your thinking and productivity for the day. Starting the day, reviewing your task list and prioritizing certain items sets you up for a very productive day – more so than if you start the day checking emails.
Rituals also help overcome our moods. We’ve all had days that just didn’t start right and our productivity slumps as a result.
So how do you ritualise your day?
- Identify the existing rituals in your day. Do they work for you? If so, commit to doing them regularly. If they don’t, adjust them.
- Identify areas that could benefit from implementing a ritual. Does it take you a while to warm up in the morning? Implement a “get-started” ritual. Do you find yourself in a mad panic at the end of the day, feeling like you’ve left stuff un-done? Implement an “end-of-day” ritual where you note incomplete tasks and start completing your day before knock-off time so you don’t run out the door feeling harried.
- Do what Nike says and “just do it” – stick to your rituals for a month, and see how much more productive you feel.
So what works for you?
Let us know your tips for a productive day that delivers MAXIMUM results!
Attitudes and Traits Which Slow Your Aging
Growing evidence is being discovered that links our health with our temperament. Current research has shown that one secret to a long life is to be conscientious. Diligent, hard-working and emotionally stable people live four years longer on average than those who are slapdash and complacent, according to the research.
Research showed that conscientious people are less likely to smoke, drink to excess or take too many risks … But it is also true that conscientious people lead life patterns that are more stable and less stressful.
The most important character traits associated with longevity are:
- Being a high achiever.
- The second longest livers were orderly people who keep their lives well organised and structured.
- Lastly, people who were reliable and responsible. These people are often seen as respectable members of the community, who contribute time and energy to society, co-operate with colleagues and neighbours, and are trustworthy.
Amazingly, people who were the least conscientious were 50% more likely to die at any given age than those who scored highly.
Other recent studies have shown that positive attitudes such as optimism, feeling less frail (or feeling stronger), confidence, and self-esteem had big benefits. Those who have a “can-do” attitude and a swing in their step feel happier and have more enjoyable lives. They also feel and display signs of being physically stronger than their more pessimistic peers.
Your attitude to life also has an important effect on your immune system. Research has shown that people who are care-free and calm seem to have better protection against infections. They seem to get sick less often, and when they do get ill, they recover more quickly and have fewer symptoms.
So what do you think?
Be positive, be conscientious and apply a “can-do” attitude to everything you do in life and live better longer.
How to Find Your Inner Drive
Do you think your training is hard?
You can’t achieve success if you’re not willing to take the first step. It may seem obvious, but all the tools you need for weight loss and watching reality tv won’t get you anywhere if you’re not willing to get off your butt. You need to find that inner drive to accomplish your goals. Need some inspiration? Check out our videos on the website and if you become a Member you can view what some of our clients have said and their success stories.
You’ll never believe what you can do until you try something, and complete it. Making motivational boards for yourself, and finding a support network can really help. Find somebody who won’t let you talk your way out of something difficult. The feeling of accomplishment you gain from succeeding at something you didn’t think was possible will motivate you to try something else you aren’t sure you can do.
Eventually, your life will change and be marked by these fabulous accomplishments. Each new triumph will lead you further down the road toward living a fearless life. Just get up and go!
With the right attitude, you can meet (and even exceed!) your goals, but it’s up to you to put in the effort. What motivation can you pull from within right now that will help get you moving?
Keep the Momentum Going
Do you remember “The Little Engine that Could”? “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can……
Have you ever not started something because you didn’t think you could do it? Everyone reaches their plateau at some time before they reach their full potential. What’s needed when this happens is a catalyst for further growth…a Personal Coach/Trainer or Mentor.
Taking off weight is a science, but keeping it off is psychology. Personal Coaches/Trainers or Mentors can help you get to where you want to be faster and more safely and help you keep the results you do achieve for longer.
So where are you on your health and fitness journey?
With New Year Resolutions, most of us think consistency is everything– which is why it’s so easy to fade by February once we find ourselves slipping even slightly.
Same goes for when we start on a new health and fitness regime. When we eat too much, miss our target weight loss, or don’t get to exercise for a few days, we conveniently give up– taking an all-or-nothing stand so that when we don’t achieve all, we have a built-in excuse to settle for nothing.
What, then, can we do when we find we are fizzling?
First of all, review your goals to make sure they’re really yours.
While this may sound silly, we live in a world of “shoulds”, “trys” and “gunners”….. (not in reference to a Guns N’ Roses fan BTW!). We are under constant pressure to follow agendas that don’t have real value for us. Are you trying to lose a few pounds because your spouse thinks you should? Do you play softball on the church team because you got dragged into a position someone else vacated? If so, you may want to rethink your priorities. You’re far more likely to commit to– and accomplish—goals that are truly important and meaningful to you.
Second, run a reality check on your goals.
So often, experts say, the biggest problem in keeping resolutions and achieving your goals lies with making them. Set clear, concise and realistic goals. Often we are caught up in the enthusiasm of a fresh start, we throw ourselves with wild abandon at a vast list of unattainable goals, then wonder why we revert to our old ways.
Were you suffering from delusions of grandeur when you pledged to run 20 kms a week? Was it feasible—or even healthy—to commit to a diet of 1000 calories per day? And did you really intend to give up chocolate completely, especially when you knew darn well that hubby would be giving you the traditional heart-shaped box on Valentine’s Day?
If you find your original resolutions a bit too daunting, don’t be afraid to scale down. Reduce that list of multiple goals to just a few, and make them realistic and do-able— instead of pledging to run 20 kms a week, commit to work out for 30 minutes at least three times a week. Besides being realistic—with the built-in flexibility that allows you to move your workouts around—you’ll give yourself room to set a slightly challenging goal once you’ve achieved this initial one. You can still hang onto those other original goals—just add them to your working list, one at a time, as you succeed in meeting current goals.
As you meet your goals, don’t forget to record and reward.
Recording your daily successes— as simple as placing a smiley face (or tick) on your calendar every time you work out—can be tremendously motivating. A row of smiley faces not only shows progress, it balances out the one or two days you didn’t get there, giving you the bigger picture and the drive to push on.
“Recording” should lead to “rewarding,”–finding small ways to celebrate your success—telling friends, buying a small item to pamper yourself, or giving yourself time to do something you don’t normally get to do.
Finally, recognise that, even with realistic goals, you won’t always succeed. Giving yourself permission to fail occasionally helps eliminate the excuse to throw up your hands and quit. For example, most of us overeat at one time or another, but when it’s over, do we begin again or give up? It’s what we do afterwards that dictates whether our fall is a momentary lapse or the beginning of the end.
Success is a year-round choice. You must decide what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it. No one else can, will, or should do that for you.
So where are you on your health and fitness journey? Contact us at BPStudio to help you get to where you want to be faster and more safely, and to help you keep the results you do achieve for longer.
Beating Procrastination
Procrastination
Everyone procrastinates. We put things off because we don’t want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates. Putting things off—big or small—is part of being human.
You can tell whether or not you need to do something about your procrastination by examining its consequences. Procrastination can have external consequences (you are putting on weight every year because you never exercise and eat poorly) or internal consequences (you feel anxious much of the time, even when you are doing something that you enjoy). If you put off washing the dishes, but the dishes don’t bother you, who cares? When your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged and overburdened, however, it is time to take action.
Is there hope?
If you think you are a hopeless procrastinator, take heart! No one is beyond help. The fact that you procrastinate does not mean that you are inherently lazy or inefficient. Your procrastination is not an untameable beast. It is a habit that has some specific origin, and it is a habit that you can overcome.
Why we do it
Procrastination is not a problem of time management or of planning.
In order to stop putting off things till tomorrow, it is important to understand why you tend to do so in the first place. Some of the reasons that people procrastinate include the following:
(1) Because we are afraid.
- fear of failure / fear of success
- fear of losing autonomy
- fear of being alone / fear of attachment
Whether these fears appear in our conscious or subconscious minds, they paralyse us and keep us from taking action, until discomfort and anxiety overwhelms us and forces us to either a) start exercising and watching what we eat or b) give up.
(2) Because we expect ourselves to be perfect.
(3) Because we’re too busy.
(4) Because it works – we escape the dreaded task.
What to do about it
(1) Take an inventory – Figuring out exactly when and how you procrastinate can help you stop the behaviour.
(2) How do you procrastinate? – Once you better understand how you procrastinate, you will be better able to catch yourself doing it. Too often, we don’t even realize that we are procrastinating—until it’s too late.
(3) Challenge your myths – In order to break the procrastination habit, we need to get past the idea that everything needs to be perfect, we have to wait until tomorrow, next week, next month or whenever for some reason. On one side of a piece of paper, write down all the reasons for your delay. On the other side, argue (as convincingly as possible!) against the delay.
(4) Break it down – You will have a long term goal of losing X amount of weight, but break it up into smaller increments and reward yourself each time you reach these goals.
(5) Get a new attitude – Tell yourself that the task isn’t so bad or difficult. Changing our attitude toward the task, when possible, may go a long way toward keeping us from procrastinating.
(6) Ask for help.
(7) Make yourself accountable.
(8) Have visual reminders – Leave your ‘dream dress’ or photo of what you want to look like out in full view gives you a reminder of your goals.
(9) Make an “unschedule” - An un-schedule is a weekly calendar of all the ways in which your time is already accounted for. When you make an un-schedule, you consider not only your timed commitments such as classes and meetings, but also your untimed activities such as meals, errands, laundry, time with friends and family, and the like. It is not a list of what you should do in a given week; rather it is an outline of the time that you will necessarily spend doing other things. Once you have made your un-schedule, take a look at the blank spaces. These represent the maximum number of hours that you could potentially devote to your health and fitness on any given day. It’s especially important that you build time for fun activities into your un-schedule. Otherwise, you will procrastinate in order to steal time for relaxation.
(10) Set a time limit to achieve your goals.
(11) Be realistic about how long it will take to reach your goals.
Take Action NOW!
Take Action
Most who wish to lose weight do exactly that, wish and wish and wish…… They never actually do anything. You need to take action, don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Get started! You will be able to learn as you go and you will feel better about yourself. Once you’re started you will not be wishing any longer. You will focus on implementation and will start seeing results.
Many are in a hurry to lose weight quick. Quick losses are unhealthy and never maintained for the long term. A healthy and more effective approach is to gradually lose weight at the rate of 1/2 to 1 kilo a week or even a little slower so your body can adjust its metabolism accordingly. In short, by dieting in this manner you will burn off fat instead of just losing water or even worse, muscle.
Slow Down and Pace Yourself
Remember, you are in this for the long haul. Be sure not to go back to old habits. Once you reach your complete weight loss goal continue your new healthy life style. Good eating habits and exercise will be something you will always be doing and you will enjoy it to boot!
You will have a long term goal of losing X amount of weight, but break it up into smaller increments and reward yourself each time you reach these goals. Do something fun like buying some new shoes, going to Gold Class.
The same goes for any exercise. Start with moderate exercise and try to be regular with it. At least 30 minutes three times a week. Do something enjoyable. Take a walk or ride a bicycle. Including a friend or your pet can also make things a little easier.
Tips to Remember:
(1) Stay away from “fad” diets and quick weight loss options
(2) Lose weight gradually & strive for permanent weight loss
(3) Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast
(4) Exercise regularly
(5) Get proper sleep
Are your friends and family making you fat?
Who’s on Your Support Team?
People can usually be categorised into one of the following groups:
- Buddies (exercise & eat well with you)
- Cheerleaders (they rev you up and support you)
- Hecklers (invite you to the pub too much or say you need a treat) or
- Saboteurs (who actively plot to undermine your efforts)
One of the secrets to permanent fat loss and fitness is: surround yourself with positive people. The energy these people have never seems to let them down, and they are achieving the great goals in life that they desire and dream about.
Positive people can help you stay on track and energise you toward your own goals. Many times these successful people share the same goals you have and are happy to pass on their wisdom and their techniques.
To maximise your motivation, surround yourself with Buddies and Cheerleaders and manage or move away from Hecklers and Saboteurs. Your friends and family may be making you fat. Your mindset, whether you like it or not, is shaped (and often times greatly so) by your outside influencers, the people you choose to associate with, namely your friends and family.
If you’ve got a host of people telling you that you’ll never succeed at your fitness goals, you’ll have a tougher time. The slightest hint of doubt can cloud your mind and let loose all sorts of nasty negative thoughts. And don’t think that these people will be obvious to spot either.
Take a look at the people you spend most of your time with. Write their names down on one piece of paper. Are they helping or hurting your efforts for life long fitness and health? Why? If they’re not helping, go ahead and have a discussion with them. You must MAKE A DECISION, or you will be in exactly the same shape (or worse) as you are today.
Work on surrounding yourself with positive people, thereby making it much easier on yourself.
Fitness and Weight Loss Planning
Planning
Suddenly switching to a low-fat, low-calorie diet may be a major shock to the system and is guaranteed to leave you quickly craving all the foods you’ve eaten to excess in the past. Our suggested approach is as follows:
Start off Slowly – Clean out your pantry and fridge of all ‘bad’ foods. Start reducing excesses.- Keep a Food Diary – Simply record every single mouthful that passes your lips each day. It might sound tedious, but it will make you realise just how much you’re eating and help to identify any areas where you can make little changes to shift those kilos.
You could be making a valiant effort to lose weight, but if you eat too much each day then the number on your scale will not budge. Even if you think that you’re limiting calories, you won’t know unless you do a little research.
Fill in your food log, carry a small notebook or a diary, whatever works for you just make sure you jot down everything you eat. Be sure to include the exact amount that you eat of each food item.
Review your daily entries for items that are filled with empty calories – like biscuits, lollies or soft drink. These should be the first things that you cut out of your diet as you transform your body. In the same way that portions can increase over time, you might find you’ve allowed more treats to creep into your diet which you’ve been forgetting to add to your food log, such as having the odd cake in the office, treating yourself to a bar of chocolate once a week, nibbling on sweets while you’re driving or pouring yourself a larger drink than normal.
As well as helping you to control your calorie intake, a food log may also help you recognise those people that encourage you to overindulge – and this will allow you to develop strategies to deal with them.
A recent study by Kaiser Permanente recruited 1700 participants and tracked their progress as they embarked on a weight loss journey. This moderate weight loss plan involved both exercise and a healthy diet. It turns out that the dieters who kept a daily nutritional journal (or food diary) of every single thing they ate lost TWICE as much weight as those who did not.
Keeping track of what you eat is one of the easiest secrets to fat loss success. If it makes you think twice about what you are consuming then it is worth it.
Planning for Successful Weight Loss
‘Get your head straight’
What you think, affects how you feel, and what actions you take. Change your mind, change your weight!
Research shows that one of the most important factors that influence weight loss success is your attitude – whether or not you believe that you can make the changes you need to make to lose weight, and that they are worth doing.
If you’re having trouble losing weight, ask yourself questions about is stopping you losing the weight, why do you want to lose the weight, how it will make you feel when you reach your goal etc.
The key to losing weight is wanting to do it badly enough and finding the motivation to carry it through.
To start with, you need to ask yourself who you are losing weight for. If the answer is ‘me’ you’ll find it easier. However, if your best friend is nagging you to shape up in time for her wedding or your partner has suggested you lose a bit of weight, you’ll constantly struggle, regardless of the diet you attempt to follow.
Furthermore, many people who struggle with motivation can’t see any benefit to losing weight so we suggest you write a list of how you would feel if you shifted that extra 10 kilograms. This may include anything from looking better in your jeans, not getting out of breath when walking up stairs, having more energy or feeling more confident in your love life. Most people who lose weight say they get far more out of life once they’re slim.
Don’t allow other people’s fear to put you off. Constantly remind yourself why you wanted to change in the first place. One of the main reasons people may try to sabotage your diet is a fear of change. The problem is, that while losing weight will create big changes in your life that you welcome, not all your friends, family and colleagues will embrace change in the same way and may feel threatened by it.
It’s not uncommon for other people to feel guilty when they see you losing weight, especially if they are overweight themselves. If they’ve struggled to lose weight for ages with no success, it’s natural they will feel jealous that you seem to be sailing through.
Why not suggest that these diet saboteurs join you in your weight loss campaign so that you can support each other? But don’t let them bring you down or allow them to ruin all your good work with negative comments.
Surrounding yourself with a good support network may also help to spur you on – and at Body Principles Studio we can certainly help you with that.
You may also find it helpful to enlist the help and support of friends and family. Do you have a friend you could exercise with? Could your partner also do with eating a more healthy diet? Or could you encourage your work colleagues to do a fruit run rather than a chocolate run every afternoon?
You’ll also find that once the weight starts to come off, the compliments will start to flood in – and this will also help to keep you motivated. Ultimately, providing you want to lose weight badly enough and have plenty of support to help you along the way, you’ll achieve your goal.