It was a Sunday morning and like all Sunday mornings, my husband and I were perusing the Internet to see what was new in the world. I own Wise-About-Weight, a lifestyle change program, and my husband is an internist, so anything that has to do with health, behavior change, obesity, or dieting naturally attracts our attention. This particular Sunday, my husband came across an article about Tory Johnson who is a contributor on Good Morning America. The subject of the article was her new book, The Shift. The Shift, an autobiographical journal of sorts, describes Ms. Johnson’s impetus for making a change in her life. In her own words, “I was fat and always had been…I hated the way I looked …I longed to see a number on the scale that said I was as healthy and happy on the outside as I felt on the inside.” I scrolled down to the comments after the article to see what people were saying and the disparity of opinions intrigued me. I decided to read the book. It began with, “ This is not a diet book. I’m not a doctor, nutritionist, or trainer.” It was interesting to read how Ms. Johnson began her journey and where it led her. Listening to stories like hers, about making difficult lifestyle changes, is always motivational and filled with potentially helpful ideas. I have been fortunate to hear quite a few of these stories from the many people I have worked with. Each story and the circumstances that helped each individual through their journey are unique to that person. Along the way, people learn lessons they think will help others and they are often eager to share their experiences. If you listen to 100 stories, you will hear 100 different ideas. Imagine this scenario: I am standing in front of a group of people. I ask the group to raise their hands if they deliberately have chosen and planned to be their current weight. I think it would be safe to say that no hands would be raised. Now imagine I ask them to raise their hands if they value good health, my bet is all hands would be raised. Good health is a goal many of us share. So the question becomes if we value good health and our values and intentions drive our behavior…what has happened? Hijacking has happened; we intend to live healthy, eat a well-balanced diet, and exercise regularly, but something or someone gets us off-course. Many things hijack our intentions…the pizza commercial, or someone urging you to have another piece of birthday cake! “When I get stressed I eat chocolate.” “I’m so busy and it’s easier to run through the drive-through for dinner.” “I had a bad day at work and I deserve this ice-cream.” Seem familiar? In other words, LIFE gets in our way. The problem is, many of us don’t know what to do or where to turn. Opinions, recommendations, and examples seem to come from everywhere. We know we need to make changes, find a healthier way of living, but we don’t have the slightest idea of where the first step toward making the necessary changes is, let alone how to maneuver it. The roadmap for every individual is different and unlike the game of Monopoly, everyone does not start in the same place at Go. The first step for making any type of lifestyle change requires getting in-touch with what makes you tick. The difficulties we face may be emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and differ for every individual. Often times there will be similar themes, but each person’s story has a significant degree of personalization. Everyone is hard-wired differently and you have to get to know yourself before you can change your behavior. When we try to start in the same place and go in the same direction as someone else we often get lost. If you repeatedly tell yourself you should behave in a certain way, a way that you are not hard-wired for, you will constantly be disappointed in yourself. Each person reacts in their own unique way to stimuli they are confronted with. So before you start any type of program, make sure it addresses your personal needs, not necessarily that of a friend, a relative, or a TV Personality. In order to successfully create lifestyle change for the long-term, focus on your lifestyle. Obviously what you eat is a component but you must also include your physical activity or what you do everyday, and most importantly, and most often overlooked, what and how you think. All of these things contribute to good health. There is little doubt that a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. But who would start that journey simply because someone else has done it? Or, who would start without having a map, a bag with supplies to deal with any obstacles, and an understanding as to why they are going on the journey and what happens when they arrive? I continue to hear from people who have taken that first step and end up discouraged because they discover they have not planned adequately. Your journey will be uniquely yours and the right map and tools will only make your trip more successful. Wise-About-Weight’s goal is to help you create your roadmap for successful lifestyle change. Our principles rest on a firm foundation designed by experts in their field. We recommend working with your physician so everything you do on your journey is done safely. We help people align their thoughts, emotions, life experiences, and factual information, so their actions/behaviors align with their intentions. There is no one right program for everyone. Your right program is the one that is specifically designed for you. “It’s about all of you – your whole person - your thoughts, experiences, information, emotions, and all of those things that contribute to your life choices. When you examine and change the fundamental pieces that influence your values and intentions, then you will be able to change your lifestyle. That’s what this is all about. “ -Wise-About-Weight
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 00:57:38 +0000
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