You are starting to think about starting your journey to a healthier lifestyle. But before you take action, your thoughts about that change can make or break your success.
Research suggests that you need to not only think about WHY this change is important to you, but also be prepared for HOW it will change your life on a day-to-day basis.
Look at your motivation and readiness to change to understand what stage of change you are at. Also, what it will take to go through the various stages of change until you reach your goal.
Take the quiz below to find out what stage you are in and what to do next.
1) Weight loss/health seems to be the focus at the moment
a. Distant
b. Confusing
c. Doable
d. Real
2) These thoughts come to me when I think about how to lose weight / become healthier
a. I don't want to think about it, talk about it, or even read about it
b. I'm undecided, I know there's a problem, but I don't feel ready to commit yet
c. Determined, I want to find out what it entails
d. I'm excited, I commit to starting within the next few days
3) How prepared you feel when you think about the changes to come
a. I'm not sure if I really have to do this
b. I don't know where to start
c. I know what needs to be done
d. I have already started taking small steps to prepare
If your answers are
mostly a's, you are in the Precontemplation stage
mostly b, you are in the contemplation stage
mostly c, you are in the preparation stage
mostly d's, you enter the action phase
Stages of Change:
In precontemplation, you don't yet believe you need to change, and the problem is either neglected or unaware. You are here because others around you are pushing you into action. It could be your family, friends, doctor or even your employer. You may have tried to change in the past but didn't see the benefits and may have now given up and started again.
Next steps: Lower your defenses and learn more about the consequences of your lifestyle. Be aware of what this could lead to and really try to understand if it is good for others to advise you to become healthier.
In contemplation, you are aware of the problem and perhaps what you need to do, but you are not yet ready to walk the path. People can be stuck in this stage for years. You know something has to change, but you're not quite ready.
The anxiety of making a lifestyle change and facing the possibility of failure if they are to act keeps many people in this stage of indecision for years.
Next steps: Make it real for yourself. Start formally tracking your problem areas, whether it's excessive calorie consumption or a sedentary lifestyle. Track the exact calories you consume instead of remembering them. Gather more information about your problem and compare it to your own situation.
At this stage, it also helps to understand why you behave in a particular way, i.e. to become more aware of your values or thoughts that lead you to behave in certain ways.
ProTip: Use FITTR's tools to track your diet, steps, and exercise. Post in the "community" to get any questions answered.
In preparation, you are close to commitment and believe you have what it takes to successfully change. Maybe you're gathering detailed action steps to start your journey.
Next steps: Take smaller steps, set a date and declare your intention. When you post a change date, you can share it with your friends and family for their support.
In the action phase, you are actively in the midst of change. You need to have reminders and cues to normalize your new behavior. Control your environment and seek help from your family and friends to get you through this stage. Even a little progress is good progress. It's helpful to be part of a community that is in the same process as you.
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