Let's Start At The Very Beginning...PRE-CONTEMPLATION!

CHANGE here we come! Week two was exciting as we celebrated amazing weight loss by our teams and focused on the first stage of change...pre-contemplation.  Our new Healthy Weigh friends seemed a little nervous before the weigh-in but relaxed after they saw the benefits of their labor this week, over the top weight loss!!!! The program works, that's for sure. Weight loss has never been a problem at The Healthy Weigh, it's making it permanent... that's our focus.  I'm convinced that learning and practicing the stages of CHANGE are going to make a difference for life!

We started from the beginning this week as we began to learn about the stages of change.  Even though it appears that everyone participating in the Team Challenge would be in the ACTION stage of the change cycle...that's not necessarily the case.  Many people are persuaded, forced or manipulated into taking action, although they have no intentions of making change.   

A person in the pre-contempaltion stage could identify with this statement. "It isn’t that they can’t see the solution…It’s that they can’t see the problem."  People at this stage have no intentions of changing their behavior, and typically deny having a problem. 

Although their families, friends, neighbors, doctors, or co-workers can see the problem quite clearly, the typical pre contemplator can’t.

Most pre contemplators don’t want to change themselves, just the people around them.  They usually show up for counseling, weight loss programs and Dr. appointments, because of pressures from others. Spouses, judges, parents or employers…putting on the pressure.

Their goal is to get through the “therapy” so that the other people will quit bugging them.  Once the pressure is relieved, they quickly turn to their own ways.

When an article is in the paper or a magazine, they turn the page. They lack information and ignorance is bliss. When their problem comes up in conversation, they shift the subject.

• Pre contemplators resist change.

• Denial is a characteristic of pre contemplators, who place the responsibility for their problems on factors like genetic make up, addiction, family, society or ‘destiny’ all of which they see being out of their control.

• Pre contemplators are often demoralized as well. They don’t want to think, talk or read about their problem because they feel hopeless about it.

Chances are good that you/I are in the pre contemplation stage with at least one behavior that may be self-defeating or damaging.The point that I hoped to make clear this week is that we can be in a place of taking action...and still be in the pre contemplation stage. This could be true even with those participating at The Healthy Weigh.  Someone might be enrolled in the program to drop a few pounds, but have no intentions of changing and keeping weight of for life.

I challenged our self-changers to answer a couple of important questions this week to get them thinking about this first important stage of change.

Your Challenge For The Week:

 1. How does your extra weight or your eating habits affect you, now and in the future?           (what areas of your life does this touch?)

2.  How does your extra weight or your eating habits affect the people around you?

Answer those important questions and show them completed for a ticket in the drawing next week.

I added a new and important "contest" to our 25th season of the Team Challenge...#25things! We are going to join together to have a good time with the all important miracle drug...EXERCISE! I passed out a card with 25 slots to check off, punch or check! When 25 exercises are accomplished, (30 minutes of purposeful exercise,) all who participate will win a prize! I invited everyone to follow me on twitter @LethaJanelle and instagram @LethaBrandenburg. When you're out and about doing one of those 25 things...tweet it or post it with the hashtag 25 things. It's going to be fun!

Now for the fun announcements of the day!!! The winning teams!

Noon: (A really fun group) Team "Material Girls" Yo Yo and Sandi with a 4.98% of weight loss! 
6:00 PM (An equally fun group) Team "Losing It" Beulah and Kyla with a 5.11% of weight loss for the week! 
Congratulations to both of these teams and to all who had such great weight loss this week!!

We are off to a good start. Taking massive action, while we look a the first stage of change, Pre-contemplation.  We are also starting out with our quest to stay active by participating in the #25 contest! It's going to be an outstanding Spring at The Healthy Weigh!

Always encouraging you,
Letha