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Return to Essential Skills
Which
Puzzle Pieces Contribute to Your Overweight?
Identify UFO”S- Unidentified Friskiness Obstacles
Learn to be your own fitness coach—use your brain and ask the right questions!
I can see what I do and I can see how to change it.
Check out first your daily
routines and patterns. How are they influencing the results you are getting?
What new choice could you possibly try out?
My suggestion would be to always go about changes
slowly and with compassionate awareness of how each change effects your body,
mind, emotions, and spirit.
Print Off This Form and Record Your Answers
To print-off the
form by itself, click here.
Questions:
1.
Where are you in your process of making changes? What new skills have you
developed? Which Stage of Change in each of the
Twelve Essential Skill
areas? On a scale of #1-Not
Ready TO #10-Completely Ready to change, where do you find yourself?
How
interested are you? How confident are you?
-
Do you have a good reason to
change? Is it worth it to you?
-
What would you need to do to move
from a #3
à
#6 ?
-
Believe that it is possible? More
time? Rearrange my schedule? Encouragement? Do something that I like, that is
fun? Less pain?
-
If I could find it, then that
might be what I need to change.
-
This will allow you to go from
being frustrated to being in charge.
See
Change? Who me? How?
section for an explanation of the Stages Of Change Model
and how to use it.
SPECIAL NOTE: If you find yourself overwhelmed
and unable to make lasting changes and find yourself reverting back to your
former patterns of reacting to life, perhaps consider exploring:
Do You Experience Overwhelming Circumstances and Find That You Can't Achieve a
Healthier Weight?
2.
What progress have you made to date?
3.
What are your challenges? What plans can you make to overcome them?
4.
What are your plans for the next week?
Simple Assessment
Questions:
- Do you have a physical
activity plan that works with your lifestyle, abilities, and values? If
not, what will it take to accomplish your plan?
- Do you plan menus for simple,
healthy meals and snacks? If not, what steps will get you there? Do you
eat your food slowly, noticing the effect of the food in your body?
- Do you practice positive
self-talk and appreciate the body you have now? If not, what will it
take for you to begin?
- Do you keep records so
that you can become aware of factors influencing your eating and physical
activity? If not, how will you increase your awareness?
- Have you found at least one
person who can support your efforts? If not, what can you do to find
support?
Daily Check-In Example
A METHOD or PATTERN for a DAILY
CHECK-IN (to nurture structure and discipline). It might be done in the EVENING
to see how the day went. Notice patterns, and nurture self-discipline and
self-management to overcome limitations:
I followed this process in the 12-step
programs. Working with another person and being accountable to them really
helped me keep on track. I called them up every day and shared the UP's and
DOWN'S of my lifestyle change journey. It took about 3 - 4 months to become
really skilled at this process. I learned to INTERNALIZE the skill of
self-management and rigorous honesty. This is an invaluable and priceless skill
to develop!
- What was your
PLAN
for today? How did it go?
- What kinds of stress relief
(meditation or centering activity, other relaxation technique) did you do?
See Ideas For Self-Nurturing
or
Getting to Know Your Stress and How to Management It
. EXPLORE:
Do You Experience Overwhelming Circumstances?
- Looking into the future (work,
days off, shopping, cooking, trips/recreation, exercise commitment)--what
PLANNING did you do to manage your self-care activities?
- How were
your meals this day (skill #6 planning and
preparing delicious recipes) and
What Does Bob Typically Eat In Any Given Day?
How about spacing & timing (not too far apart?)? Is there food in the house?
Refrigerator? At work? Did you take a
food bag with you?
- Have you planned any blocks of
time to
prepare salads, rice, beans--the staples?
- How about
creating a more active style of life, and
The Power of Fun: Celebrate Enjoyable Ways To Be
Active! ? Have you taken time to be
more active every day? Planned for active recreation by yourself or with
others?
- How has your sleep been?
Irregular? Regular times, amounts?
- Have you noticed any emotional
or mental symptoms of stress today? See link at bottom.
- What's your PLAN for tomorrow?
- Have you taken time for FUN?
Make daily self-care ENJOYABLE and not a "have to" or obligation. It is a
way of deeply honoring yourself.
- From the mistakes or errors
in trying to accomplish these new habits, what lessons can be applied
towards tomorrow for better success?
- Congratulate yourself for
making the effort!
To learn the skill of "going inside"
for their answers—taking time during the day—perhaps a couple of times (perhaps
when you go to the rest room), just to
STOP their activities and reflect on how "the creation" of your day is going.
See also:
Daily Personal 5-Minute Check-In.
See also
Overcoming Your Obstacles to Healthful Eating
for a self-discovery worksheet. If you find that you are using food to numb
uncomfortable feelings, perhaps check
Getting to Know Your
Stress and How to Management It and
Emotional Eating
sections.
Excellent Resources for
Self-Assessment:
-
Outwit
Your Weight & Outwit Your Weight Journal,
By Cathy Nonas, R.D., and Julia VanTine with Jennifer Bright, (2002), Rodale
Press. Kathy shares tons of diverse tools to you reshape your body,
attitudes, and emotions. These tools are tailored by a series of
self-assessments, as you construct your ongoing path to success. You
identify "danger zones" (Achilles heels) and explore prescriptions to use.
You use this approach for weight loss and maintenance. Kathy shares many
yummy recipes. It's a FUN book!
-
The
Non-Diet Solution-
6 Winning Ways to Permanent Weight Loss,
by Laurel Mellin, M.A., R.D., (1997), Reagan Books.
Laurel explores
6 causes of weight problems: weak nurturing, ineffective
limits, body shame, poor vitality, unbalanced eating and stalled eating and
describes 6 cures for the problems: nurturing—be aware
of feelings and meet needs, limits—control your actions & have realistic
expectations; body—turn off stereotypes about fat, good health—become aware
of body health needs, eating—eat regular meals and maintain a healthy diet,
activity—maintain an exercise program and find personal time = mastery
living. The cures effect mind, body and lifestyle and require tuning
within for your answers. It is an excellent book—especially about
healing emotional eating patterns.
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