ready for weight loss?

[peacefulpath]

I saw this article on MSNBC's website. Very interesting, and explains why sometimes when I THINK I want to lose weight, nothing happens. Fortunately, this go-round I fit all the positive descriptions. I KNOW I'll succeed this time!

Are you ready for weight loss?
Learn about the five stages of readinessBy Karen Collins, R.D.
Updated: 6:17 p.m. ET Sept. 17, 2004

If you seem unable to lose weight, there may be a surprising reason: You may not be ready. A person's behavior changes in a series of distinct stages. Studies suggest that sometimes people may feel ready to lose weight, but they are unprepared to alter their behavior to do so.

There are five stages of motivational readiness in a widely accepted model of behavioral change. In the "precontemplation" stage, a person has no intention of changing. At the next step, "contemplation," a person intends to change, but later. During the "preparation" phase, a person is ready to change within the next month. The "action" stage is reached when a person has recently changed a behavior. The final, "maintenance" level occurs only when a person has carried out the new behavior for at least six months to two years.

A recent study of women trying to manage their weight showed that these women were stuck in the precontemplation stage. There were two reasons for their passivity: The difficulties the women perceived outnumbered the advantages; and they lacked confidence in their ability to successfully make changes.

Pros must outweigh cons
An earlier study about what prevented young adults from eating more vegetables and fruit found that moving from precontemplation depended on how many benefits the young adults saw to changing. Yet moving from the next stage, contemplation, was more influenced by how many barriers they saw. A balance in favor of the benefits was the main indicator of a readiness to actually make the changes.

In the more recent study of women, how they thought about the "pros" and "cons" of dieting was also significantly related to the stage they were in regarding weight loss behaviors, like decreasing fat consumption and increasing exercise.

If you want to move forward in living a healthy lifestyle, the "pros" have to outweigh the "cons" in your mind. Find ways to get around barriers that you think are inconvenient, expensive, boring or difficult. Be specific about what you are trying to overcome and creative about possible solutions. Research shows that the balance of pros and cons relates to each small behavioral change, not just to the goal, like losing weight. For example, you might see many more benefits to losing weight than to remaining overweight. But if you see more barriers than benefits to new habits like exercising more and decreasing food portion sizes, you are unlikely to change. However, if you are ready to change some behaviors, make at least these changes. Small successes can build your confidence in making more changes.

Believe you can succeed
The other key influence on women's readiness to make changes to lose weight was their belief in their ability to overcome barriers. Past studies have also shown that people pursue a goal more diligently if they believe they can succeed. When people think a task exceeds their abilities, most will avoid it or give up easily when obstacles arise. Like the study of young adults who were trying to eat more vegetables and fruits, personal confidence is a key factor in adopting new behaviors.

Fortunately, you can strengthen your confidence in your ability to change. By learning what you can do, training to do it and trying to experience it, you can build your confidence. Then when you successfully start new habits, be ready to deal with circumstances or unexpected problems. Once again, you will need to keep the "pros" of your healthy new lifestyle always ahead of the "cons" in your mind.

Nutrition Notes is provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C.© 2004 MSNBC Interactive

[LyndaB]

Very interesting... thanks for posting this.

[audreyh1]

Karen Collins, R.D. writes great articles about nutrition, weight loss, healthy eating, diabetes, etc.

Google her name and you will find lots more.

Thanks for posting this one!

Audrey

[spiffikins]

this is sooo true!!

i read this article and it described me to a T - i'm just SOO glad i found this forum and the sbd when i had reached the "preparation" phase - so that i could build a plan for my "action" stage.

[peacefulpath]

*bump* thought this was a good read to re-hash for all of us starting over.............

[Lynt]

the "pre contemplative" stage probably acounts for most of the "I want to but.." that we see and hear so often.

[blackberrybunny]

I'm in the action phase, hooray!

[kutie5]

nice!

[PapaBanucci]

Pros must outweigh cons
An earlier study about what prevented young adults from eating more vegetables and fruit found that moving from precontemplation depended on how many benefits the young adults saw to changing. Yet moving from the next stage, contemplation, was more influenced by how many barriers they saw. A balance in favor of the benefits was the main indicator of a readiness to actually make the changes.

In the more recent study of women, how they thought about the "pros" and "cons" of dieting was also significantly related to the stage they were in regarding weight loss behaviors, like decreasing fat consumption and increasing exercise.

If you want to move forward in living a healthy lifestyle, the "pros" have to outweigh the "cons" in your mind.

Have any of you made your own lists of pros and cons. Here's some of mine.

Pros:

Feeling in control of myself, my life and my choices.
Feeling that I am more self disciplined than self indulgent.
Having better overall health and not getting set back by as many colds and things.
Enjoying the benefits of an active lifestyle - skiing, hiking, ...
Keeping up with my kids at full speed.
Having new acquaintances give me the benefit of the doubt rather than discriminate against me.
Being a much better cook than I used to be.
Not experiencing the lows of yo-yo'ing up and down so much in my emotions.
Knowing that my heart's in good shape for the long run.
Knowing that I've also reduced the risk of diabetes in the long run.
Knowing that I've, in general, reduced the risk of dying pre-maturely and leaving behind those I love.

Cons:

Having to put so much thought and discipline into every food choice when so many unhealthy ones abound all around me and seem to be the cultural norm.
Getting a few snippy comments from time to time from people about how healthy I eat.
Dragging myself out of bed and working out on the days I really don't want to and not being able to sleep that extra beloved hour.
Planning ahead and skipping out on TV and a few other things so that I do get enough good sleep so I have the time to workout and the energy to plan and execute to plan.
Being a bit more boring person with all this moderation in all things. Life has less drama. But I suppose a bit of the drama was perversely fun.

[Lynt]

Pro

1. Better general health
2. Improved lab results
3. Greater joint flexability and stamina
4. Better skin and hair
5. To feel great and have high energy
6. To look better

Con:
1. Have to think about what I eat instead of graze.
2. Have to plan and cook
3. Have to schedule exercise into my day regularly instead of veg.

[Doc_plus25]

Great article! I so agree with the neccesity of being ready before beginning. I have lost weight successfully twice, and had several other false starts that lasted about 4 days each (if that). I spent a lot of time in the "precontemplation" stage. Knowing I needed to do something, but lacking the will or energy to actually DO it.

For me, action needed to be drastic at first so I could experience some success in tightening up, then learning how to relax. That is one thing I liked about P1 - I needed that to begin to reform my habits. The other time I lost weight I followed a plan similar in principle to SB, only that time I tried to start with a day of fasting. Something to get me into the behavior of NOT eating something just because I wanted it (didn't make it through that day without eating some steamed veggies in the evening, but it was close enough).

I'm not relating much to the "pro vs. con" discussion, maybe because I knew already that the pros of following this WOE outweigh the cons. So I never made such a list, at least not explicitly. I suppose I might have weighed them in my head along the way as I encountered obstacles, to keep me on track.

It's fun now to be on the other side of that, in the maintainence stage.

[peacefulpath]

I never really thought about making a pro and con list before. Mostly because all the reasons for losing weight are pros, and all the reasons for not losing are precisely cons, as in I'm conning myself into thinking up reasons for not losing.

I have a family history of Type II diabetes - zaftig great aunts who always had sweets around. My father had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and died from an acute m.i. (my mother said it was because of a fall he took due to passing out from the high b.p., and he developed blood clots, one of which broke loose and pretty much killed him before he hit the floor). I have high LDL (and haven't had it checked in a looooonnnnnnngggg time ). So, there are so many pros for losing weight, and only excuses for not.

Make any sense?