Day 12_Absolute Best 30 Day Challenge

I hope you guys downloaded I AM AVATAR.  Today you can do my Shapely Outer Thighs exercise and add it to the mix.  It's just one more tool for your kit.  My goal is the arm you with ammunition that will fight off the negative emotions that lead you back to old behaviors.  As long as you continue to do positive, health oriented activities for you body, mind and spirit-you will optimize your health and wellbeing.  

You are almost at the halfway mark towards achieving your goal and now your new habits are beginning to dominate the old ones.  There is a process to creating change in your behavior.  Behavioral scientists call it the Stages of Change Model and it looks like this.

1.       Precontemplation Stage- This stage resembles denial.  The obese person may decide they are past the point of help, they’ve simply given up.  Smokers may decide that other people may die from emphysema, but not them.  The thought of having to exercise regularly in order to prevent chronic back pain does not entered a patient’s mind even though they constantly miss work or family events because of severe pain.  This stage is referred to as “pre” contemplation because the patient has not even considered changing their behavior.   

2.   Contemplation Stage- At this stage, the patient is considering the pros and cons of changing their behavior with much indifference.  They measure up the barriers standing in the way of change such as time, money, fear, etc; against the perceived benefits- improved health, pain relief, and a longer lifespan.

3.    Preparation Stage- Here the patient begins to experiment with the idea of change.  They might enroll in an exercise program or begin eating low fat foods, maybe even reduce their alcohol intake or cut back on smoking.  They make small changes and are “testing” the waters of change

4.    Action Stage- This is the golden stage.  This is where the “action” plan comes into play.  (This is where I like to advise people to declare a goal.  Speak it, tell someone else you will do this and then create a strategy to keep you on track.)  This stage creates new activities where the patient engages in developing new behaviors.

5.   Maintenance and Relapse Prevention- This stage involves incorporating the new “activity” over the “long haul”.  Here, group camaraderie and accountability partners play a huge supportive role.  The fact remains that relapse is part of the process.  Discouragement over “slips” may cause a recycling of the process several times before the behavior changes for good. 

Cementing a new way of life is is a process, it takes time.  The key is to keep putting one foot in front of the other and to keep showing up.  One day you will wake up and realize your dream has really come true!
Namaste