The Key to Permanent Change

Getting It Off, Once and For All… 

Americans are spending over $60 billion a year in an effort to lose weight.  And most of the investment goes down the drain because two-thirds regain the weight within a year and 97% gain all the weight back within five years (Marketdata Enterprises).

The secret to making lasting change is to recognize the five stages you go through as you address any undesirable behavior.

1.  Pre-contemplation:  you don’t acknowledge there is a problem.  (You are not at this stage or you wouldn’t be reading this blog.)
2.  Contemplation:  you acknowledge there is a problem but you are not ready or you are ambivalent about making a change.  
3.  Preparation:  you start to take small steps and explore options.
4.  Action:  you have a plan and become actively involved with different techniques to change your behavior.
5.  Maintenance:  behavior is status quo.

Relapse: A relapse occurs when you return to the old behavior.  It is very normal to slip up when you are creating new patterns of behavior.  The key is to learn from each relapse and not indulge in feelings of failure or to become discouraged.

Learn from the relapse:  Analyze what triggered the slip.  When you anticipate high-risk situations, it becomes easier to stick with a plan.  Most people do not follow a straight path to their new behavior and will cycle through these stages many times until change becomes permanent.

Transcendence:  After maintaining the new behavior for a period of time, you will notice that engaging in the old behavior is no longer an option because it is simply no longer “you”!   The new behavior is now a permanent part of your identity.

Ask yourself:

• Where are you on the cycle of change?
• What can you learn from relapses?
• How can you make your new behavior a permanent part of your identity?

Adapted from “Optimal Stress,” Carol J. Scott, M.D.

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Much Success!

Have an outstanding day!!

 

Sara