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1994-02-08
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░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░WEIGHT LOSS: CREATING CHANGE░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
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The following article, titled "Weight Loss: Creating Change" by James
McClernan, is a handout from the Idea Today magazine for Fitness
Professionals. Dated February, 1994. Reproduction in full IS permitted.
***************************************************************************
It's January again, and many people are making weight loss their New
Year's Resolution...again. If you, as someone who struggles with
weight loss, believe that a leopard can't change its spots, you'll
be glad to know that this CAN be the year you begin to change your
behavior for a lifetime. If you are motivated internally, you CAN
lose weight and keep it off.
Two important techniques - which go beyond simply focusing on food -
can help you develop the intrinsic motivation you need to pursue and
maintain a balanced weight: *living a wellness lifestyle and
practicing mastery.* Individuals who achieve long-term weight loss
on their own most often use some parts of these two methods of
change. The method you choose as your own is the one you will
permit to work for you.
LIVING A WELLNESS LIFESTYLE
A wellness lifestyle gives you the power to control your life.
Losing weight is not the purpose of achieving a wellness lifestyle,
but it can be realized as a natural by-product of living one. You
can complete the following steps to self-change in the order and at
the speed that best suit your needs. You can work on several steps
at once, or you can work on one at a time.
HEALTH, FITNESS AND NUTRITION
The obviousness of these factors does not diminish their power and
importance. Learn healthful eating and exercise habits. Develop
healthful taste and exercise preferences gradually, and take
responsibility for your own medical self-care education and
treatment.
SELF-AWARENESS
In the long term, self-awareness deals with the underlying issues
that can make you vulnerable to becoming stress more easily, more
strongly or for longer periods of time. In the short term,
self-awareness has to do with the minute-to-minute situations of
each day and how you generate or handle your emotions based on what
you experience and your perceived ability to cope with your
experiences.
EMOTIONAL OWNERSHIP
Practice daily stress reductions techniques. Be aware of your
control over your behavior.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Practice being open, honest and tactful in expressing feelings.
Learn to clarify your thoughts. Practice assertiveness and be aware
of what you're communicating with your body language.
SELF-IMAGE BUILDING
Acknowledge and identify your own fears. Desensitize those fears by
taking small risks, such as social adventures. For example, give a
speech in front of a group of people, take an introductory flying
lesson or dramatically change your hairstyle.
PEAK EXPERIENCES
Be open to peak experiences in all areas of your life: physical,
intellectual, social, psychological and spiritual.
OWNERSHIP OF PERSONAL FREEDOM
You exercise personal freedom by making choices and decisions and
taking responsibility for your actions, by getting outside yourself
and by just experiencing life.
DEVELOPING MASTERY
Mastery means practicing an activity such as aikido, Yoga or
meditation on a regular basis, not casually, but not competitively
either. If disciplines such as these are too difficult to identify
with, try something closer to your current interests and values.
Painting, knitting, dancing, carpentry, biking and gardening are
just a few examples of activities that can be used to work toward
mastery of a discipline. What is important is that you allow
yourself to be fully engrossed and consistent with what you choose.
Focus on the movement and the satisfaction that comes with practice.
Your interest and attitudes about food will probably change, but you
won't be focused on food. Through mastery you can gain self-esteem,
self-confidence and harmony, all of which make wellness lifestyle
information easier to use.
HARMONY IN MIND AND BODY
This article has given just a brief overview os some of the concepts
that can help bring about change, including weight loss. You may
need to seek greater detail from local resources - like fitness and
nutrition experts, counsellors and/or support groups - to understand
and bring about these changes, but remember that in the end, the
answers reside within YOU.
*James McClernan, EdD, is a licensed psychologist. His practice
includes a weight-loss-through-wellness program he divised. This
article is an excerpt from his new book Hugs From The Refrigerator
(Westport Publishing Group, 800-347-2665), which asserts that
resolving the emotional issues that influence motivation is key to
weight loss through wellness.**
A service of IDEA, the international association of fitness
professionals, the leading organization serving personal trainers,
exercise instructors and business operators.