Have you ever taken the time to really think about why you do the things you do? Let me explain…
Back in the late 90’s I decided it was time to take back my health. My weight had gotten to an all-time high. I felt terrible. I was having stomach issues. My knees, back, and feet hurt. I was exhausted all the time. I started my weight loss journey with a friend. I lost 45 pounds and kept it off for 3 years. In 2002 my husband and I moved from California to Texas. Neither one of us had ever lived outside California. We took a leap of faith. If you’ve ever made a major move, you know, that everything changes. Not only does your environment change, but the culture and the way you live your life changes. In California I was very active. I enjoyed long distance bike riding, hiking, and walking. When we moved to Texas, all my habits changed. I continued with long distance bike riding, but not as frequently. Hiking became a thing of the past. I walked when the weather permitted. Bottom line, I used the weather as an excuse to be less active. I fell in love with Tex Mex. Before I knew it, I had gained all my weight back plus 20 pounds. I felt miserable. I didn’t take the time to ask myself why I was using food as a coping mechanism. Instead, I told myself I had no willpower. If I had taken the time to really think about my behavior changes, I would have realized that I was stressed, homesick, and depressed. My new job was very stressful. I worked long hours. I missed the hills, mountains, ocean, and cooler weather of California. I greatly missed friends and family. Bottom line, I was depressed. Had I recognized the depression, connected with a counselor or coach, I may have avoided a 65 pound weight gain and been a lot happier. I share this, not to say, shoulda, woulda, coulda, but to share that behaviors stem from issues much deeper than a lack of willpower. Willpower is overrated. In fact, no one has willpower. The difference, is how individuals react to outside influences.
Fast forward to 2010. After seeing a picture of myself, in a local newspaper article, I was horrified by my appearance. I barely recognized the person in the photograph. That was the wake-up call I needed. I started my weight loss journey for the second time. By the end of the year, I had lost the 65 pounds. For the most part, I’ve kept it off. COVID has been a struggle. I gained 10 pounds and am working on the last 2. I actually would like to lose an additional 10 pounds to preserve my left knee. Many of you know that I had a knee replacement on my right knee on New Year’s Eve 2020. I experienced many challenges, none of which, I desire to repeat. You can read about the experience in my blog post, Don’t Give Up. I share this to say, that life is definitely a journey. Often the challenges we experience, and the resulting behaviors, stem from something much bigger than what is presently occurring. We don’t recognize that we’re blocked from achieving what we most desire. Maybe you’ve been a yo-yo dieter in the past. Maybe you struggle to reach that next business goal. You can see the desired result, but you just can’t get there.
As a Success Coach, I help individuals, like yourself, get to the root cause of their behavior. Whether the desire is to get healthy, lose weight, achieve business goals, or improve relationships, to live your best life, a deep dive is needed to uncover roadblocks. Once the roadblocks are removed, behavior change can begin. Through mindset shifts, goal setting, and accountability, sustainable healthy habits are created.
