AWARENESS: The Essential Ingredient in the Recipe for Recovery

[Connie Stapleton PhD 342]

It’s not about the food, but it’s all about the food.

Wait a minute -- if it’s not about the food, then why do we (the Post-Op & the Doc) keep talking about the RECIPE for Recovery? Don’t recipes involve food?

Not always…

Think about it:

Don’t you have a recipe for success?

How about a recipe for the perfect day?

…A recipe for family fun?

…A recipe for a natural spot remover?

…A recipe for composting?

What the…composting?! Remember, the Post-Op is from Southern California, where recycling is the law. Well – you may or may not be into recycling, but we’re pretty sure you’re into living fully. If you really want to live fully during and after the process of weight loss, then the RECIPE FOR RECOVERY is something you need!

Over the course of the year, we are looking at ways you can combine the ingredients for the recipe (AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE, COMMITMENT, ATTITUDE, ACCOUNTABILITY, and EFFORT) to create your very own, personal, healthy life in RECOVERY – from…whatever (obesity, unhealthy relationships, habits, and behaviors)!

In last month’s article (Six Simple Ingredients to Get the Weight Off and Keep it Off) we introduced you to each of the ingredients in the RECIPE, and briefly discussed the how each is required to live fully in Recovery From Obesity.

This month is all about the “essential” ingredient: AWARENESS. We refer to awareness as being “essential” because you have to become aware of problems (food and non-food related) needing attention in order to work on them…which can be tricky…

After all, some things we are aware of and some things we might not be…

• AWARENESS of things we don’t like
  
  • A food-related example: eating simple carbs usually results in weight gain
    

  [*]AWARENESS of things we may be powerless to stop

  • A food-related example: what other people serve in their homes when we’re invited to a large dinner party
    
  • A non-food-related example: how others react to our weight loss
    

  [*]AWARENESS of things that are scary

  • A food-related example: knowing that many holidays mean tempting foods will be prevalent in the media, at work, etc.
    
  • A non-food-related example: experiencing the feelings that accompany significant weight loss
    

  [*]AWARENESS of things that seem overwhelming

  • A food-related example: avoiding unhealthy “treats” in the work break room
    
  • A non-food-related example: beginning and maintaining a regular exercise program
    

Fortunately, the RECIPE FOR RECOVERY is perfect for addressing all of those “things” – you know, those thoughts, feelings and behaviors that can distract us from making healthy changes in our lives. That’s precisely why we are presenting the recipe for you to follow!

Note: We are deliberately using the verb phrase “to follow” in relation to the Recipe for Recovery because the success of the recipe in creating what it is intended to create requires your ACTION. In this case, the recipe is intended to help you create a healthy life that allows you to live fully at a healthy weight. Just how much “action” is required depends on what you say you want for your life! For example, You decide how much and what type of exercise you’ll do, depending on how physically fit you want to be. You decide how much and what type of food you’ll eat each day to manage the healthy weight you desire. You decide who you associate with and how much time you spend with those people to live as healthy an emotional life as you want to live. You get it!

So, we’re clear that AWARENESS is the essential ingredient in the Recipe for Recovery because, well… nothing can be changed if you’re not AWARE that it needs to be changed. If you’re not aware that starches have little nutritional value, then you won’t reduce the number of starches you eat so you can maintain a healthy weight. If you aren’t aware that you have a habit of talking negatively about yourself and/or others, you can’t change it. If someone brings that negative habit to your attention, then you can make a decision about the type of person you want to be and put forth the effort and action needed to make those changes!

Awareness IS the first step and the essential ingredient for change. AWARENESS without ACTION, however, is like a treadmill with a bunch of clothes hanging on it – you’re aware that the treadmill is there, but you aren’t using it. We are providing you with the ingredients to include awareness, but it’s up to you to put them into action.

We know that being aware of things can be difficult and uncomfortable. This may be the reason so many people focus so much time and energy being aware of things in others rather than focusing on their own problematic behaviors! How often do we know what others must do to change? How much time to do we spend telling others how to fix their problems? We are aware that the neighbors need to mow and Water their lawn, but happily ignore our own weeds! Hmm, that might be why one of the main tenets in the 12-Step Recovery world is: Sweep your own side of the street (mind your own business). If you’re more worried about what others are doing wrong, the first step is to become aware of your own “stuff.” To do that, turn those binoculars you’ve pointed at the neighbors directly around and look at yourself. You know, like the “selfie” button on your camera phone…uh, but this time, you don’t have to post your “self-examination” on Facebook!

How do you begin to USE the essential ingredient, awareness? Well, if you’ve decided that you want to live fully in Recovery and want to follow the Recipe, we suggest you start by paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors – especially when you eat. Start writing down the circumstances surrounding your eating and see if you spot trends. Remember to focus on yourself and what you need to do to live fully. Let others follow the recipe for themselves! Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be posting some questions on our Facebook wall to help you identify areas of your life that will benefit from healthy change, so be sure to check in regularly to A Post-Op & A Doc on Facebook. And join us on March 18th for our March APODCast, which will be all about AWARENESS. Be sure to RSVP…it’s totally free (http://www.spreecast.com/events/apodcast-awareness-essential-ingredient)!

[Alex Brecher 10,516]

Cari and Dr. Stapleton, thanks for this essay on awareness! It is so true that we need be aware in order to change – why do something if we don’t know what it is and why we should do it?

Comparing awareness to an ingredient in a recipe is a sensible way of looking at it, too. It’s an essential ingredient, and it needs to be used right…but other ingredients are necessary, too, for the “recipe” to come out right!