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8 Behaviors to Start Next Week to CHANGE



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Dr. Colleen talks about 8 simple behaviors that can help you really see the change you've been seeking in your life.



Maybe if you are reading this, you have already begun to change. Maybe you have been chewing on the prospect of change but find yourself doing the same thing from week to week? Today's article is short and sweet. Below, I will outline the top 8 behaviors to implement on the daily to bring change forth or take the current progress you've made to the next level:

1. find a book, any book that deals with the change you want to happen (this can be someone else's success story, or a self help book, or my book ). The idea is to refresh your inner template for why you want to change in the first place.

2. Create a reading list of the resources you know help to keep you on the right track and make a point to read an excerpt for 10 minutes each morning to start your day (podcasts, blogs, IG story, my full from within course, a favorite book, an online support community, etc).

3. Yoga/meditation- create a space for the mind and body to heal. You will be surprised how much easier change is to implement when mind and body have been given the gift of stillness and when we shift from human doings to human beings.

4. Take self care breaks EVERY DAY. Doesn't mean you need to go to a spa every day. Make it a priority to carve out self time every day. If you were recovering or sick in the hospital you would have no problem giving yourself a break in an effort to recover. Change is also recovery from what was broken.

5. Exercise.

6. Create a gratitude practice. Change is often times about what is not working. However, gratitude helps us to focus on what is working. We can get so mired into the myopic view that we are wrong and everyone else must be doing it right. It is important to balance our view of our path with this practice. I highly recommend the gratitude app- which allows you to include pics from your day and serve as an ongoing gratitude feed.

7. Sit down and write down the reasons why you are changing in the first place. I know many of you think "of course I know why I'm doing this." However, it is important to reconnect with your core self frequently to get all of the motivation needed to change. You may be surprised what else was there waiting for you.

8. If it is food that you are trying to change (in terms of what you are eating or how much). This week try thinking "Yay, I don't have to eat that way anymore," vs. "ok now the vacation is over and its time to pay the piper."

That's it. Good luck on this next chapter!

PS- What are you struggling with? Did you read my book? Was there something missing you would have like to read? Was there something more you wanted to know about? What do you struggle with psychologically when it comes to WLS?

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Nope. Didn't read your book. Even after you plugged it multiple times in your "motivation" article. Have no interest in reading it because your whole article is condescending and makes me think your book will be too.

If you want honest feedback, and that's what you seem to be asking for....

Here's a synopsis of how your article comes across (to me)

Behaviors you should change:

1. Read my book.

2. Have you read my book yet?

3. Do yoga. (not everyone's cup of tea)

4. Take care of yourself. (cause none of us do)

5. Exercise. (cause we didn't know to do that and never thought of that)

6. Be grateful...use an app. (uh...no. Gratitude is great...packaging it for InstaGoogleTweetFace is tacky)

7. Write down why you want to change. (no one's ever thought of this)

8. Be glad you're not eating horribly anymore! (oye)

PS...help me write my book!

No, thanks.

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Why not start the changes NOW, as opposed to next week? I usually have something encouraging or positive to say...so, although I agree with for sure, exercise—the benefits of that alone induces quite a bit of change; I’m sure you’ll help someone out who needs or feels like they need to do all of these. Personally for me, it’s just too much stuff to do.

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Well - the week does start in two days and sometimes you need a day to make a new plan or pick what elements will work for you.

Yoga - well even if it's not for everyone, quiet meditation can be valuable.

But - yes this was at least 50% shameless book plug.

@Creekimp13 - I think you need more sex, you have been cranky lately...😆

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

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        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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