This first week is: Pre-contemplation.
Oftentimes you feel hopeless and helpless. You resist change. Smart Recovery in New England describes pre-contemplation as, "It isn't that we can't see the solution. It's that we can't see the problem".
Think of a drug addict or alcoholic. Often they are playing the blame game, deny responsibility, avoid, and create distance. They blame anyone and everything; traffic, their boss, family problems, genetics, lack of income, lack of time, lack of access, etc.
The bottom line is that EVERYONE can have an excuse. Most people can use their childhood, their family, job, spouse, genetics as an excuse. How long will you play the victim? Doesn't it sap your energy? Buck up, buttercup, and take the reins!
The people who are successful are those who accept their lot in life and persevere. They make lemonade out of lemons.
If you feel like you're fat because your mom was fat and your dad was fat, then you will continue in your cycle. Instead, take responsibility. Change YOUR diet. Change YOUR lifestyle. Focus on YOU.
Take some time to do an inventory of your current situation and ask the why questions.
Two examples could be:
I don't have enough money to make my bills. Why? Because I have too much credit card debt. Why? Because I charged too much when I was in college. Why? Because I never learned how to manage my money. BOOM! Ok, so you need to learn how to manage money.
I weight 100lbs more than I should. Why? Because I eat too much. Why? Because I eat all the time. Why? Because I eat when I feel stressed. Why? Because I learned to cope with my feelings by eating. Why? Because somewhere along the way, I was traumatized and never dealt with it. Why? I didn't feel safe. Why? I felt ignored and abandoned. Boom! We can deal with this!
If we can find the cause, we can find a solution.
This is pre-contemplation. Being mindful and aware enough to identify an issue. Acknowledging the issue is next week: contemplation!
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