Nourishment and Navigating Change: A Roadmap
When starting a journey most of us like to have a map of where we are going with streets and landmarks that point in the right direction. Over the years, I’ve seen many such roadmaps for making lifestyle changes. Some are in the form of a fad diet or a 10 minute exercise routine guaranteed to take care of belly fat or some other program with strict guidelines/rules to achieve your goal. While these can be a great way to jumpstart a plan, they usually fall short in the long-term. (See the Notes section below for some of the reasons why and how to use these fads to your advantage).
Over the years, I have found a useful map in the Stages of Change model (see top half of hand-out) as it provides the flexibility needed to confidently begin a program and transition into maintenance. It accounts for life’s curveballs while minimizing the risk of feeling like a failure. This model was developed by two researchers in the addictions field and was very quickly adapted to other aspects of healthcare where difficult-to-make changes are necessary. This model is the beginning of developing your roadmap in the Radical Nourishment program. There are five stages in the original model, plus another that I’ve found helpful over the years. The stages are not numbered as the concept is more of a continuum than a linear process.
Often change starts with the Precontemplation Stage, when we are not aware or ready to acknowledge there is a problem. This is followed by the Contemplation Stage when we begin to acknowledge there is a problem but are not ready to make a change. Preparation is the next stage and just as it sounds this is where planning to change happens. And finally, the Action stage or making the change. After a period of time, there is a transition into the Maintenance stage when the new behavior is deeply rooted into our choices and routines.
For our purposes, I’ve added another stage: Lapse/Relapse/Co-llapse. While shown as one stage, there are important distinctions between them. Initially, they may feel the same, but in reality, they aren’t even close. Lapse is a slip up for a short period of time. A relapse is a return to the old behavior. A co-llapse when you’ve given up hope of returning to your plan. A lapse usually requires a small course adjustment to get back on track; a relapse usually requires more time and energy to get back to your plan. A co-llapse requires more time and energy, but also self-reflection as to why you gave up hope. None are the end of the road – or a failure. As you’ll find over time, they are a necessary part of the journey. To recover from any of the three, you may have to return to earlier stages in order to regroup, but know you never go all the way back to where you began. You’ve learned too much from the other stages on your journey to go back to ground zero. Unfortunately, this is where most folks get stuck. A “slip” is often seen as a “total failure”(collapse) and is followed with “I’ve blown it, so why bother” (more collapse thinking) followed by a downward spiral that can lead to a real relapse/collapse. For more on re-grouping see Binge-Eating Parts I, Part II and Part III. While the examples in these blogs focus on food, the principles and techniques apply to many different situations.
This 10 min video will give you a thoughtful overview of the various stages mentioned above. Along with ideas for moving through each stage as well as some challenges to watch for.
As with all roadmaps, you need to know your destination. In the case of lifestyle changes, thoughtful goal setting is a way to ensure you know where and why you have chosen a path. Many of you are familiar with goal setting because of work, personal experience, teaching a task to others, etc. If you are new to goal-setting or would like to refresh your memory on the details of creating effective goals, see the Dartmouth Goal Setting Worksheet.
Reflection
-Think about the “Stages of Change” model. Are there any stages that are especially hard for you? Where can you predict you might get off track? Are there any that feel easier than others?
-Think for a moment about the challenges that make some stages harder than others. As you review the list, consider what action oriented steps can be taken in the future to give yourself more support during these times. No “shoulds”, “have to’s” or teeth- gritting allowed. This is a time to be gentle with yourself.
NOTES
My concern with fad diets, quick fixes or overly restrictive programs as roadmaps is they are usually based on “all or none” (black and white) rules that others have made and we choose to follow. Either you are on the program, or not, and there is no flexibility when life gets in the way. Importantly, there is not a transition program for maintenance. You are on your own as you move forward. Most programs like this are not designed to be long-term solutions-they are meant to be more of a jumpstart. However, they are usually presented as “the answer” to any issues you are having, so if you are not able to follow the plan exactly (pretty high bar for most of us) you may feel like you have failed – again. The “Stages of Change” model can give you ideas to work these types of plans to your advantage and offers solutions to some of the challenges I’ve mentioned above.