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Over Coming Over- Eating; Application of an Addiction Recovery Model You blew it again. Another diet down the tubes; another false start and the resulting disappointment, blame and resignation. It is a frustrating and discouraging cycle, but there is a way to break the pattern. Psychologist James Prochaska’s Stages of Change model combined with a recovery coaching perspective offers the key. Find the stage you are in to see what needs to happen next …... Stage one:What problem? In this stage there is a lack of awareness that an over-eating issue exists or there is a lack of belief that the problem can be changed. If you fit the mode of one of the four “R”s, then you might be in this stage. Reluctant- I’m not really interested in changing and would rather not know how my over-eating impacts my life. Rebellious- I don’t like losing control over my life and have a strong investment in my problem eating. Resigned- I feel hopeless that I can even change this problem. Rationalizing- I have all the answers as to why this eating behavior isn’t really an issue for me. Moving forward from stage one means becoming well-informed about your eating issue, raising your own awareness of how it impacts your life and/or finding supportive people who can relate to the issue or are willing to champion you. Stage two: Pondering a change. At this stage the notion of making a change is a distant possibility. There is awareness that you have a problem eating behavior but there is still uncertainly as to whether you are able to make to make a change or even want to. Ambivalence is the benchmark of this stage. Want to move on? Get clear about the change you are considering. Look at both the pro and the cons to see how over-eating has been serving you- then you can began to look at other ways to fill those needs. Emotional, as well as intellectual stimulation can be important catalysts in getting to the next stage. Stage three: Ready for change but how? You have come to a decision and are eager to get started. However, your success is unlikely without a plan that you are committed to and are willing to devote time to. A diet book is not a plan. A plan is something you create, that you have confidence in and addresses your eating challenges and your specific life circumstances. Go public with your decision and develop strategies for dealing with barriers and external factors. Is your environment for change too busy or too stressful? Deal with these issues in the plan and make change your highest priority. Stage four: Doing it (most or some of the time). You’re in action, but not consistently. Inadequate planning, being unwilling to make sacrifices for change, hoping for magic and doing more of the same will guarantee setback. Don’t rely completely on what has worked before, but use a variety of approaches including new strategies. Staying in action is supported by redesigning your environment for success, using rewards and countering problem eating with active diversion or healthier activities. Exercise has been proven to be one of the most effective countering activities for many types of addiction because it also elevates mood. Stage five: Ongoing success and an occasional “oops”. You’ve successfully integrated healthy eating into your lifestyle. Now is the time to acknowledge and celebrate what you’ve mastered and the positive impact it will have on your health. The two greatest risks in this stage are complacency and the unexpected. Be vigilant and plan ahead to have tools ready for crisis or high stress situations. Four out of five self-changers will have some recurrence of their problem behavior the first time around and will need to try again. If you do experience a slip, look honestly at the original plan for what was missed or overlooked, and return to action as soon as possible. Blame or self-punishment is not conducive to learning or success in recovering from any addiction, including over-eating. ( adapted from Alida Schuyler, 2005, Recovery Life Coaching Training)
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