Years of poor eating and exercise habits can be very difficult to change! You have to look at an unhealthy lifestyle like you do any other addiction. It's not a matter of just changing what you eat or starting an exercise plan. It's knowing that you have to change habits, thought processes, behavior, environment, and pretty much everything that encouraged your negative health choices.
This can seem daunting and overwhelming at the beginning. It can make you feel sad, angry, and confused. This is normal whenever a person makes big changes in their lives. So if you falter at times, be patient!! Here are the steps to getting over addiction..and you must see it as an addiction. Any repetitive behavior that negatively affects your life is an addiction.
Step 1. Awareness and early acknowledgement. Although you are still engaging in negative behavior, you are becoming aware that it is having a negative impact on your life and health. You will shift from denying that you need to make changes, to accepting that you need to make changes. In this stage, no active measures are taken to start the recovery process.
Step 2. Consideration. You have accepted that you need to change your habits and are taking small steps towards learning how your addiction has changed your life, but have not yet begun to implement the tools you are learning.
Step 3. Exploring recovery. You have officially moved past denial. You are finding motivation to overcome the addiction and are exploring moderation and abstinence from the addiction. You have made small changes, implementing the tools you have learned.
Step 4. You officially start recovery. You are in the very early stages, and are vulnerable at this time. You are beginning to build the foundation for your new lifestyle. Some of the most important steps are taken at this stage. You will develop new coping skills and healthier habits.
Step 5. Active recovery and maintenance. Welcome to recovery! You have worked hard to make the changes and learn the tools to get to this point. You are actively making changes that are beneficial to your health. At this stage, you are aware that your changes need to be a lifelong work. It is important to have support, to actively monitor your feelings and behaviors, triggers, and temptations. It is a full body/mind recovery at this stage.
Here's where it get's a little tricky! We are NOT perfect beings. We are human, and will make mistakes. At times, you may need to regroup and evaluate where you are at. You may need more or less support. It is perfectly normal to have moments of weakness. The key is to make sure that you don't let those moments become habits. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off..and continue fighting the fight!!
