Here’s a great piece written by one of my clients (we thought it would be great to share).
Last night I went to my gym around 8:30 pm and the place was packed, as it has been since early January and far more than it’s normally modest levels in November and December. I was lucky to find a cardio machine. It is, of course, the surge in members because of well intentioned New Year’s resolutions: This year I’m really going to lose weight, get in shape, etc.
Give it until mid-February, or so, and the gym will be well on its way to far more limited and typical crowd levels. I’m as guilty as anyone of letting those resolutions slide.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what why it is so difficult to change habits and what makes for sustained change. One thing I’ve noticed in myself is that it’s helpful to have an emotional support component in place when trying to change old habits.
Last year, I used the nutritional coaching/counseling services of my friend Megan Groves. I had known for a long time that a gluten allergy was likely exacerbating my eczema. But even with that knowledge, my attempts at eliminating gluten fell half-way. Megan was the first person to help me to actually go off—and stay off—gluten more or less completely.
I’ve used various forms of coaching for other habits I’ve tried (and am trying) to change and I’ve thought a lot about why I find it so helpful.
I think this type of coaching/counseling works on a few levels:
1) The first level is informational. Getting access to information about the topic you are dealing with. You can’t begin to make changes until you know what you are dealing with. (E.g. What foods contain gluten.)
2) The next level is developing a strategy about how to implement this information into one’s life in way that actually works. (E.g. Realistically, I’m never going to bake my own gluten free foods because of lack of time, so what are some alternatives that work within my schedule.)
3) And then there is a more nebulous level of emotion. And this is where, in my opinion, the real magic happens. There is something very special about having someone that holds you accountable to changes you want to make. And having that someone listen to your struggles in a supportive way and give acknowledgment when you succeed and support when you don’t. It’s like having someone in your corner. For me it has been a subtle but very helpful extra push. Or, perhaps more accurately, it has helped me give myself that extra push.
In the US, I think we tend to discount how important emotional support really is when we are trying to make difficult changes. We have deep cultural mythologies of rugged individualism and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. Think of Nike’s iconic ad slogan, “Just Do It,” and how wildly popular that ad campaign was.
But if it was a matter of “Just Doing It,” everyone would be fit, trim, and not smoke—and gym attendance across the country would not begin dropping off dramatically in the next few weeks.
As far as changes in my diet and nutrition, I can say from personal experience that Megan’s help has been extremely beneficial. If you are interested, she is also offering a free 30 minute intro session. It’s a no pressure way to see if her work might benefit you and if you and her would be a good match.
