Ready for a Change? How Ready Are You?

If you are even thinking about making a change, help is here, ready to meet you where you are in the process. This site will help you along the way, using 1) a research-tested theory of human behavior change, 2) research-based information about weight loss and obesity and 3) guidance to find the right "diet" (or "way of eating") for YOU - that you can stay with for a lifetime.

Which of these Stages of Change* are you in?

Not Ready ("Pre-Contemplation") - In this stage, you are not even ready to contemplate a change. Often you don't want to even read or think about changing. Usually, there are many possible changes in our lives, and we aren't ready for many of them at one time (in fact, it won't work well to make too many changes at once). However, there are things you can do to nudge yourself along to the next stage.

Thinking About It ("Contemplation") - At this point, you are ready to take in more information about the possible change. You may do some reading, you may talk to others who have made changes, and you find yourself more interested in the subject in general. This does not mean you are ready to change your behavior yet, but if pushed, you might say that in few months you can imagine yourself doing it.

Getting Ready for Change ("Preparation") - In the preparation phase, you have decided you are going to change. You are forming a plan and assembling your tools. A good preparation period raises the chances of making a successful permanent change. In the Way of the Turtle, this is the phase where we focus on figuring out what diet or exercise program is most likely to work for you. If you are working on changing diet, this is a very intensive phase, where you are actually working quite hard gathering data.

Ready, Set, Go! ("Action") - Interestingly, this is the phase people usually think of when they think of change, but it is the FOURTH stage in the process. Perhaps the most common mistake in the change process is jumping to take action before you are ready. This is where you learn to "walk the walk" on a day-to-day basis, and solve the problems that come up in keeping to your new plan.

Maintenance - Believe it or not, this can be the hardest part! I consider providing long-term support to be a number-one priority, because it's here that backsliding occurs, which can be demoralizing and discouraging. If you've worked the plan carefully, though, it won't be as hard to maintain your hard-won new health goals.

Where are You Along the Journey? Help for Each Step of the Way

Here is help for each stage, each page geared to either diet changes or exercise change:

Not Ready (Pre-Contemplation) - Diet

Not Ready (Pre-Contemplation) - Exercise

Thinking About It (Contemplation) - Diet

Thinking About It (Contemplation) - Exercise

Getting Ready (Preparation) - Diet

Getting Ready (Preparation) - Exercise

Ready, Set, Go! (Action) - Diet

Ready, Set, Go! (Action) - Exercise

Maintenance - Diet

Maintenance - Exercise

* This model for change is a research-based plan discussed in the book Changing for Good by Prochaska, Norcross, and Diclemente.