Where I am and Where I want to be

As i sat down this morning with a coffee and butterscotch krimpet i thought to myself about how this is NOT the breakfast of someone with a goal of losing weight. Did i change my mind and eat something else? No.

As a health coach i have worked talked to people much like myself; those of us in the contemplation state of change. Contemplation is the stage in which people are aware that a problem exists and are seriously thinking about overcoming it but have not yet made a commitment to take action. One of the first things we do is help our clients develop a vision for themselves. So today i am going to coach myself and develop my wellness vision. 

My vision of optimal wellness for myself is to be back at my pre-pregnancy weight. I will feel better about myself and have more confidence. I will be making better food choices and listen to my body for hunger and fullness cues. I will be more active in my daily life by walking daily with Liam and at night with Alex and Liam,as a family. I will feel healthier, more alive, have more zest, and increased energy.

My motivation is feeling better about myself so that i can be the best wife and mother i can be and not dwell on my weight and body. I want to serve as a good role model for Liam which means making better food choices most meals of the day and being more active. Someone watching 4 seasons of Dexter in less than a week is not the role model i want for him HAHA. My motivation also lies within my closet. Mountain upon mountains of clothes that do not fit.

My barriers are the weather. I hate the cold, i do not want to take Liam out in the cold and i do not want to go to the mall everyday to walk. I feel as thought once spring arrived we will be outside everyday, i have a lot of confidence in that. Maybe this whole thing is just a winter slump or seasonal depression (although i am not depressed at all...i just hate the cold). It seems as though once spring hits i am outside a lot more and i eat healthier. Another barrier is time. Liam is a great baby but he does not give me consistent/solid naps. I have tried putting on a workout DVD before only to have him wake up 10 minutes into it. I don't want to work out by myself when Alex gets home because i only get a small amount of time with him each day and i want that time for us to be together. I would go to the YMCA which has a day care service but we do not have the money for me to be going to a gym, i feel as thought it is an unnecessary expense.

Strategies to get the ball rolling. I need to start small. My vision is my long term goal it is not where i need to be tomorrow and i have to remember that. You cannot expect to run a marathon the day you start running. You need to work up to it. I have a problem of jumping in too fast/hard and then only lasting a short amount of time.

I think overall i need to sit on this for a few days and sort out my priorities and small steps i can take towards achieving this goal. I am still on the fence even after thinking a lot of it out.