Debbie Melvin

What is your potential for making permanent behavior changes to improve your health this year? It just may depend on where you are in the change process.

Our habits are so ingrained in us that it’s not just about changing your behavior—it’s about changing your life. We know there are benefits ... a longer, healthier, happier life ... but it can be ... no, it IS, difficult.

Research has identified five stages people go through on their journey to lasting change. Find yourself in these stages as you begin 2012.

PRECONTEMPLATION
Denial? You see more advantages to continuing your unhealthy behavior than you do to changing it. You are not even THINKING about change because nothing bad is ever going to happen to you. Obviously, we all start here; but hopefully we will move out of this stage eventually, and before it’s too late. Or is it ever too late? Some people actually have convinced themselves it’s too late for them, or they think it’s impossible for them to change.

Maybe you have tried to change before, and reverted back to your old ways. Guilt has set in—you are embarrassed about your failure. Listen, the only people who truly fail are the ones who never try. Setbacks are normal. It’s how you view your setbacks that will determine whether you go forward or not. Just because a diet failed you doesn’t mean YOU failed. So you picked up the cigarettes again—it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t adjust your strategy and make another effort. Maybe the gym just isn’t for you ... but picking up a tennis racket again after 20 years might be something you will really enjoy.

CONTEMPLATION
This happens when you become aware of how your lifestyle is affecting your health and your future. You don’t want things to happen to you, like a heart attack, and you want to do something to prevent that from occurring. You begin to think your life is worth saving.

Maybe a family member has expressed concern for your health, or you have had that aha moment at the doctor’s office after a battery of tests, or you have been told you already have diabetes. During this stage, people are searching for help. Unfortunately, there are too many products and schemes out there to take advantage of your vulnerability. The answers are not usually found on the Internet, though it’s often a private way to seek information. Where does one turn at this stage in order to move to the next phase? Go to the experts. If it’s nutritional help for a chronic disease that you need, see a dietitian. If you need help to stop smoking, contact professional groups that specialize in cessation. If it’s weight loss you need, contact your local hospital. Most offer programs based on lifestyle changes, and not pills, potions or gimmicks that make false promises. I personally offer a research-based healthy weight management program called Smart Portions at both Thibodaux Regional and Terrebonne General Medical Centers.

PREPARATION
You are starting to make plans for change, such as purchasing a new pair of tennis shoes or cleaning out your pantry. The practice of making excuses tends to keep people in this stage too long. If your goal is to exercise regularly, write down every excuse you can not to exercise; then, jot down some possible solutions to those obstacles. As one of my friends says, “There are no excuses, just obstacles to overcome.” Doing this means you are preparing yourself to succeed.

Construct a plan that is in writing. Guard your time set aside for exercise. Make it an appointment you keep with yourself, just like a doctor’s appointment. Get the education you need to make wise food choices. Because there is so much misinformation about nutrition, you may be going into this with preconceived notions. Many chronic dieters have distorted views of carbohydrates, due to the proliferation of low-carb diets. Most importantly, realize the nutrients that your body needs to be in a state of good health.

What kind of exercise can you do? Do you have any true limitations? I have seen that the body is amazing as to what it can do when it is trained and well-fed. There may be some temporary discomfort, but as long as it’s not injury-producing, push through and your body will become fit over time. In your preparation stage, keep telling yourself that you are making a permanent lifestyle change. This is something you will continue to do the rest of your life. When you think “diet,” you think “beginning” and “end.” Lifestyle changes have no end, and they are not easy. You may be up for the fight of your life, but it IS worth fighting. Put your focus on your body, not on a number on the scale.

During the preparation stage, write down some short-term goals. These should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Specific means details. “I will lose two pounds” sounds specific, but it lacks details as to how you will do it. It is better to pick a detail such as “I will eat breakfast every day this week.” That is also measurable within a time frame, and you will know if you reached your goal or not. To be attainable, it has to be realistic. Is walking every day for two hours something you can realistically do for the rest of your life? Not likely. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe it can be accomplished. A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it, there’s no sense of urgency.

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities and skills to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable—not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals, you build your self-image. Be sure every goal represents substantial progress toward something long-term.

Starting with too many goals at one time can be overwhelming and self-defeating. One thing at a time. Importantly, avoid “all or nothing” thinking. This is an attitude of perfection. If you missed one day of exercise when your goal was five days, did you fail? Absolutely not! If you had a small portion of cheesecake, does that mean you should throw caution to the wind and eat everything in sight that day?

ACTION
This happens when you are not just ready, but willing to practice new behaviors. You have the necessary information, and you have developed your plan. Research shows that one of the most effective ways to make lasting change is to keep a written record of your actions. Tracking your progress will keep you motivated. It may just mean writing on a calendar the days you walked and for how long. Fortunately, with changes like eating better and exercising, the body responds by making you feel good. Often, the good behaviors continue simply because people have more energy and they enjoy how they feel. Accomplishment is also great for self-esteem. Look what you have done! It’s there in your records!

A food diary, though viewed by some as too much trouble, is now so much easier with current technology. Phone apps and websites offer easy ways to keep track of food and exercise. Many have over a million food items in their databases, so a few clicks, and you are done recording your food intake. Since the apps indicate calories consumed, it’s important to be honest about your portions. Use your measuring cups, spoons and a food scale to make sure what you are eating is accurately logged. Research has shown that those who keep a food diary are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off.

MAINTENANCE
It’s a very important, but often overlooked, step. Without a plan to continue your new habits, the changes will not last. Generally, creating a healthy lifestyle is primarily dependent on the individual. After all, no one can force you to eat the right foods, make time for exercise, or not engage in risky health behaviors. That’s not to say that family, friends, peers and other “teachers” can’t play an influential role. The bulk of your success will depend on your ability to motivate yourself. But don’t neglect the benefits of being inspired by the success of another person. One of the best ways to stay connected is to seek support from a person who has been successful. In order to achieve your ideal health, you don’t need to act perfect all the time, and they realize that. You just need the right support and assistance to keep pushing you forward.

Many find encouragement within their families, and that is ideal since they truly care about you. I have seen people who have had their social circles change because they found their new lifestyle to be a passion that others shared—and they wanted to be around those people. Change doesn’t just begin and end. Though setbacks may occur, you will need to remain vigilant about maintaining the changes so they do become permanent.

Sometimes people begin so gung-ho, they try to make too many changes at one time. They want quick results, and they grow impatient with their progress. Take baby steps and expand your goals with time. Your mantra should be: “It takes time.” PoV

In the spirit of change for the new year, PoV caught up with four inspiring individuals who have made making healthier choices a new way of life over the past few years. They battled adversity brought about by weight gain and other medical conditions, and persevered to reach the personal goals they had set for themselves.

These four achievers all turned to the Smart Portions program offered at local hospitals to begin a new day in their lives. Together, they are proof that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. These are their stories.

‘Persistently, Consistently Constant’
terry trahan jr.

At age 53, Mary Strickland feels better now than she has her entire adult life. That’s because through her commitment to change her sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle, she has lost 100 pounds over the past two years. And she’s not done yet.

Mary grew up as an active child, participating in athletic activities like track, gymnastics and powderpuff football. She had a slim build, but lost it around the fourth grade when her family moved from Texas to Louisiana.

“I moved from Texas to here, and they didn’t have that kind of stuff at school,” she says. “I ate every 30 minutes; I would have five minutes to eat before going to class. I continued that eating habit and went from 57 pounds to 110 in a matter of months.”

Mary carried that weight through her high school years, which came with the typical teasing and “unmerciful” name-calling by her peers.

The negative attention only caused her to pack on more pounds. She was eventually diagnosed with diabetes, weighing 341 pounds at that time.

“I was mad I was a diabetic,” Mary says. “I ate anything I wanted to and probably gained 40-50 pounds.”

But that all changed when she visited her mother, also a diabetic, in a north Louisiana hospital.

“I went to see my mom. I hadn’t seen my mom in about eight years,” Mary says. “I went to see her before she passed away. When I was visiting her in the hospital, the nurse lifted the sheets off of her and from her high thigh to her feet were blue. I was so shocked and scared. I decided right then and there that my kids and grandchildren wouldn’t go through this.”

Mary met Debbie Melvin through the Smart Portions program, a decision she says has helped to turn her life around. When Debbie made clear that success would mean a lifestyle change, which involves exercise and developing new eating habits, Mary hesitated. She was no chef, and didn’t have the time to devote to the gym—so she thought.

Debbie encouraged Mary to push forward, so she gave it a go. She had already lost 40 pounds before joining the program when she vowed that this would be the very last time she would try to lose weight in her life. It would be reach the goal or bust. Mary lost the first 40 by reducing her portion intake. As she became more educated on how to live a healthier life, she added regular walking in the mall to her agenda. Using a small plate divided into a fourth of starchy vegetables, half of non-starchy vegetables and enough room for three ounces of meat, she began to eat more balanced diets. Mary watched as the pounds melted away and she inched closer to reaching goals she had set for herself.

“I didn’t give up anything,” she says.

She pulls out a ramekin.

“This is what we eat dessert in,” she says, pointing to the dish. “Ice cream used to call my name, and I’d hear it. I started eating it in my ramekin, and I use my baby spoon to eat it with. You still shovel, but you only get so much.”

As long as the intake of these foods is kept in check, Mary says, success is attainable.

To help keep her motivated, she keeps a vision board on her refrigerator. It depicts an image of Mount Everest at the top to tally her walking distance, as well as examples of other activities she would like to do, like river rafting.

Two years in, Mary has already conquered one of her main goals. When she walked across the twin span bridges near Terrebonne General Medical Center, then back again, it became one of the best birthdays of her life. Though she admits she was hesitant to attempt it, support from a few of her friends provided the motivation she needed. She now conquers the bridge every Sunday, even climbing the four flights of stairs to reach its crest.

Still, her ultimate goal is to get down to 160 pounds. Once she dips below 200, her doctors will re-evaluate her to see if she can be taken off of her medications. As she gets closer and closer to where she wants to be, Mary recognizes that she is living a healthier, better life for her own well-being, as well as the well-being of her family.

“If you’re going to do this lifestyle change, you have to exercise, and you have to change your mind,” Mary says. “You have to be PCC—persistently, consistently constant. It has been a hard battle, but it’s an adventure.”

‘Common Sense’
christie pepper

Over a long period of time, Dwayne Bourgeois gradually noticed a change in his waistline as he added a few more notches to his belt. Now at age 50, he decided that the trend had to come to an end.

Dwayne looked into several different diets and plans, but ultimately decided on the Smart Portions program offered at local hospitals. He knew he didn’t want to go on a deprivation diet that would force him to eat a lot of foods he didn’t like just to lose weight. But he was ready to compromise and change the bad eating and activity habits he had developed.

The plan now being followed is “common sense,” Dwayne says. It’s a commonly known fact that in order to lose weight, one must burn more calories than what’s taken in; on the other hand, to gain weight, one takes in more calories than what’s burned.

To stay motivated, Dwayne keeps food journals and counts calories, recording how many calories he burns while exercising and doing other activities throughout the day. The biggest advantage of the program is that Dwayne is able to train himself to eat healthier, which results in a healthier lifestyle.

He has been following the program for about three months, and has lost around 30 pounds. He doesn’t set unrealistic goals, and knows that no specific number or deadline is going to measure his success.

Dwayne remains confident that this is the right way to a healthier life for him. He says there is definitely no magic to it; it just takes the ability to recognize the need to be healthier and to want to do it. He is done with yo-yo dieting, and works toward his goal of becoming a healthier, more active person.

‘You Don’t Want To Go Back’
mary downer

In no way would I have ever guessed that the energetic, enthusiastic, young blonde sitting in front of me would have ever struggled with a weight problem. Yet here she is, telling me about her struggle since childhood to keep her weight at a healthy level. Since Aug. 5, 2010, Jennifer Lodrigue has lost 110 pounds.

Working at Terrebonne General Medical Center, Jennifer, then 29, had been finding it increasingly more difficult to get from the parking lot to the hospital’s interior. She had tried every diet under the sun, starting with diet pills as a teenager. But nothing seemed to keep the pounds off.

“It was the definition of yo-yo dieting,” Jennifer says. “I would lose 20 [pounds], then stop the dieting because I felt so restrictive. The fall was always so hard. I would gain back 40 and be so discouraged.”

Then a co-worker offered to go jogging with Jennifer one day; she thought about it and agreed. They started off very slow.

“We would do 30 seconds of jogging and one minute of walking,” Jennifer says. “I had to be very careful about my heart rate and my blood pressure.”

Jennifer also had her own thoughts to overcome. “I was so concerned about what if someone saw me. I was such a large person struggling to walk and to run. I joined with some of the ladies from the local running group Bazinga, and they have helped to save me. They are my accountability partners. They are the ones that encourage me to do my best.”

And that’s exactly what Jennifer did. This past October, Jennifer completed her first half marathon. “It wasn’t easy and I didn’t have the best time, but my goal was to finish. And I did.”

Up next for Jennifer? She plans to take on the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon in New Orleans in March. And her goals don’t stop there. After completing the full marathon, this running mama has her sights set on completing an Ironman by age 35.

And there’s no turning back.

“You don’t want to go back,” Jennifer says. “You learn to enjoy living a healthy lifestyle. My only regret is that I waited so long to make the change. The most difficult part is the dieting. I get tired of counting the calories.”

So she enrolled in the Smart Portions class at TGMC’s Outreach Center.
“Now I strive to make the best choices in what I eat,” Jennifer says. “The program has given me the knowledge to make the best choices.”

Jennifer has discovered that you must commit yourself completely to your goals. One of her best tips is to set small, obtainable goals. When you reach one, immediately set another. Constantly strive to reach your next goal. Always challenge yourself. Ask yourself: Will this work with MY life? Most importantly, know that you will fall off the wagon. But when you do, it’s important to get right back on.

Feeling Good
christie pepper

Edna Boudreaux knew it was time to make a lifestyle change when doctors diagnosed her as a Type 2 prediabetic at age 47. Both of her parents have suffered from various medical conditions, including cardiac issues, and the thought that one day she would eventually face the same genetic curse has always haunted her.

Edna has battled weight gain all of her life, and has tried every diet on the market to no avail. Having to manage her own hypothyroidism, which makes it difficult to get rid of excess weight, doesn’t help; the condition just makes it easier to put weight on.

After her diagnosis, Edna spoke with a dietician, and together they decided that the Smart Portions program offered at local hospitals would be right for her. She feels that she is finally on the right path for her overall well-being. Though everyone is different, and no one thing is going to be the answer for all, Edna has learned that exercise is a necessity in her case. She makes it a priority to exercise for at least 30 minutes each day; some days she’s able to keep going for up to an hour and a half.

Since making that lifestyle change, Edna’s exercise routine alternates from bike riding, to indoor walking videos, to using her “Wii Fit.” She battles podiatric conditions, but she pushes through the pain in her feet and is diligent about getting at least 30 minutes in. Over a year’s span, she has lost a total of 29 pounds, and feels great about how far she has come.

Edna also understands that the scale only provides numbers, and those numbers aren’t the most important ones. Her ultimate goal is overall health and being able to feel good. She is able to do more physically without getting tired or short-winded, and her mood is lifted. One day, she hopes to discontinue some of her prescribed medicines. Until that goal is reached, for her, just knowing that she is doing the right thing makes a world of difference. PoV