We use self assessment tools and various techniques that help point you in the right direction when your mind wants to veer off onto the wrong path.  There are many problem solving strategies that we implement and for each person the help we offer may be different.  But regardless of the person, our goal is to be part of your support team and we want to see you succeed!

Self motivation

There are three levels of motivation:

The first stage is "fear-based motivation" which is an emotionally charged form of motivation.  In this stage you may fear getting any heavier.  You may be frightened that you are starting to look like you mom.  Maybe you had a health scare like a bad blood test result or recent illness. Regardless of what got your attention, the first stage of motivation generally starts with a fear whereby you respond with action.

The fear based stage is good because it motivates you to do something about your situation. The problem with fear based motivation is that it is not long lasting. Once you take action and the problem begins to fade, you resolve the fear. As the fear dissipates, you will either go back to your old behaviors and relapse or move up to the second stage of motivation.

The second stage of motivation is what we refer to as "feedback-based motivation."  Your motivation is fueled by all the various forms of feedback that you get from various outside factors.  You see the scale moving in the right direction. Friends and family members are commenting on how good you look.  Clothes are fitting looser. 

Maybe members of the opposite sex are starting to notice and you relish the new attention.  The problem with feedback based motivation is that it has to end. What happens when your clothes can't get any looser?  Friends and family members that complimented you early on quit commenting about your weight by the third or fourth time that they see you. 

What happens when the scale can't go any lower?  As the feedback begins to diminish, your motivation can begin to fade and you will move to one of two places.  You will either fall back to your old behaviors and gain your weight back, or you will move into the third stage of motivation.

The third stage of motivation is based on an innate or inner drive that encompasses the "big picture."  This stage isn't as easy to identify as the other two. In this stage of motivation you come to understand that eating right and exercising isn't a "have to," it's simply a part of who you are and what you do.

When a person reaches this stage, self motivation is based not on weight loss, but on living a lifestyle of health that matters.  It's coming to terms with the fact that you are in control of your destiny and that each choice and decision has a consequence. 

In this stage:

• You have an inner desire to continue with your program no matter what life throws your way.
• Your coping skills have become a natural part of you so that eating wrong seems harder than eating right.