Something to Check Off Your List

You may be shocked to hear me say this, but this is not the time to focus on starting again, or trying to get back on track with healthy eating and exercising. The weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year tend to be filled with busyness, stressful holiday gatherings, and involuntary multitasking.

And it’s certainly not a time to start something as difficult as changing a lifestyle behavior. Timing is everything when it comes to making a huge change in a habit that has been deeply rooted over several years, and it takes preparation.

Dr. James Prochaska and Dr. Carlo DiClemente are leaders in behavioral research that studies the way people make permanent changes. They have discovered that people who successfully make many lifestyle improvements (stop smoking, exercise, eat healthy, stay sober) have a common process they call the Transtheoretical Model, or Stages of Change.

They have shown that the most important step in making a big change is the Preparation Stage. I once heard a radio interview with Dr. Prochaska. He said that getting ready to move into the Action Stage of Change should be held with the same gravity and importance as if you were preparing for major surgery.

If you were preparing to have major surgery, this would be your highest priority and focus. You would notify close friends and family members to surround you with support. You would read everything you could about the actual surgery and the time, effort and challenges in recovery. You would think through the event and all of the details that you will need over the next few weeks, and the people and resources you will have at your fingertips. You would engage expert advice that you trust.

You would have no other major activities going on at the same time. You should not move to a new house. You should not start a new job or go on vacation. If you have had an unfortunate recent life event, you should wait until things feel more back to normal.

Now, as you or your loved ones think past the holidays, when the time IS right to get back on track for a Better You in 2019, think about how you will move into your Preparation Stage.

I have assembled the perfect package for your Preparation Stage or to use as a great Christmas gift for someone that you love. You will need an expert at your side to walk with you and help you get started and through the transition; a great resource book for all of your questions, recipes and menu planning guidelines; and you may even need a kitchen makeover, setting up your environment for success.

I am offering these solutions, a House Call visit plus my ebook, Fit and Flourishing After 40: Taking Charge of Your Metabolism, in one great package called Ready Now:

· Professional Nutritional Assessment: We will explore all aspects of your life that may impact your nutritional wellness from the comfort of your home.

· Optimal Menu Plan: We will develop the right menu plan to help you reach your nutritional goals for 2019.

· Kitchen Excavation: If you are willing, we will review the items in your refrigerator, pantries and cabinets, clearing out all packages that may be stumbling blocks to a clean 2019.

· Fit and Flourishing After 40: Taking Charge of Your Metabolism: You will find all the menu planning, grocery shopping (with my favorite brands that fit into our clean eating), and science behind all my recommendations.

So instead of adding “eat better” to your busy list this month, purchase your package READY NOW and check this one off your list!