Over the course of our documentary production, we’ve learned a good deal about how people change…in some cases related to addiction to something like food, or another substance.

So…as part of our research for the film, I’ve attended multiple 12-step based meetings, for Overeating, Alcohol, and Narcotics.  Being one who often tries to find out “why” for just about anything, I decided to try and figure out how these 12-steps relate to what we’ve learned about change in other areas…

The 12-steps originated as the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous, and since has been successfully applied to many other addictive behaviors, such as overeating.  Here they are (as taken from Wikipedia)

These are the original Twelve Steps as defined by Alcoholics Anonymous:^[2]

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Other twelve-step groups have modified the twelve steps slightly from those of Alcoholics Anonymous to refer to problems other than alcoholism.

So as part of our film, we will likely delve into these steps to a certain degree (not to bore you too much), and try to explain “why” they work.  Now I know some will suggest that these should not have to be over analyzed, but as we search for answers, I feel it can be helpful to put these steps in context of other things we have learned.

To summarize what I have come to understand the 12 steps to be…

1) Ultimately, the process of change must begin with the acknowledgement that there is something that needs to be changed.  This maps very well to Dr. James Prochaska’s Stages of Change Model, which says the first stage of change is Precontemplation…which can be simplified as being “denial” that a problem exists.  While I may not fully agree with the first step, that states “we are powerless” – I believe this first step is the acknowledgement that there is something that we need to change about our behavior…which as Dr. Prochaska might suggest, is critical in moving on to the next stage of change…Precontemplation, where we begin to acknowledge the problem.  Some people say that people find themselves at 12-step programs after they “hit rock bottom” — which means something really bad may have happened, to get an individual to realize or face the problem.

2) There are a good number of steps that refer to a “Power” or “God” — which is often referred to as a “Higher Power”.  Many people who are not religious have a great deal of difficulty incorporating or interpreting these steps as part of their recovery.  At first, I also had some difficulty with the notion of a Higher Power too (since I am not all that religious if that makes sense at all to say).  If one is not religious, it is a very abstract idea.  Ultimately, I believe the steps that refer to this, refer to faith.  Not so much faith in God, but faith that while uncomfortable, the process of change often requires our own ability to believe that something will “work out” in the end…even if it doesn’t seem like it will.  This allows us to question the process less, and give in to the work that lies ahead…with the notion that there is a greater power and knowledge that we do not yet have, and that by doing the right things…abstaining from substance abuse…be it food, or alcohol…that in the end we are making the right decisions…and that it will all pay off in the end.  Additionally, the whole process of change comes from making the right decisions…more consistently — while not as abstract as some might think…the notion of a Higher Power that guides us to make the right decisions will work, if we believe it will…much like the notion of hypnosis.  If we believe there is a higher power that guides us down the right path, it allows us to make the right decisions more often. 

So of all the things that ultimately affect our decisions…and we make many of them each day…if we believe in the notion of a Higher Power, it makes us that much more likely to choose the right things in life.

3) Lastly…a lot of the other steps focus on our awareness of how our actions affect the rest of the world.  Change, from what we have learned in the process of creating INSPIRED…is mostly about our own ability to be honest with ourselves…and to be more aware of each decision we make each day.  In some religions, this might be referred to a “higher state of consciousness” — and it really is…when we can become more in tune with our every action, each of our decisions and actions become much more purposefull…less mindless.  Often times, when we do not eat well, or we do not exercise, we smoke, drink or use drugs, we tend to block out our negative behaviors…rationalize them away.  This behavior is part of our human nature…but it also hinders our ability to change.

We can rationalize why we need to have a bowl of ice cream because it’s been a rough day…or we can be more in tune with how that affects our forward progress if we are trying to lose weight.  (No, I’m not saying that the problem is ice cream…it’s just a tough balance to determine what we really need to keep our minds on a positive note, and to realize when we are rationalizing our negative behaviors…believe me…I do it all the time

Anyhow…that is an attempt to make sense of it all…read the steps yourself and let me know what you think!  While many of us may not believe we have such a behavioral problem that we need to attend a 12-step program for our overeating…I firmly believe we can gain insight into our own lives through many different things.

Often times when it comes to exercise or eating healthy, we fail to see the immediate benefits…we have times when we question whether it’s all worth it.  The same goes for all the work necessarily for making a documentary film…there are trying times, where you wonder if it’s all worth it.

 You have to keep telling yourself to stick with it…sometimes it involves blind faith.

 This past weekend, one of our early documentary subject, and a close friend of mine, after many starts and stops, after losing 20 pounds and regaining it…finally indicated that he’s seen the end of the tunnel — it was in many ways very rewarding to me to hear him say that.

There is a new confidence he has in “how it all works” – and he finally has decided that all of the effort, planning meals, staying motivated to exercise daily…”is worth it” (his own words).  In essence, this is what the film’s purpose is.  So to hear him come to this conclusion on his own, was really a breakthrough in my opinion.  It means that there is hope, for those who do not believe it is worth it…that if they just stick it out – they will see what it is all about.

He continued, “When you see those TV ads that say ‘results not typical’…they really are typical, if you do it all consistently…but most people don’t do that.”

So he is saying, that great results can be typical, if we understand the steps needed to get there.

So…part of this whole weight loss mystery is the concept of momentum.  Something I’ve been trying to put my finger on for the last few months to incorporate into the film.

A simplification of Newton’s First Law of motion is…

An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion. 

Or…objects tend to resist changes in their state of motion.

Sounds good, right?  Well, this really has a lot of relevance when it comes to all of the people we’ve been following in the film, who are trying to lose weight.  Especially in the early stages of change, so many things impact our ability to gain enough momentum to keep us moving in the right direction.

If we are used to eating poorly, living a sendentary life…watching TV every night – it is very difficult to change what we do…we are “at rest”.  We must overcome this initial state (some might call this a “rut”)…it’s not an easy thing to change…to overcome it we must see the value in change.

I’ve seen it so many times, and some of it is luck in the beginning, mainly because our minds often are not prepared to do everything right…we become inspired to try something new, something we might not normally do, and then we evaluate if it was worth it.

This initial period of time, that lasts for a week or two, seems to be a critical time period that will determine how successful we will be in the short term.  If we do not see the fruits of our labor within a short amount of time, we will surely question the reasons for change.

So if we have a man, who has done the same thing for nearly 20 years, without exercise, with poor eating habits – it is very critically important that if he does exercise every day for a week or two, that the results are positive enough to make us believe in the “work” we have done.  So I always have to cross my fingers in the beginning of any person’s journey, that they do spend enough time in the initial days doing things right – because this will give them the momentum to carry on.  Without this momentum, we are prone to falling back into old habits.

What I think it boils down to, is that if we are trying to lose weight, if we do not spend enough time making the right number of changes in the beginning, no matter how uncomfortable they might be, we may never generate the momentum that will keep us going.  So…there has to be a strong level of faith in the first 2-4 weeks of change, that the work involved is worth it — because ultimately we expect results from our efforts…and the degree of success in the beginning determines how much further we are willing to go.

So be prepared if you are embarking on something new, to give it your all in the beginning, much like going up a steep hill, we must get to the top of the first hill so we can use our momentum to get to the easier part (when we really believe in what we are doing).  And have at least a little patience for a couple of weeks.

Keep in mind, however, that we all tend to lose momentum, and have to muster up the strength and faith again to create more of it from time to time.  It varies from one person to the next, but it is somewhat cyclical I think.

The amazing thing about our mindset is how quickly it can change.  Thanks for sharing the video with me Jules (on your blog)…  

Another quick story about mindset.  A friend of mine who I’ve been trying to help with her weight loss goals mentioned to me one weekend that she went into the gym, that she was pretty sluggish, maybe a little down, low on energy.  She had no intention of having a really great workout on the treadmill.  That was her mindset.  It was going to be a mediocre workout.

She decided to step on the scale to see how her progress was coming along.

She had dropped 9 pounds since her last weigh in (maybe a week or 2 before).  Suddenly, her mindset changed.  She proceeded to have the best workout of her life that day.

Obviously 9 pounds is not a typical weight drop for most people, and not something we should be aiming for (that’s not really the point of this story).  It was a great example to me, of how powerful our mindset governs our focus and intensity in everything we do…although we are not always in control over our mood and our mindset, if we realize how it relates to our ultimate success, perhaps we can be more mindful of how we are thinking each moment…and stay a little more positive about what we are trying to do.

Ok, so I’m guilty of it too — I’ve seen lots of things that talk about creating a collage of photos and words of what we want, or what we want to become…the latest thing to repeat this idea is the movie, The Secret.  I’ve often thought to myself, I don’t really need that to remind me of what I want.  Well, like many things, it is often the small things we do, that really add up to something big.

Reminding ourselves, is exactly the point.  With our busy schedules, we are often too caught up in each moment to remember the things we really want.  In the context of losing weight, we have to remember what we are trying to do, and use things to remind us whenever possible.  Why?  I know you might be saying, “I don’t want to become obsessed with losing weight!” — yes, that is not necessarily a good thing…but depending on how you look at it, it could be a good thing if you aren’t doing things that interfere with your life in negative ways!  Perhaps obsessed is a little too strong a word.

It is each little reminder that gives us the focus we need, to make the right decisions each day, that really add up.  That picture of the body you want to achieve, taped to your refrigerator, may give you just one more reason not to eat the wrong thing, at times of weakness.  A post it on your computer monitor at work, might remind you that you shouldn’t be going out to eat with co-workers today when they ask you.  And over time, these small reminders can make a really big difference (in theory).

Here’s a little experiment for you if you watch TV every night.  Tape a piece of paper on your TV (not on the screen silly!), that says something like:

Monday – Lunges
Tuesday – Pushups
Wednesday – Situps
Thursday – Curls

(or a photo of what you are trying to achieve will do…but sometimes being more specific can translate into more “structure”)

These little reminders may be enough to get you off the couch during a commercial, and do 30 lunges (each leg), or 15 pushups, or whatever it may be.  Sounds silly, but if you watch TV consistently, maybe you can exercise consistently too?

This idea struck me as interesting, as I decided to do squats today while I was brushing my teeth in my hotel room.  What if we reminded ourselves to do this every day?  I know, sounds a bit strange…but since nobody’s watching…

Have a great week!

Whenever we work with someone for who is beginning a new diet or exercise program, we often see that lack of structure (among other things) has a lot to do with less-then-desired results.  It seems to make sense, that those who are more detailed about what they are doing, those who track it on paper, will usually do better overall. 

I’m not one to track everything, so I know that this is often a personality trait…to be very detailed about everything…or to just wing it.  The problem is, when we have the best intentions to eat properly, our lack of detail often obscures what we are doing so much, that we often are not as good as we might perceive.  This means, that we might eat really great for a day or two, and these two “perfect” days outshadow the days we are not-so-perfect.  We end up losing track of how consistent we’ve been, although we know we did eat perfectly for some days during the week.  So when we haven’t lost weight after a week, we try to think back to the days we ate really well, and we get frustrated that they didn’t make a difference…”what’s the point?” we might think to ourselves.

The same goes for exercise.  Especially when we are trying to figure out what exercises really make a difference.  When we do random exercises as they may pop into our heads at the gym, there becomes a sense of confusion about how our actions relate to our results, and we expect to see things happen really quickly…when we don’t see immediate results, we wonder if it’s worth it at all.

Ultimately, the inability to look at how our actions are tied to our consequences, leads to frustration, and we often give up…because we just don’t feel like we are getting anywhere.

So…whether we are detail-oriented or not, we must find some structure in order to feel like we have control over our results.  This may be having a workout partner who’s better at it, or even a coach or trainer, or dietician who develops progress logs for you – so you can see how it all ties together.  Ultimately, if we want to increase our chances for success, I think we need to face facts, that writing things down is going to make a big difference.

So…if you are frustrated with not getting very far…get a notebook, and start logging away!

Everything is relative in terms of our exercise behaviors, and sometimes ANY exercise is better than no exercise, that is for SURE!

However, I often try steer people away from cardiovascular machines like bikes and eliptical machines, not because they aren’t good forms of exercise, but because the allow us to be lazy and rationalize while we exercise!  Everything I say should always be taken with a grain of salt…because there are always arguments against what I am saying…I just try to get the main idea across sometimes.

As human beings, we are constantly finding rationalizations about why we don’t have to do what we know is good for us…it is when we can be truly honest about these things, when we can realize the results we really are after!

Every person is different when it comes to “pushing” themselves during exercise.  Some people I know are gluttons for punishment, and they can push themselves too hard…but from experience this is not the norm.  Most people “prefer” these exercises because they seem easier than the treadmill or stairmaster….and most of the time they are!  It is because WE control the workout pace and intensity, and at any given moment, when it becomes slightly uncomfortable, we ease back and slow down.

One of the key concepts of achieving consistent and substantial results in a fitness program is workout intensity.  This is something that we each must learn about ourselves as we begin, and it often takes a month or so to really feel comfortable pushing our body to its own limits.  This varies greatly from one person to the next, just as willpower and pain thresholds vary.  (Also one of the reasons why it really helps to have a trainer that helps to find your limits with you).

The faster you can find your limits, and push beyond them, the faster your results will come.  It’s really a balance, because pushing too hard can be discouraging because it is so uncomfortable, and pushing too little just ends up feeling like a waste of time because we don’t see much progress.  So this whole process, about learning how to go outside of our “comfort zone”, is something each of us must find as it is always different for each of us.

So when we compare a treadmill workout to an eliptical, if we set a treadmill to 4.0mph and decide we are going to walk for 30 minutes, it is often different than getting on an eliptical machine for 30 minutes.  The simple act of pressing the decrease speed button on the treadmill is enough of a difference to keep us working a little harder, because on an eliptical, there are no buttons to push, we simply slow down whenever we like, and it’s not so much a finite decision we are making.

I’m not saying that you can’t get a GREAT workout on an eiliptical machine…but I am saying we all may have the tendency to be lazy if we can be…

An update based on some of Vickie’s comments!

I don’t mean to simplify things and just flat out say, the treadmill is better than the eliptical.   Because the reasons why we exercise all together is so complex, I’d never want anyone to take me too literally.  Of course, among the biggest factors in adherence to any long-term program, is that you enjoy (ok, maybe that is too strong a word!) what you are doing…so if you HATE the treadmill, or you are absolutely SICK of it, then do what you WILL consistently do!  (There are ways to measure your intensity better on bikes and elipticals, by checking your heart rate, etc)

This entry isn’t meant to declare the treadmill as “lord of the exercise machines” – because as Vickie mentioned, the rowing machine can be more efficient at burning calories (as can many other options).  I sometimes oversimplify things just to get a specific idea across…this one being, if you choose an exercise that is very self regulated (in terms of intensity level), you run the risk of going easier on yourself.  Not a bad thing, but just something to keep in mind if you want to maximize your results and minimize the time it takes!

I am by no means saying that the 90 minute spin class I take on Saturdays is easy at all!

Today, I’m preparing to talk with Dr. James Prochaska – among the world’s most respected psychologists who has developed the widely used trans-theoretical model of change.  Read more about it here.

Time to find out why everybody makes so many excuses!

Should be worth the trip.

-UPDATE-

I had a great time interviewing Dr. Prochaska today – it’s amazing to believe that he spent the time to share his work with us.  People in everyday life do not understand that these people we get to meet are the celebrities in the world of science and social change – they are the people who are making a huge impact on many, many lives.  It’s inspiring to meet such people, and it’s such a great thing to be able to see how everything we are doing and learning actually maps so well to the incredible research that Dr. Prochaska has dedicated his life to.  More later on the actual interview…

On another positive note, my flight back to Atlanta was overbooked, so when they asked for volunteers to give up their seat, I asked what they were offering…how about 5 round trip tickets?!  So I am staying 1 extra night in Boston, and I get 5 extra plane tickets…not a bad deal at all!

Once in a while I come across an individual who really frustrates me…it somehow affects my entire day.  I’ve been trying to figure out why lately.

Our minds limit what we can become in so many ways.  So when I come across someone who has nearly a reason for every shortcoming in their life, whether it’s why they MUST use the eliptical versus the treadmill, or why they cannot cook for themselves…or why their dreams are no longer their dreams anymore…I feel like pulling my hair out.  I’ll work to show them “a way” around an obstacle they present…and they very adeptly find a reason why it won’t work.

The way our minds work to justify why we cannot to things is amazing.

We construct these realities in our minds, that place artificial limits on what we can do with our lives, and they all make total sense…if they didn’t we’d be terribly depressed I think.  I constantly remind myself of this, because it’s something we all do, every day. 

It is when I come across a person that has lied to themselves so many times, that their minds are paralyzed by their own reality…their own limitations…and I cannot see such a person ever reaching their full potential in life.  It’s depressing.

So…you can imagine how frustrating it can be to see the incredible potential in someone to achieving anything they want in life, but to know he or she will probably never see it in their lifetime.

While I believe we should always be thankful for our own good fortune in life, try not to settle too much in your life, because there is no reason you have to.  There is always a way.

If you read this thinking this is about you, don’t worry.  It’s about all of us.

This weekend I visited Dr. Jeff Levine’s home to learn more about his experience on the popular reality-based TV show, “The Biggest Loser”.  From the thousands of emails they receive each day from fans of his, they luckily found my email to them, asking for an interview, and thought it might be something worthwhile!

One of the things they asked me was, “Why us? Why not one of the other Biggest Loser contestents?” – since Dr. Jeff didn’t win the Biggest Loser show in Season 2.  I explained to them, that I believed that the impact of the show, and losing an incredible amount of weight the way he did, had a far reaching impact on his views as a Women’s Health physician and educator, as well as a parent of 4 girls.  As we look for important people to interview for the documentary, I believe it is not only about inspiring each individual to change their lives, but to demonstrate the role in which many of us play in turning inspiration into something real.  I feel that the message he and his family have to share sets a perfect example of the important role a physician has with his patients, as well as the critical role parents have in terms of shaping what our children know and do.

 First of all, Dr. Jeff and I spoke only once on the phone together…and exchanged a couple of emails about our project.  Nonetheless, he and Doris invited me into their home to stay – which not only helped with my travel expenses, but gave me a great deal of time to get to know them.  People I’ve told about it could hardly believe how these people would invite a stranger into their home…I quickly learned that this is the kind of people they are.

From my earlier blog entry, you can see I have these “theories” on how to best get kids to buy into healthier lifestyles.  Dr. Jeff and Doris explained to me how before the TV show experience, they did try to get their kids to do the right things…but the difference was that they didn’t feel like they had to follow the same set of rules.  What they discovered however, was that it wasn’t until the parents adopted the healthy habits, that their daughters began really following along.  They learned the importance of setting the example, by living the way they wanted their children to live.  That meant spending time finding healthy options that the whole family enjoyed, instead of forcing their daughters to eat things that they didn’t enjoy at all…and the difference as they explained, will forever change all of their lives.

 Unlike typical kids, the Levine girls read food labels and are very conscious of their food choices…they read the labels and look for healthier foods.  They’ve learned that just because something is considered “healthy” – that it doesn’t have to taste bad.  Doris and Dr. Jeff explain that it is a lot of trial and error finding the things their kids like to eat, that are healthy — but the end result is worth it.  They allow their kids to eat junk food when they choose to, but make sure to educate their kids on the importance of healthier food options…so they are much more aware of food…not obsessed, but better informed eaters!  These important lessons, I believe, they will carry with them for the rest of their lives…and they will pass these habits down to future generations! 

As a physician, we discussed the critical importance of “caring” for patients…that when patients believe you really care about their well-being, they really can respond to the things you say.  And the fact that Dr. Jeff has gone through a dramatic weight loss experience himself, has given him a greater apprecitation for the challenges his patients face…and as he shows others what is possible, he inspires his patients to live healthier lives.

You’ll have to watch the film to see the other lessons we’ve learned from Dr. Jeff’s experience…about excuses, about never giving up on something, and the most important lessons he learned from the Biggest Loser.

Special thanks to the Levine family for their incredible generosity and genuine desire to help many others find the happiness they have found.   Another great experience!