Finding Support When Making Lifestyle Changes
Finding Support When Making Lifestyle ChangesPg 1TranscriptWhen you are making changes to long-term habits, try to find support from others to help you staymotivated and reach your goals. It’s not easy to make changes alone. And you don’t have to.Most people are trying to make positive changes to their lifestyle even if they don’t look like it.Together, you can support each other as you work toward your goals.Support can ease the burden of lifestyle changes and help reduce any frustration, stress,depression, or anxiety you may be feeling. You can find support in many places.“My wife is very creative in finding ways to make wonderful, new innovative dishes for meall the time. I really don’t even have to think about eating healthy because of the fact that itjust appears.”“We try to eat dinner together as often as we can. I think it’s important to sit down and enjoya meal together and have that time together at some point in the day.”“My husband Josh and I are both very active and I know Johanna looks up to that becauseshe sees Daddy working out in the garage and her biggest thing is she likes to go with Dadand try to do pull-ups and I think part of that is seeing us and she just loves to stay activeas well.”In addition to family and friends, community groups can be a great source of support. For example,if you are trying to lose weight, there are many community groups that you can join to share yourexperiences. Talking with other people trying to make some of the same changes you are makingcan give you new ideas and will encourage you to keep making healthy choices.“I do try to share some of what I know about making healthy foods taste better with prettymuch everyone I know because I want people to see that just because it’s healthy, doesn’tmean it tastes bad.”“With community walks, with running groups, with fitness classes, with different funactivities, different sports that go on around the community, my desire is to create theavenue for each and every person to say ‘Oh, this is the avenue where I can get thephysical exercise, and also encouragement in my nutrition.’ ”“It was mostly helpful just to have those people there that were also trying to quit and wekind of supported each other. And you know, each week we would talk about our progressand that was very helpful. I felt like I had a support network and I didn’t have to do it alone.”You may not even have to go far from home to get community support. Online social networks canhelp you get positive feedback and stay motivated. Just make sure all your outlets and contactsare adding positivity to your journey to better health. Don’t let the negative creep in and get you offtrack!Professionals may also be a great resource. If you have been trying to add exercise to your dailyroutine and are finding it difficult, you may want to hire a personal trainer. A personal trainer canThis program is for informational purposes only; for all health related issues please contact your healthcareprovider. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this videofor medical decision making. gn_10225_98 ©Milner-Fenwick, Inc.Finding Support When Making Lifestyle ChangesPg 2help you reach your exercise goals safely. Sharing a personal trainer with a friend can be a way ofreducing the expense and ensures you have a buddy to workout with.Maybe you would find a nutritionist helpful when making healthy food choices. Grocery stores andhospitals often have dietitians available for free nutrition assessments. Or a counsellor may be agreat option when trying to quit smoking.And finally, remember, members of your healthcare team are there to help too. If you haven’t had aroutine physical in a while, make an appointment and see how you are doing. Your healthcareprovider can help measure the positive changes you can’t see, with tests that show you how youare lowering your risk for some health conditions. Tell your healthcare provider about thechallenges you are facing and the concerns you have. Your healthcare team is a great resource tohelp you each step of the way.Take some time now to think of your own sources of support and reach out to them.This program is for informational purposes only; for all health related issues please contact your healthcareprovider. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this videofor medical decision making. gn_10225_98 ©Milner-Fenwick, Inc.
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