Weight Reduction and Its Impact on Self-Esteem
Discuss about the Health Behavior I Want To Change In Myself.
Excess body weight is often perceived as a burden and a struggle that immensely the lives of people in several ways. Excessive weight increase may develop certain forms of devaluations and lower level of self-esteem in me (Hardcastle et al. 2013). It is very astonishing to perceive that majority of people in recent times have been encouraging proper body shapes and sizes and thus have been greatly conscious of their body weight (Pack et al. 2014). However, in recent times I have been experiencing certain health-centric issues such as high blood pressure and fatty liver disorder. Although it soon came into my realization that weight loss, is an enduring process and thus requires immense motivation, patience and motivation to accomplish it. At this juncture, I must try to note the significance of weight loss and the way it has facilitated many to live a healthy as well as complacent life (Paoli et al. 2013). It is further to note that increasing amount of weight gain further leads to certain levels of risk related to health conditions such as heart issues, increased rate of blood pressure, diabetes. It has been witnessed that an increased rate of obesity and overweight in Australia is recognized as part of a global trend. Several reports have revealed that more than 50% of females and around 75% of males along with almost 30% of children and adolescents have been classified as obese (Wee et al. 2013). Being overweight may also lead an individual to lose self-confidence and further shove him or her to isolation and lower level of social progress (Kaye et al.2016). Furthermore, losing body envelops a range of factors related to personal as well as emotional investment whereby a level of motivation not only facilitates an individual to develop self-confidence but also further envisions his or her life by detailing the effective consequences of accomplishing these objectives (Bassi et al. 2014). The significance of realistic goals to a realistic life will enhance my self-gratitude and further assist me in living a healthy life without any critical health obstacles.
Specific- In order to achieve a successful weight reduction I would aim to take 30 minutes walk every day after my work.
Measurable- Here my goal is to objectively determine the quantity of food I consume every day. My objective that has been determined through this SMART goal is to eat 1,200 calories a day.
Health Risks of Excessive Body Weight
Action Oriented- This specific goal is considered as attainable because the 30 minutes’ walk, which I have been continuing for a week, has produced effective outcomes. However, these productive results can easily be recognized by evaluating my energy level and my emotional stability.
Realistic-This method primarily focused on the goals recognized by my health supervisor who has thereby established specific objectives based on my current weight as well as health criterion.
Time Bound- I believe that goals are most effectively achieved if one generates a record or time frame of one’s weight reduction development. In order to bring a transformation in one of my fundamental health behaviour I have established a time frame of 4-6 months that would involve regular walking, cycling and a balanced diet consisting of low calorie food items.
Weight reduction is regarded as one of the greatest concerns of the society in recent times. It must be noted that accomplishing a healthy weight is regarded as a real balancing activity (Katterman et al. 2014). However, the risks and threats of overweight and obesity are universally accepted, there lies certain disagreements and debates related to weight loss (Campbell and Campbell II 2016). There can be witnessed an association between an enhanced self-esteem and weight reduction whereby I have recognized that my increased degree of weight loss has facilitated an improved level of my self-dignity. It must further be noted by me that during the session of my weight loss I have experienced certain drastic transformations in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, I have perceived that there are also various health related benefits which has developed the quality of my life whereby I have been facing effective improvements in body image which used to be noted as immensely distressing for me a few weeks before. Furthermore, the rate of psychological modifications occurred during my weight reduction procedure have been immense. However, keeping the beneficiary factors of weight loss in consideration, it must be recognized that certain disorders are developed during the process of weight reduction. The enduring struggle with the pressure to lose weight and simultaneously maintain a specific aim comes at an immensely high psychological cost (Rothberg et al. 2014). During my weight reduction procedure, I have experienced an increase in my level of stress and anxiety that has further affected my hormonal levels.
Weight reduction has produced greater impact to my health condition than was expected. Following to a successful reduction of 5-10% of my body weight, I have started to experience an augmented energy level that is further facilitating my daily activities and have improved my oxygen efficiency. Furthermore, it is significant to note that earlier to key behavioural change I experienced certain rate of discontentment apprehension with my family and peer association due to the growing stress of body image. However, maintaining a healthy regime has led to be to develop a sense of self-worth as well as self-efficacy, which has aided to serve me adequate conviction and faith in myself in order to make improved life choices (Phelan et al. 2015).
Weekly Table to Measure Weight Reduction Progress
The most significant transformation I have experienced in the process of my weight decrease is the approach I have developed while conducting my every day activities. I have achieved an increased level of buoyancy and self-reliance when I am dealing with any critical circumstances at my workplace.
Weekly Table to measure my Weight Reduction
With the utilization of BMI calculator, I have measured my transforming behaviour of weight reduction in order to receive an effective evaluation of my weight reduction regime. Considering my height as 170 cm and initial weight 75 kg the following table shows the assessed outcomes.
Date |
Changing Behaviour |
Development |
1st Week |
Increased level of stress and uneasiness due to overweight. |
26.0 (over weight) |
2nd Week |
Improved rate of energy, enthusiasm, controlled blood pressure level. |
26.0 (Over weight) |
3rd Week |
Able to feel change within myself, growth of rate of metabolism, developed self-confidence |
25.4 (over weight) |
4th Week |
Strict diet plan, regular 30 minutes’ walk and swimming |
24.9 (normal BMI) |
5th Week |
Increased duration of walk, exercise resulted in decrease breathing issues and elevated the level of enthusiasm and motivation |
24.6 (Normal BMI) |
6th Week |
Improved blood sugar levels, high rate of metabolism, improved mental state. |
24. 6 (Normal BMI) |
7th Week |
Complete relief from sleep apnoea and migraine ache with a high rate of metabolism |
24.2 (Normal BMI) |
8th Week |
Complete relief from sleep apnoea and migraine ache with a high rate of metabolism along with that an enhanced level of self-confidence. |
23.9 (Normal BMI) |
(Rate as per BMI calculator)
While participating in a weight reduction regime it came into my realization that the process of weight loss is not transitory and involves increased level of self-determination and motivation in order to accomplish my aims and objectives. While struggling to achieve my fitness or health purposes I have experienced several obstacles, complexities and underwent into an emotional turmoil as well. Gradually it was realized that I have tend to become less self-compassionate as well as self-critical thereby I started to compare myself with other which however initially proved to beneficial but in the later phase recognized it to be immensely distressing. However, in certain phases of my daily, I experienced high appreciation but there were few who were incompetent to comprehend my sole agenda of weight reduction and further revealed various negative and disastrous impact related to it. Prior to my weight reduction regime, I was immensely indulged in fast food or unhealthy food consumption, which I at this juncture, consider to be one of the primary causes of my drastic weight gain. However, while maintaining a healthy diet management, it came into my realization that sustain a healthy life cannot be developed at ease and thus requires appropriate medical or professional assistance. It must further be considered that witnessing others to participate in unhealthy appetizers restrains others from sustaining a well-maintained life regime (Swift et al. 2014). However, I recognized that making highly low fat or diet food preferences might provide productive eoutcomes during initial phase of weight reduction but can pose opposite consequences if continued for an extended period. My preliminary phase of weight loss regime predominantly comprised of excessive diet plan primarily intended to achieve rapid weight decrease. It is further to be noted that intense rate of diet can be referred as an outcome of dieting in an effective manner and further driving an individual’s body beyond the limits of its competences (Schwingshackl, Dias and Hoffmann 2014). The damaging or unhealthy approach of dieting is often related to crash dieting or further in extreme situations can be related to staying in empty stomach for the whole day. It has been identified that individuals who suffer from severe psychological disorder from body image concerns realize the need and desire of following an extreme diet that eventually produces harmful impacts on the state of health condition (Jakicic et al. 2016). Several investigations have exposed ‘emotional eating’ as one of the primary hindrances of weight reduction and further addressed underlying and fundamental emotional dilemmas as issues related to weight increase (Prochaska 2013). However, I further evaluated that issues linked with weight maintenance are often associated with causes related to an amalgamation of biological, emotional, behavioural as well as environmental issues. Drawing connection to this, another primary obstacle experienced by me that is related to high rate of fatigue, anxiety and underlying medical issues. Another crucial obstacle faced during this change of behaviour lied on the lack of productive time and opportunity to involve myself into any weight reduction institutes such as gym or yoga courses to lose weight in a more systematic and effective approach. As a result, I adapted the habit of taking 30 minutes’ walk on a regular basis to achieve the aim of weight reduction. However, it is important to note that sustaining the inclination towards walking would not always deliver effective outcomes and further cannot be maintained on a standard and expected manner. At various situational contexts, one might be unable to sustain his or her exercise.
Psychological and Emotional Challenges of Weight Reduction
I believe that permanent transformation is a flexible enduring procedure that involves body mind and spirit. However, it is considered as a matter of responsible preferences and persistent effort in order to achieve its means as not only a healthier, well-maintained body but as an inner strength and confidence that would exist for long. As a result it is important for me to identify the factors that have effectively facilitated me in adopting a change in one of my significant behaviours and further take necessary steps towards so healthy as well as fitter life. Thus it is important do mention the transtheoretical model in order to demonstrate the stages of transformation in my health behaviour (Dombrowski et al. 2014). The transtheoretical model comprises of 6 important stages namely pre-contemplation stage, contemplation stage, preparation stage, action stage and maintenance stage. The transtheoretical model of behaviour change however is considered as an integrative theory of therapeutic measures that evaluates an individual’s readiness to respond to a new healthy or behaviour and further provides approaches strategies or processes of transformation in order to provide effect of guidance to the individual (Dietz et al. 2015).
Pre-contemplation stage- In this stage, I would discuss about my initial attitude towards my health that has further led me face severe risks and threats related to it. Prior to the incidence of my weight reduction regime, I possessed a lack of knowledge and awareness towards my health conditions and was always living with the assumptions, that there are no such issues that my body is suffering from. It is further to know that despite of having certain symptoms of breathing problem high blood pressure I had completely position them out of my domain of consideration. Though my health expert to whom I used to visit once in 6 months advanced me to undergo weight decrease regime I was always in this assumption that I could never leave my love for fast are inexpensive foods.
Contemplation-In this stage I realise that I must take up a weight reduction regime in order to enjoy a well-maintained and healthy lifestyle. The increased rate of harmful effects of obesity or overweight that further results to high level of risk related to cardiac arrest along with high blood pressure has aroused the level of my concern towards losing my body weight. At a stage I would also like to mention the elevated level of support and encouragement I have received from my dear ones who have not only supported me but have also taken active participation in this process of weight loss.
Importance of Professional Assistance for a Healthy Life
Preparation- The stage primarily concentrates on the way I implemented my strategies towards weight loss and further made necessary steps to achieve my said purpose. During the initial phase of my weight loss management, I develop certain strategies such as diet path, workout and swimming as my significant approaches towards accomplishing my objective. However, I realise that persistent crash diet and usage of weights could cause severe impacts on my health in my future. As a result, I strategically shifted my way of thinking and focused more on natural way of losing weight, which involved walking, consuming low and healthy diet regime.
Action-At this stage my objective reflected a lot of transparency, which help me to perceive the way I will look and feel with the desired transformation. The strategies, which I have implemented on stage 3, are being effectively followed by me. The level of motivation is productively facilitating me in following the approaches thereby assisting me to decrease my body weight in an effective manner.
Motivation or maintenance- The stage explicitly depicts the outcomes of my approaches to decrease my body weight. The stage of behaviour further assisted me in evaluating the region, which I have maintained for these few months and further review whether the regime followed by me has proven to be effective to my health development.
It is significant to remember that someone who is involved in abusing alcohol or drugs will continue to perform in that manner as long as the outcomes of the usage to not surpass the advantageous factors (Vilar-Gomez et al. 2015). However once an individual with a great concern experiences and increase rate of consequences along with fever beneficial factors me begin to comprehend that he or she requires effective assistance and main thus take into consideration the important factors of substance abuse treatment (Van Boekel et al. 2013). At this position it is significant to note that as much as an individual may desire a substance abuser to receive proper assistance it must also be taken into consideration that a person cannot be possibly make the abuser undergo substance abuse diagnosis (Ho et al. 2013) I have explicitly understood the need of proper encouragement and support towards the abuser to facilitate him or her for considering the process of diagnosis as a productive option for a healthy life. While working with the substance abuse individual who has been involved in to consumption of drugs for a prolonged period has made me realise that it is indeed a very crucial subject to deal with and further found it immensely complex to have establish an effective conversation that would fabricated certain meanings and connotations in the individuals life (Kania and Kramer 2013). While approaching a dear friend of mine with substance abuse I prefer to choose share my recent experiences of weight reduction with him in order to inculcate similar kinds of self-motivation in his life as well. I shared my experience of the way a healthy diet and productive meditation sessions have helped me too perceive my life in an improved manner, which I could not have thought before few months. Though, my weight decrease regime comprised of several critical obstacles such as higher rate of anxiety and complacent the consequences of my ultimate weight reduction procedure proof to become an effective strategy as it has manage to gather adequate self-confidence and self-reliance within myself and also offer me with new insights on my health conditions.
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