Road map to change

Finally the sun is showing its face and peeking through the clouds. It is going to be 19 degrees today in old London Town and things are only going to get better.

One week of signs of the sun and longer days and I am starting to receive so many more calls and enquires. This got me thinking about the stages of making personal change and what thought process people go through when taking the first steps to start exercising.

The Transtheoretical Model of Change describes how people modify a problem behaviour or acquire a positive behavior. The model was originally explained by psychologists James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente in 1983. This model has been recognized world wide not only for exercise habits but also addiction.

People pass through a series of stages as they move towards changing their behaviour. These are:

PRECONTEMPLATION (Not ready to change)

In the precontemplation stage people are not thinking seriously about changing and resist offers of help.

"Ignorance is bliss" - people in this stage tend to defend their bad habit(s) and do not feel it’s a problem.

CONTEMPLATION (Thinking of changing)

In this stage people are ambivalent about change.

"Sitting on the fence" – people spend time weighing up the pro’s and cons of quitting or modifying their behaviour. It may take as little as a couple of weeks or as long as a lifetime to get through the contemplation stage. Sadly some people deliberate endlessly about starting an exercise regime and may never get beyond this stage.

PREPARATION (Ready to change)

In this stage people have made the commitment to make a change. 

"Testing the waters" - this is sort of a research phase in which people gather information, sometimes by contacting instructors/gyms, eg emailing me ;)

ACTION (Making change)

This is the stage where people believe they have the ability to change their behaviour and are actively taking steps to change their habits by using a variety of different methods, such as going to the gym or attending a pilates class. 

MAINTENANCE (Staying on track)

The bad habit’s been kicked (Hooray) and you’re on your way to a healthier happier you. The good behaviour still requires maintenance, but you have now adopted this into your daily routine and you will feel incomplete without it. At this stage people are less tempted to relapse and increasingly more confident that they can continue their change.

RELAPSE (Fall from grace)

This refers to falling back to the old behaviors after going through other stages and is often accompanied by feelings of failure. But don’t despair. Along the way most people experience a relapse. In fact, it is more common to have at least one relapse than not.

What stage do you think you sit in? Wherever you are in the process you can make the change - just keep going! :)

Edamame

I love these yummy sweet pods of goodness.

I always have a pack in the freezer ready for me to snack on. They are super easy to prepare and a great snack any time of the day.

So what are they?

Edamame are young soybeans, prepared in their pod and served with salt. They are very popular in China and Japan and are always on the menu in Japanese restaurants.

These little green beans, which look like a cross between a pea and a broad bean, are not only a great source of vitamin C, fibre and folic acid they are said to be the only vegetable to contain all nine amino acids...

Yes I am in love.

How to prepare:

Stove Top

1. Rinse fresh edamame.
2. Put edamame pods into briskly boiling water.
3. Cook to second boil 2-5 minutes or until tender. At this stage, you would normally notice some pods opening up. Do not overcook.
4. Drain water, let cool, sprinkle with salt and serve. 

Steamer

1. Rinse fresh edamame.
2. Place edamame pods in steamer basket.
3. Place basket in saucepan with water below basket.
4. Cover, bring to a full boil and steam about 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle on some salt and serve.

Eating Directions:

Take soybean pod by the stem, place between teeth, strip soybeans from the pod with your teeth and discard empty pods.

Yum yum yum! 

Running for life

A few years ago I lost someone very close to me. Someone who helped mold me into who I am today. 
It hurts to think they felt so alone that they felt the only option was to end their life.

I think of him often and constantly wish I could turn back time and somehow help and stop what happened. If he knew there was support for him I feel he would still be here today.

I have decided to take part in this year’s 2012 Bupa London 10,000 race on May 27^th to try and raise money for an amazing charity that helps supports people who need advice and guidance when they don’t know where to turn. 

Mind's vision is of a society that promotes and protects good mental health for all, and that treats people with experience of mental distress fairly, positively, and with respect.

My aim is to raise £1000 for Mind.

Please click here to help me contribute to this worthy cause.

Smoothie Time

After a great run with a couple of friends today the first thing I did when I got home was make a smoothie.
I love protein smoothies and it is not only a nutritious meal but also a great way to include any supplements.

This is my current recipe but it tends to change with my mood.

• 1 cup of rice or hemp milk (or any other milk you drink. You could use soy or almond milk)
• 1 banana
• 1 scoop of protein powder (loving Sun Warrior at the moment)
• 1 teaspoon of chia seed
• 1 teaspoon of maca root powder
• 1 teaspoon of acai berry powder
• ½ teaspoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder

Blend and enjoy! 

Sometimes I will add a few raspberries in or some yoghurt it just depends how I am feeling and what’s in season.

CT BLOG

Time to join the blogging world!

I am originally from Australia and now call lovely London home.

For the past five years I have been practicing pilates and yoga, pastimes which have grown my love for happy healthy living.

After working in the fashion and beauty industry for 10 years it was time to make a career change. Becoming a pilates teacher has enabled me to follow my true passion of helping people lead healthier and more fulfilling lives.

This blog will be a melting pot of things that inspire me from pilates adventures to recipes and training tips.

Looking forward to sharing the love with you all! 

Claire xxx