Using Motivational Interviewing techniques to change behavior

Motivational Interviewing is a treatment used to (surprise, surprise) increase motivation for change. It's a powerful tool, and it works by addressing ambivalence to change. When it comes to behavior change, we are torn between changing and not changing because there are good things we stand to give up and negative consequences to that change. To provide an example, I'll start by having a conversation with myself.

Why don't I want to change my eating habits (especially drinking pop, eating out, and eating large portions)? This is good question when you're just thinking about changing, possibly even before.

Well, I think food has an emotional benefit for me. I eat when I'm stressed out, and I often mistake hunger for stress.

Reflection: Food is important to you, and it makes you feel better. There are only positives to continue eating like you do.

It is important, but it doesn't make me feel better anymore. There are a lot of downsides to eating as much as I do. I feel tired. I have to buy large clothes that are harder and harder to find. I get tired easily. I miss being in shape, and I want to be attractive to women. I don't feel that way currently.

What are the negatives of not changing?

Well, things will stay as they are. I'll probably develop diabetes, and probably die early of a heart attack. There's nothing that can be done for me at that point.

It's a bit early, but I'm going to summarize.

So, I recognize that they are some short term benefits to keep eating the way I do. There are also some serious benefits. I think that I'll feel better and not be so tired. It will also help me to get in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle. It will also help me to feel more confident and possibly meet women. Overall, it will make my current focus on health less inconsistent with my lifestyle (developing discrepancy). 

For anyone interested in learning more about motivational interviewing:

Free stories on Kindle

Hey everyone,

A couple of my stories on the Kindle are available for free today.

Sex, Lies, and General Competence:

Sex, Lies, and General Competence

The Debt:

The Debt

This one isn't available for free, but I included it anyway.  It's called the Future is the Past, and it's a Back to the Future parody sequel.

Kindle:



Paperback:



Enjoy!

Lifestyle change progress

Last week was my birthday, and it was a particularly bad week for eating.  I ate out a lot, and it showed.  Somehow, this week,  I was able to get back on track.  When I weighed in this morning, I weighed 317.8lbs.  That's down from 321.7 a month ago which was down from about 328 pounds.  I feel great. 

To recap, the changes I've made include not eating any food with 20g of sugar or more (this is slowly decreasing to 10g, but I have broken the rule a few times), not eating after 8pm (broken a few times too), not eating second helpings (also broken once or twice), and I mostly quit drinking pop (broken a few times also).  Still, I've done enough to keep losing weight, and, while I'm not losing weight at an insane rate, I'm still dropping pounds in a healthy slow way.  I still need to find a way to exercise more and to eat more fruits.  Vegetables aren't a problem though I could be more consistent.  Some days, I eat five servings of veggies and some days it's zero.  Overall, I'm happy with my progress, and I plan on keeping it up. 

Reflecting on 28

Today is my 28th birthday.  Honestly, I feel old, but I also feel the best I've felt in a long time.  I'm wonderfully busy.  I'm in a Ph. D. program.  I'm almost done with a Masters of Public Health program, and I'm losing weight.  Three years ago, I was unemployed, lost, and very unhappy.  The difference is incredible.  Yet, I still think about the past, my mistakes.  I don't know if I'll ever truly let them go even though I should.  I think about missed chances, and, then, I ponder if I'd even be where I am if those things had come to fruition. 

The next line of thought comes back to how much I've changed and how much I've improved.  The truth was I was trying to fix myself for so many years.  So many of my pursuits had been about me.  It's not selfish for a while.  I think someone has to focus on their happiness, or they will make others around them unhappy.  I've finally done that.  I've finally focused on my happiness, and the results are fantastic.  There is no real point to this post except to say that I'm becoming a different better person.  These words are for me, but I hope they can give hope to others in whatever way possible. 

Lifestyle change progress

So, I'm trying to improve my health again.  The difference is this time I'm doing it differently.  Back in September, I listened to the audio book version of "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink Ph. D.  The book presents research highlighting how we eat without thinking.  It can be for many reasons.  We're bored, happy, sad, tricked, or simply terrible at estimation, but it's clear we mindlessly overeat.  While I don't use much of the principles presented in the book yet, I do plan on applying many of them, slowly. 

That's the point of the book and Dr. Wansink's research: little things have huge consequences over time. Consuming just ten extra calories a day can lead to a pound of weight gain in a year.  One hundred extra calories a day can lead to ten pounds gained in a year.  But, and it's a fantastic but, we can use this to our advantage.  Making one behavior can lead to ten pounds being lost in a year.  It's something fairly simple.  Quit drinking that can of pop every day.  Eat less chips, less ice cream, or don't take a second helping are just a few options.  Mine was a fairly drastic step.  I quick drinking pop almost entirely in late-September.  I consumed at least 1.5 liters a day, but 2 liters or more was not unusual.  That's about 600 calories a day, give or take.  Assuming those are excess calories, this behavior change can amount to roughly 60 pounds in a year. 

I'm probably not actually cutting out 600 calories a day, but I am losing weight.  I've lost about 7 or 8 pounds in six weeks.  There are ways that I can improve, but this is a fantastic first step.  I'll keep tracking my progress and muse about possible hypotheses.  When this experiment began, I weighed a disheartening 328 pounds.  This morning, I weighed 321.6.  It's not much difference, but it's a start. 

Philip K. Dick kindle novels on-sale today

Hey everyone,

When I find a good deal, I like to pass it along.  Today only, select Philip K. Dick novels are on sale at the kindle store for $1.99.

The Best of Philip K. Dick:


The Man in the High Castle:


Total Recall:


Ubik:


A Scanner Darkly:

Another Back 4 the Future plug

Sometimes, a movie studio just doesn’t understand how much fans can love a movie franchise. There are times when a movie can define a decade for someone.  It could be the one with that guy named Luke or Indiana.  For some, it’s the franchise about time travel featuring a Delorean.  But, you know what?  The movie studio doesn’t get it.  I fucking love this series.  As a kid and even an adult, I wanted to travel through time.  I wanted to be the assistant to a scientist, especially a sexy older scientist.

Come on!  It's worth it!
In Paperback
On Kindle
On Nook

Is it a surprise that I didn’t want it to be over?  Three movies was all I got.  How is that fair?  I wanted more, so I wrote another one.  But, apparently, fan fiction isn’t the same as a spec script. Big deal.  Some of the comments I received from Universal Studios were insane.  Maybe, it’s quote “riddled with anachronisms” whatever that means. Yes, there are definitely some homosexual overtones between the young man and the scientist.  Let’s be honest here. Why would a genius scientist have a high school boy who dreams of being a rock star and has sub-par grades be his research assistant?  It doesn’t make any sense. I’m just saying he clearly wanted to tap that ass.  Really, who doesn’t want to bone Michael J. Fox, even now? Hell, I know I do, and I know he’d be creeped out by it too. And what does me supposedly sending naked pictures of myself to the stars of this franchise have to do with the quality of my story.  Talk about a non-sequitar.  If I were a woman, they wouldn’t be complaining.  So what?  I maybe sent some naked pictures.  So FUCKING what?  Why don’t you read it before you judge me?  Just read it!  Read it and decide for yourself.