Lesson Four Assignment

Transcription

1 Lesson Four Assignment 1. Case study History: Billie is overweight. She is finding it very difficult to motivate herself to lose weight and comes to you for help. Using the notes from your lessons so far and the stages given in the lesson notes, write how you would work through the stages with Billie to encourage her to lose weight. Prepare a detailed case study on Billie. Identified Issues and Caseplan: Self Esteem and Depression Billie s physical appearance and self motivation issues will no doubt have affected her self esteem. The more she tries and fails, the harder it becomes to shake off the mindset and see herself as something other than a failure. Every effort should be made to create a pattern of success for Billie from helping to identify foods that are good for her to finding suitable exercise options. After ongoing battles to lose weight, inability to motivate herself and constant reminders of her size such as clothes shopping and chairs in public places, Billie is no doubt suffering a level of depression. If her self esteem has greatly suffered due to a number of factors, this needs to be appropriately assessed to determine if counselling is needed to help her through emotional issues which may have caused and/or maintained the weight gain. Her coaching however should remain upbeat and focussed around successes and motivations to support her through the process. Health If Billie is severely overweight and has been for some time, her body will have experienced the stress effects of obesity. This should be appropriately assessed by her doctor before beginning any diet or exercise regime to ensure that she is capable of participating safely in such a programme. A dietician should also be considered to help teach Billie how to make good food choices and how to read nutrition panels on food packets. They may also be able to help a dietary program that will be more conducive to weight loss for Billie. If her health does not permit her to undertake strenuous exercise, her doctor should be involved in the process of identifying a suitable exercise program and setting other appropriate limits for her. Expectations and Triggers If she has tried to lose weight in the past and has met with little success, Billy may hold an expectation that she will not be able to succeed this time no matter how much help she has. Billie should be encouraged to identify why those past attempts did not succeed and what her expectations are at this current time. While this area should be discussed, care should be taken so that it does not become a focus of her Coaching or it may serve to de-motivate her by focussing on past failures. She should also seek to identify any triggers for her eating patterns such as emotional issues, boredom and comfort eating as these will be crucial in establishing a plan for her. Page 1

2 Exploration should also be made to see whether lack of motivation and self esteem issues have appeared in the rest of her life to see if there are any correlations or triggers. Additionally, if she has experienced lack of motivation in other areas but managed to overcome it, it could provide a key to a motivational tool(s) and past success upon which to build. Rewards It is entirely possible that other diets have failed because they offer no reward for sustained effort and have no end in sight. Billie would do well with a clear reward system that acknowledges her achievements on a continual basis and encourages her to continue. Her coach can help Billie draw up a Success Chart with goals marked in. Stars and other special things can be placed on the chart in celebration of those milestones once they are reached along with the date. The chart should be highly colourful and comical so that it becomes a fun thing. Billie should be encouraged to participate in its creation identifying the milestones she would like to include and her goals. In addition, Billie may like to do a point system where she gains a point every time she does 10 minutes of exercise, or walks to the shops instead of driving, successfully resists a trigger, etc. For example, she can be given a paper flower for accrued points which she can then either take home to place in a vase so she has a visible reminder of her successes thus far, or leave with her coach so she can review her rewards each session. Different point values would be denoted by different colour flowers making an attractive posy when combined. Billie should be the only one with the power of placing flowers in and out of the vase however giving her full power over them. These points can then be redeemed with her coach for a reward of her choice varying rewards costing various points. This is of course an honour system but may place a different emphasis on weight loss than she has had previously. Rewards may range from such things as a dish of ice cream or some other treat that is normally off the menu to a special day out at place of her choice. Having this chart in a highly visible place is also a beneficial tool for Billie when she enters the room for her coaching session as it will emphasise that the focus is on her, helping her to feel supported. This is a most important message for her to receive both verbally and non-verbally throughout the coach/client relationship. Exercise It seems clear that normal exercise routines and walking groups are of little interest to Billie and she will quickly lose motivation if asked to pursue that route. Alternatives are required. Once Billie has the all clear to begin an exercise regime, it should begin slowly with something that is engaging and fun for her such as WII fit where she can play games which will occupy her time and attention but distract her from the fact that she is losing weight while doing so. Billie should also be encouraged to move continuously 4 times a day for a period of just 10 minutes each. This does not mean regimented exercise. She can do housework, laundry or other household chores if she wishes providing she moves continuously to keep her heart rate up. This will be a productive use of the time and result in 40 minutes worth of movement a day which should help to contribute to her building muscle tone and feeling less tired. Billie can create games for things to help keep herself motivated. For example, she can make a list of the shopping she needs to do at the mall and then set off to do it timing herself to see how quickly she can make her way around, accomplish her goals and return to the car. A game chart can be done for this also to track her best scores with rewards offered for a best time. The mindset to beat a prior time will help to keep her moving and thus, keep her heart rate up and give her body exercise while she is less focussed on that aspect of it at the same time accomplishing productive goals which she would have to do anyway albeit at a slower pace. Page 2

3 As her fitness increases Billie should be encouraged to engage in fun activities such as belly dancing groups where there are a lot of women of ample size. This would provide her fitness and social interaction. Monitoring It is common for most dieticians, doctors, weight loss clinics and fitness centres to monitor weight loss by using scales. To continue this method could lead to a strong reminder of past failures and should therefore be discouraged unless Billie wishes to use this method herself. In place of this, a tape measure should be used to track the amount of weight lost. Billie may also like to bring in one of her big outfits and try it on each session using visible and tactile impressions to imprint the amount of weight loss and highlight her success. A photo can be taken each time and placed with her chart to celebrate each step. A daily mood diary may help Billie to keep track of both her danger areas and any questions or concerns she may have so that these can be addressed with her coach. The diary should be decorated by Billie to make it a fun tool rather than a serious and boring one. Daily entries can include both words and pictures if she wishes. It is her expression of how she feels on any given day. Unlike a food diary which will enhance the idea of weight loss in her mind, a mood diary will change the focus to how she feels and what areas she is struggling with. Those areas may or may not be food related. Opening this window will allow Billie to see a greater range of issues which she may not have even consciously recognised which can then be worked through appropriately. In allowing Billie to externalize what is happening for her and helping her slow down, she will also see recurring patterns and be able to identify strategies for coping with them. Being able to look back at her progress and clearly see how her health and wellbeing have changed will be very empowering for her Initial Steps: Health review by doctor to identify and address any issues including counselling Visit dietician to become educated about food, nutrition panels, and a diet plan. Explore WII Fit and water aerobics options Identify triggers and any correlations to other issues Set up a basic exercise plan with 10 minutes of constant movement 4 times a day Create the Success Chart, Rewards Chart, and the Mall Race game charts Reassure Billie that weight loss is a process and that seeking a life coach was a successful step in itself. Help Billie establish a mood diary Later Steps: Review exercise program Review long term goals Explore with Billie if she feels the need to alter any other areas of her life Assess if Counselling is required to deal with surfacing emotional issues Belly Dancing once a week Page 3

4 Conclusions: With the focus shifted away from set exercise routines and disguised with housework, Billie will still achieve results which may be slower in appearance but more beneficial for her in the long term. All tools used with Billie should be bright and fun appealing to the child within, no matter how silly they might appear to the casual observer. Charts especially should be bright and colourful as this will be enhanced by stickers denoting success. The brighter they become the more success is clearly visible and celebrated. In making them entertaining and engaging, this provides positive reinforcement of achievements thus far and establishes a basis for continued improvement. By making things into games, Billie will have an opportunity to achieve her results in a way that will separate them from previous perceived failures thus distancing herself from those and their impact upon her current attempt. Billie should be encouraged to invent games for herself so she can implement them as an ongoing tool. This will empower her towards ongoing success and avoid any backsliding. Effort should be made to keep Billie focussed forward on the successes so she can achieve her goals while reassuring her that the support is there for other matters when she is ready. She may find that once she has shed some weight that other emotional issues surface which she will need to deal with. She may like to avail herself of a counsellor for a short time at this point in order to work through those issues. 2. Draw up a table of different approaches / models of life coaching and list the advantages and disadvantages of each approach within your table. Give as much detail as possible (up to 1000 words). Cognitive Behavioural Approach Well suited to those with constant blockages to their goals and/or wellbeing but are uncertain as to the nature of those blockages as the client is asked to focus on the present behaviours and ask whether the attitude in question is working for them. This method gives the client practical techniques to analyse and deal with thought patterns that are causing the blockages and helping to eliminate destructive messages and replace them with positive messages reinforced by actual successes. Since it aims to solve issues surrounding emotions and behaviours via a goal oriented system, it is suitable for those who are able to accept new perceptions of their own behaviours. The client must be able to understand where their own thoughts and behaviours have been harmful and created blockages to their goals. If they are unable or unwilling to comprehend this information there is little possibility for change via this manner. Page 4

5 There is great danger of dwelling on the client s past issues. While this information is certainly valuable to formulating strategies, the coach may have to work to keep client on the matter at hand which can be frustrating. If the client is particularly garrulous the coach may have to consider if this is being used as a divertive technique, subconsciously or otherwise, by the client. A resistive client may need another approach, even counselling, or this could lead to time that is not productively spent resulting in frustration for both the client and the coach. GROW Approach (Goal Current Reality Options Will) This is a good strategy for those who are trying to achieve a goal but are simply overwhelmed by a bigger picture. It allows the client to slow down, and see the situation in smaller bite sized pieces which are certainly less threatening and less cause for anxiety. This method also asks the client to consider their current starting point which is helpful as clients may discover strengths and skills they have which can be well utilised to assist them in achieving their goals. Once the client has identified realistic steps, they can begin to let go of fantasies and illusions which have been blocking them. In breaking down the situation into smaller goals the client may be able to see not just where they wished to go, but what other opportunities might exist along the path. These can be valuable experiences or information that they might otherwise have missed. Similarly it may also allow them to see where any holes are in their experience and give them the opportunity to gain those skills in the way which will serve them best. Once the steps have been established, a timeline can be drawn up to identify what will be done, by whom and when. This provides grounding along with a clear framework for those who function well within such boundaries. Crucial to the process is the client s willingness to commit fully to the priorities and understanding of the realities of the goals to be achieved. If the client is resistive and/or unrealistic, this will create extremely challenging barriers for both the client and coach. The coach may become frustrated with a client who is constantly separating with the reality of the goals and/or not fully committed to the process. If a client experiences a number of setbacks in their timeline this can result in a feeling of extreme frustration and sense of failure which in itself may become a barrier to achieving their goal. This will need to be closely managed by their coach to see that it does not become a bad experience with Coaching and a completely negative result for the client. A highly imaginative client may have difficulty in identifying set goals and sticking with them in such a structured manner. This can cause frustration for both the client and coach and create obstacles to achieving goals. Page 5

6 Motivational Approach This approach can be a marvellous boost to the client s self esteem which will filter through to their life on many levels bringing with it many positive changes. The more that the client can stick with simple goals, the better able they will be to be able to stick with both those goals and goals in general long term. A motivational approach builds on a pattern of success to establish new behaviours and support those behaviours until they become habit. It is very empowering for the client. The client may have a lifetime of negative perceptions which resist this approach making headway difficult if not impossible. The client may be subject to influences of others at work or home which overpower the new motivations established. If the changes are needed urgently for any reasons, eg: health, this approach does not address that urgency. Neuro Linguistic Programming This approach ideally suited to highly imaginative, creative individuals who can picture their goal realised in precise detail. In having to picture the desired goal in precise detail, the client must first be able to see it realistically and express it in positive terms. This begins the process in a very positive environment in which clear goals can be established. This approach can be helpful for anxious clients who may be programmed with anchor words to help alleviate tensions allowing them to focus on achieving their goals. This approach is not suitable for those who are logically minded and lacking a vivid imagination. The client may be subject to influences of others at work or home which overpower the motivations established. In order for this technique to work, the client must invest their energy in creating and maintaining the goal they wish to achieve. If they do not sustain this or fail to imagine the goal in sufficient detail, or in unrealistic terms, then the process may fail. Page 6