Lesson 16 : Keep a Great Thing Going You're Ready! You've reached a major milestone in Omada and there's still more to come. This lesson marks an important milestone. Sixteen weeks ago, you made a commitment to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and the fact that you're reading this is proof that you are seeing that commitment through. Let us be the first to warmly congratulate you. We hope you have a newfound sense of confidence in your ability to make healthy choices and in your ability to reflect and regroup after making a not-so-healthy choice. Stress, sleep, social factors, environmental cues, emotional triggers... you now understand how all of these things influence your behavior. You also have the problem-solving strategies you need to achieve any realistic goal and overcome any obstacle. In other words, you're ready to move on to the next, more independent phase that is Focus. But first, let's take a moment to look back on what you've achieved, consider your ongoing challenges, and plan your next steps.
Celebrate Your Progress Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments and face ongoing challenges. Stop and really consider the changes you've made since your first week here. In what ways are you more physically active? What changes have you made to choose healthier foods? How have you been successful in reducing stress and negativity? When you think about your progress, you'll probably realize that some changes were extremely difficult, others were surprisingly easy, and that certain changes had more of an impact than others. Of all the changes you've made so far, which mattered the most when it came to reaching your weight loss goals? Perhaps it was a major change like switching from driving to work to commuting via bicycle that had an incredible impact on your weight loss. Or maybe it was something relatively simple like discovering how delicious a vegetable stir fry can be that significantly reduced your calorie intake. Once you've zeroed in on the most meaningful change of all, think about why and how you were able to achieve it. How exactly did you make this real, lasting change in your day-to-day life? Through examining the process that worked for you whether it was creating a detailed plan, asking for people's support, giving yourself little rewards, and/or whatever else made it happen you can gain priceless insight that will allow you to make new changes, overcome new challenges, and reach new goals. If you have paper and a pen, jot down every part of that successful process that you can remember.
Get Excited for Focus Pack up everything you've learned and take it with you into Focus. The Focus phase that starts next week will help you create a lifetime of healthy habits. During this phase, you will use what you have learned so far to help you reach health goals that you set for yourself. Focus is similar to this part of the program in many ways, but your coach will be guiding you with a lighter touch. You will still have the support of your small group, plus access to a larger community of participants. Don't shy away from asking for help when you need it! You ll keep your scale (and can continue using your mobile app). These first 16 lessons will be available for you to review anytime, and you ll learn more through a new curriculum of shorter weekly lessons that deliver smart, simple strategies for long-term healthy living. As you rely less directly on your coach, it's important to find new resources for ideas and advice. Blogs, articles, videos, and books that focus on cooking with nutritious whole foods, practical fitness tips, or staying motivated and inspired, are all great examples of resources you can share with other participants as you move forward in your journey together.
Which Goals Will You Shoot for Next? You've likely already met, or made considerable progress toward, many of your health goals during the first 16 weeks of the program. Your accomplishments so far are a testament to your ability to change for the better. Of course, living a healthy lifestyle is always a work in progress. Whatever you do, don t stop now! You have all the tools you need for success. Stay committed, apply what you ve learned, and you will achieve more great results in Focus and beyond. A simple way to keep yourself on track after graduation is to make a positive action plan that can help you meet a new health goal in the near future. Maybe you ve been able to achieve some physical activity goals, but not all. Which one might you focus on next? Upping your intensity? Adding more variety to your workouts? If you haven't quite reached your goal weight, now is the time to tackle those final pounds. Great at shopping for healthy whole foods, but in a bit of a rut when it comes to cooking? Pledge to make at least five new meals from scratch this month. The specific goal matters less than the act of setting it, then using all of your new skills to go after it. Did You Know? A study conducted at Dominican University in California showed that people who wrote down their goals had 33% more success in achieving them than those who just thought about their goals. Personal Reflection: Brainstorm and write down one concrete, realistic goal that you can work toward over the next few months. What goal will you focus on, and what small steps can you take this week?
Tackle Your Top Challenge In each of the past 16 weeks, you've been asked to look at different aspects of your lifestyle, and make healthier choices that will help you lose weight and reduce your risk for disease. Along the way, you've no doubt come across challenges that continue to trip you up. You may have difficulty incorporating physical activity into your workweek, or perhaps you have trouble resisting unhealthy food when dining out with friends. Whatever the challenge, as always, your awareness is an important step to overcoming it. So take a second and think: What remains your biggest challenge when it comes to being healthy? Got an answer? On the previous page, we asked you to examine the change-making process that worked great for you. Now, how can you use what you've learned from making your most meaningful and successful change to help you tackle this tough one? Which steps and strategies from that process might also work in this scenario? Pick just one or two to try this week.
Pump Up Your Support Team A surefire way to find out who your most valuable friends are is to ask the people in your life to support you in reaching a health goal and see who comes through. Over the past 16 weeks, who really came through for you? How might you give these individuals credit for helping to keep you on track, and encourage them to continue supporting you? A simple text, email, or card saying thanks would probably do the trick. What else might you do to show your appreciation and renew their enthusiasm? As life changes and you meet new people, stay on the lookout for more health-minded individuals in your social circle and at work who might be helpful sources of positive cues for you. It's not just a oneway street over the past few months, you have likely become the kind of person who provides positive cues for others.
Know What Drives You Identify and reinforce your sources of motivation to stay on track. At the beginning of the Omada program, you were asked to think about your motivation for wanting to lead a healthier life and respond with a short phrase and photo. Do you remember what you shared? Whatever your sources of motivation were at the beginning of the program, they helped you get started on your path towards health, and they will help you continue living a healthier lifestyle after graduation. Hold on to them and reinforce them as you enter this next phase. Over the course of the program, you have learned a lot about yourself and have probably become aware of additional motivators that keep you going. Whether it s living without medication, fitting into smaller jeans, feeling happy and energized at the end of the day, or being able to go for a bike ride with your grandkids, there are countless reasons to maintain your healthy habits for the long haul. What s most important is that you know what your personal motivations are, and that they matter a whole lot to you. 4 More Ways to Stay on Track Beyond reconnecting with what motivates you, these four simple strategies can help you maintain the progress you've made so far, achieve the new goals you set for yourself, and continue to make healthy choices throughout each day. Keep tracking. Continuing to track your weight, eating, and activity will keep you committed to good health. As you transition into Focus, keep stepping on your scale every day, and use your Progress page or mobile app to see how you're doing. Many participants choose to also continue tracking their daily food and activity, while others will take a break, then start again when they set a new goal or notice themselves slipping. Measuring your waist or belt size once a month can also help you stay on track. Learn and do what works best for you.
Use visual Reminders. By now, you know what challenges you. Use that knowledge to your advantage by posting messages, motivational pictures, or inspirational quotes that will remind you to make good choices. Maybe it's a note stuck to your car's dashboard that says "Snack before you grocery shop!" or a photo of yourself looking happy and healthy on the front of your fridge. As you move into Focus, you'll need to become your own personal health coach, and this is a great way to start. Mix things up. Keep adding variety to your activity routine and switching up your meals and snacks with different kinds of healthy foods. Both will keep you motivated by making sure you don t get bored with your new lifestyle choices. Do what inspires you. Finally, pay attention to the circumstances and environments that inspire you to stay healthy, and soak up as much of that inspiration as you can. Playing sports, walking for charity, perfecting a new yoga pose, spending time in nature, being around kids, reading about people who overcome illness against all odds... Whatever inspires you, embrace that activity and plan to do it more often.
New This Week: Reflect on the personal sources of motivation that are most important to you and the new goals that will keep you on track during the Focus phase. Take pride in all you ve accomplished, and plan some enjoyable, healthy activities to celebrate completing your first 16 weeks. Ongoing To-Dos: Finish the first part of the program on a high note by weighing in, recording what you eat every day, exercising, and striving to hit your personal step goal. Contribute to the group discussion often as you get ready to join Focus together.