Coh 100 Fitness Module - the Trans-Theoretical Model

Staying Healthy After 50

Personal Fitness Reflection

Melissa Stiglet

COH 100 Fitness Module

April 25, 2017

The Trans-Theoretical Model

According to the Trans-Theoretical Model, I am currently in the action stage in which I have already made changes in my lifestyle within the last year. I have initiated behavioral changes to regain my active lifestyle and Regain my health and fitness. Over the years, I had begun to live a very sedentary lifestyle that has taken a severe toll on my body and mind. Many things contributed to this; I worked at a desk job for twenty years, living in countries that had temperatures that were not conducive of outdoor activities and severe debilitating depression. My children had all grown up and left the house and my husband was having extramarital affairs, leaving me alone and not mentally capable of engaging in any activities that would be beneficial to my health. Then my beautiful grandson was born and dragged my soul out of the depths of despair. I had a reason to get up and get out of the house again. I am prior military, my training was with the Marines and the Navy Seal units, so I stayed active and very fit until I retired and came home to Mississippi. Looking back, I’m not sure when exactly everything started to fall apart, but I decided to not dwell on that and just work toward being a better me.

One year ago, April 29, 2016, I decided it was time to start getting healthy again. I had gained over 165 pounds since I have retired from active duty in the Navy. Getting up and down had become a painful chore and it took a long time to be able to walk once I did stand. My joints ached and made every movement extremely painful. I decided I needed to do something about it before it was too late and I had done irreparable damage to myself. I scheduled a checkup, my doctor said that my BMI showed that I was obese, which was not a surprise. Then we scheduled an appointment with a nutritionist and a physical therapist to start my evolution back to me. As of my last weigh in on April 1, 2017, I have lost 103 pounds, 18 dress sizes, and 26” from my waist. I still have a long way to go and this semester I have slacked off a bit trying to get my classes done daily. I have my next visit with my doctor in May so we can work out a next exercise and nutrition plan to kick start my weight loss and fitness goals. In the meantime, I am walking, using my bicycle and free weights to try to keep working out as much as I can at home.

Body Composition

Body composition testing measures how much of your body is and how much is not fat. I have only had my body composition measured by using the skin fold test. I am trying several ways to get rid of my excess body fat with the help of my doctor and nutritionist. Diet and exercise are the key to achieving my weight loss goals. Part of my problem with diet is that I don’t eat properly, I usually only eat one meal a day, and it’s not what you’d call healthy. I try to get in a vigorous workout every other day, which fits into my schedule, and a walk or bicycle ride on the other days. So far, I have been able to keep off the weight I have lost already, but I have reached a plateau and I am having trouble getting over it. My doctor says I am still losing body fat and the reason I have not lost any weight is because I am gaining lean muscle again. After my appointments, everything will be reworked to, hopefully, get the ball rolling again.

Cardiorespiratory Endurance

When I first began my weight loss journey, I started slowly by doing activities I enjoyed, walking, swimming, and bicycling, now I am gradually working my way up to a more intense pace. These exercises are not strenuous they improve my cardio-respiratory endurance so that I can reach my future goals. Aerobic exercise gets my heart rate up and my breathing increases. According to a post on answerisfitness.com, “From there the oxygen goes straight to your heart. The heart then sends the blood along with the oxygen and other nutrients throughout your body. Once the oxygen is inside your muscles it burns fat and carbohydrates for fuel. The more fuel the muscles use the more fit we become and the longer we can exercise.”  (2010) So at least I can work on my cardiorespiratory endurance until I can get through finals.