Diana Chaloux

Have you ever had one of those moments when something confusing suddenly made perfect sense? Have you had a dream or goal that you thought about for years until finally your desire to achieve the goal became a top priority in your life? Has there been an event, a comment made by someone, or a sudden realization that triggered you to change your habits drastically?

These “ah-ha” moments are a catalyst to change especially when it comes to your health and fitness!

Everyone reaches their “ah-ha” moment in their own time. Each of us has a different trigger … it is just a matter of finding that trigger and pulling it. For those of you with weight-loss goals, the trigger may be trying on a pair of jeans that is now too tight or stepping on the scale and seeing a number far larger than you had expected.

Perhaps your moment will come at the doctor’s office when you discover that you have developed diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Perhaps you read a motivational fitness article and realize that your health is at the bottom of your priority list and it’s time for a change!

When you have a fitness “ah-ha” moment you will know it. You will feel it. You will have a determination to achieve your goals that you have never known before. You will be able to see around the obstacles that have stood in your way in the past. It is a moment when your priorities in life change and you suddenly recognize how important it is to start living a fit and healthy lifestyle!

The “ah-ha” moment can only happen when you are ready for change in your life. There are stages to readiness that you mentally have to go through in order to reach the point where you are able to commit to reaching your goals.

During the first stage of change (pre-contemplation) you may think about doing something, but immediately tell yourself “I can’t!” You proceed to justify this statement by making every excuse in the book.

Stage two is the contemplation phase. You consider your goal more seriously and think “I might”. You mull over the pros and cons of making a change and when the pros finally outweigh the cons your mind says “I will!”

Now you are in the preparation phase, reaching this state of mind doesn’t mean you are ready for the change just yet. You do recognize the positive impact this change will have on your life and you believe you can and will start taking steps towards your goals in the near future. During this phase you may actually perform a workout here or there, you may make healthy eating choices on occasion but there is still no consistency in your habits.

Your “ah-ha” moment typically will come when preparation turns to action. Instead of saying “I will” eat healthy and exercise, you can finally say “I am” eating right and exercising on a consistent basis. Something has to click for you in order to move from preparation to action every person moves through the stages of change at a different pace, for some it may take days or weeks, for another it may take years! Only you will know when that trigger is pulled and you are ready to commit!

“Ah-ha” moments can come at any time. A woman who is proposed to may move through the stages of change very quickly when she realizes she wants to look and feel her best on her wedding day! Your moment may come by reading a motivational article, seeing the success someone else has achieved and thinking I can do it too! It could be a health scare, or seeing the health of a loved one decline.

You will know when your time has come and you are ready to take your health and fitness seriously. The sooner you find your ultimate motivator, and have your “ah-ha” moment, the closer you will be to achieving all your health and fitness goals!

Diana Chaloux is a certified personal trainer, fitness coach, nutrition specialist, NPC Figure Competitor and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit (www.d2bfit.com) in San Antonio, TX. Contact Diana at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it