WRAP FOR LOSING WEIGHT
This is just a sample… make this Plan your own!
Wellness Tools:
Pedometer, goal sheet, positive affirmations, accountability, personal trainer, nutritionist, join a gym, get a partner, reading books/magazine articles on healthy nutrition, reading nutritional labels, motivational photographs, exercise, DVDs, Wii games., make lunch the night before, chew gum, avoid sugary and “junk” foods.
Daily Maintenance – What I am like at my best
Healthy weight, healthy body mass index, confident, happy socializing, doctor’s physical good, I dress nicely, energetic, better sleep, better mood, content with how I look, my clothes fit, I like going out.
Daily Maintenance – Things I Need to do Every Day
Follow my meal plan, exercise for at least 30 minutes, contact someone in my support group, eat lots of vegetables, have 2 servings of protein, drink plenty of water, eat breakfast, pat myself on the back for sticking to my goal.
Daily Maintenance – Things I May Need to do Every Day
Go to a self-help/support group for people who are also trying to lose weight, reward myself in some way with a special event, go shopping, check in with my doctor, spend more time doing fun things, weigh myself.
Triggers
Watching TV – Unexpected outings or vacation – Stress – Trauma – Any Dessert – Going out to eat – Holiday/ Family Gatherings – Boredom – Seeing someone eating ice cream or cake – Difficult emotions.
Triggers Action Plan
Keep my hands busy, knit. – Allow some flexibility, make healthy traveling snacks – Quiet “Me” time (breathing, relaxation) – Seek Help – Distraction techniques – Trauma – Choose a restaurant with healthy choices – Make a low-calorie dessert – Exercise more – Plan ahead- Just one serving of dessert – Look in my Wellness Toolbox for an activity I enjoy – Leave the situation – Write in my journal, talk to somebody, take a walk or exercise.
Early Warning Signs
Not following my meal plan – Calories increase – Thinking about eating all the time – Binging – Not following exercise plan – Allowing others to sabotage me – Focusing on the negative, minimizing my progress.
Early Warning Signs Action Plan
Evaluate the meal plan and make necessary adjustments – Review food journal – Spend several hours doing something I enjoy -Ask for help – Evaluate exercise plan, set specific time aside to exercise, adjusting the exercise plan -Remember I am responsible – Challenge thoughts to focus on progress.
When Things are Breaking Down
Thinking, “Who cares?” – Clothes don’t fit – Baking cookies and eating them all myself – Closet eating – Lying to myself
When Things are Breaking Down Action Plan
Positive self-talk, remind myself of motivation – Buy what’s needed to get back into routine – Have a healthy potluck with friends – Go back to my plan without being hard on myself – Hold myself responsible for decisions I make
Mini Crisis Plan
What I’m like when I’m well:
Healthy weight – body mass index, physically healthy, energetic, eating my planned meals, exercise daily, reading positive articles
Signs that my supporters need to take over responsibilities for my care:
Overeating, stopping healthy routine, doctor tests not “well” (cholesterol, etc.)
Supporter’s tasks:
Food shopping, food preparation, exercise together.
Mini Post Crisis Plan
How I will know when I am out of the crisis?
I feel better, clothes fit, back in gym, I will be back on my plan or a modified plan.
What I would like my supporters to do to help me?
Positive feedback, share awareness, cheer leader, check in.
Things I need to do:
Stay focused, allow for mistakes and refocus, use Wellness Tools – put myself first, go to gym, portion food.
Things that can wait:
Buying new clothes, household chores, laundry
Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, developed Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) with a group of people with lived experience who were attending a mental health recovery workshop in 1997. She is the original author of the WRAP Red Book, as well as dozens of other WRAP books and materials. She has dedicated the last 30 years of her life to learning from people who have mental health issues; discovering the simple, safe, non-invasive ways they get well, stay well, and move forward in their lives; and then sharing what she has learned with others through keynote addresses, trainings, and the development of books, curriculums, and other resources. Now that she is retired, and that, as she intended, others are continuing to share what she has learned, she continues to learn from those who have mental health issues and those who support them. She is a frequent contributor to this site.
