Success in Nutrition Labels, Disappearing Inches, and Tic-Tac-Know

The 12-week wellness group that I piloted at my host site, Clay Behavioral Health Center, is nearing the end of its first cycle.  It’s hard to believe when only a few months ago I was trying to navigate how to put the program together. The big question is- did it help at all?

  The Choosing Wellness group teaches wellness topics and provides a support system for the participants with people that are in similar situations as themselves. I wanted to create a program that could empower the participants and encourage them to take control of their health. I hoped that I could make the sessions interactive and fun, with material tailored to the needs and functioning levels of the individuals; with the mental health population there is a lot of variation in levels of understanding and engagement.

Over the past eleven weeks I found that I was providing a service to those who really need, want, and appreciate it. The group has asked so many questions, shared so much of their lives and struggles, bonded through tears, and brought us all to laughter. Early on, each person created a goal and made a small-steps plan to help them make the change. Each week we would talk about how their small step went before moving on to the lesson. We celebrated when someone was able to implement something, because it was truly a big step no matter how small it seemed.

Most of them won’t have achieved their wellness goal by the end of the 12 weeks, but I’ve realized that isn’t how I measure the success of this group. Instead, it’s how the participants went from having no knowledge of nutrition labels to being able to use them to make decisions. It’s how they tell others how much it means to them that they understand now!

In week 8 we took a second measurement of their waist circumferences and were beside ourselves when we discovered that almost all the participants had lost between 0.5 to 6.0 inches! What they were doing outside of the group was causing a measurable change. It showed that they were feeling better because some started dressing better and putting more effort into their appearance. After conversations on how they felt about themselves, it was monumental to see that self-esteem was improving.

One of the greatest things to me came out of a game of tic-tac-toe. My co-facilitator and I created a review activity that we termed ‘Tic-Tac-Know’ to see if they remembered what we had taught over the last couple of months. With each correct answer, the team would be able to put a piece on the board. When we explained the game, we were met with a lot of hesitation. This was a group who struggled with remembering what had happened between classes. They quickly asked if they could use their binder for help, but I asked them to try to work together first and see what happened.

The excitement grew as they were able to come up with answers together. They would cheer for correct answers, even when it was the opposite team! At the end, the room was full of pride. The achievement wasn’t in winning the game, it was in understanding the information that we had been discussing for weeks. We all recognized how much of an accomplishment retaining information was when none of them believed that they would be able to recall anything. They proved their own capabilities to themselves!

While they may not have achieved a complete lifestyle change or know everything that was taught in the group, there has been an impact. The group has fostered a change of attitude. They have been shown that they have it within themselves to do more than they thought possible and that belief can lead to great things. They will be able to achieve their goals and improve their health.

All they have to do is make the choice and have the courage to do it.

This blog was written by NHC Florida AmeriCorps member Katie Kesler.

Katie serves at Clay Behavioral as a Care Coordinator.