Case Study Teresa (Mod 11)

>> Hello. Welcome to this module's case study. Remember Teresa? Imagine that this is your 11th coaching session with her. Here are some notes from our previous three sessions. Session number eight, we discussed some of the health messages that Teresa has received throughout her life, including growing up in a live to eat family and a culture of good versus bad foods in her current job. Teresa recognized that her family's health issues affect her eating habits. She said that her extreme eating approach frustrated her during marriage because she cooked meals for her husband full of foods that she wouldn't eat. Teresa tried the How You Do exercise and wasn't surprised to see an extreme approach in multiple areas of her life. She likes boot camp exercises that push her to the limits. She sleeps in very late on the weekends to make up for lack of sleep during the week. Relationships either consume her or she doesn't make space for them at all as with her family and dating. Session number nine, we explored Teresa's extreme mindset and how it might relate to her continual struggle to curb cravings for spicy foods. Teresa was intrigued by the idea that her spicy cravings might indicate some kind of imbalance or lack of excitement. She said, "Yes, my life feels pretty boring. My schedule is always the same. I don't really do anything fun, and I rarely enjoy eating. A spicy meal at the end of the day is one of the only things I look forward to. I also crave sugar even though I don't eat it. So I go overboard on spice and I have no self-control." Teresa said that her dinners likely have a lot of salt and that she often wakes up in the middle of the night very dehydrated, which leads to morning fogginess. We brainstormed on how she might fit more water into her day. Session number 10, Teresa began the session by talking about how much she fears developing diabetes like her mother and sister. She brought up addiction and said that she avoids sugar because she has no control. She can't eat just one. Teresa knows that sugar is bad for her, but she craves sweetness, so she drinks coffee with artificial sweeteners all day long and chews sugar-free gum. Teresa can now see how her sweet and spicy cravings might be connected and how they might be contributing to her fatigue, stress, anxiety, and her struggle to reach her physical goals. In her most recent revisit form, Teresa said that she thought about how she might add more excitement to her life. We'll return to Teresa again in a few weeks. After you finish Module 11, take a few minutes to return to this case study and try applying some of the material. We will also provide more opportunity for you to reflect on this case study and support each other via the Facebook group. For now, think about the following two questions. What are some high-mileage questions that might help you in your next session with Teresa? How might you help her make some connections between her stress, sleep cycle, and eating habits? Until next time.