Changing Habits – How successful will you be?
Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of education to improve diet in family members of hospitalized cardiovascular disease patients. They used the stages of change questionnaire to determine participant’s readiness to reduce saturated fat intake.
Participants were divided into 2 groups. One group was the control (received no education) and one group received special intervention with diet education tailored to each individuals starting “stage of change”.
At the start of the study, cholesterol and saturated fat intake was lowest for participants in the maintenance phase. After 1 year, participants in the special intervention group saw the greatest reductions in cholesterol and saturated fat intake. This group was also less likely to revert to a prior stage of change. For example, they were less likely to go from “action” back to “contemplation”.
Why am I sharing this study?
5 Stages of Change – Where do you fall?
If you are overweight or obese it’s necessary to make diet and lifestyle changes to lose weight and reduce your health risks. However, this means changing your habits.
If you typically grab fast food for lunch are you willing to switch and start packing a well balanced lunch instead?
If you include very little physical activity in your daily routine are you willing to shift your priorities to fit in physical activity?
Just how great is your desire to lose weight? Is it enough to change your habits?
Motivation – Do you have what it takes to change your habits?
If you’ve ever tried to make a diet or lifestyle change you know it’s not an easy process. You need a compelling reason to keep moving forward.
What is your compelling reason?
There are two different types of motivators – intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation is when you are motivated by internal factors. This form of motivation drives you to take action for the fun of it or just because you know it’s good for you and the right thing to do. Intrinsic motivation means you do something because of the satisfaction you feel from completing a task. Hobbies are usually motivated by intrinsic factors.
Extrinsic motivation is when you are spurred to change your habits due to external forces, such as wanting to lose weight or lower your cholesterol for your family so they worry less. Another form of extrinsic motivation may be tangible rewards you give yourself for achieving a goal. The Biggest Loser provides a great example of external motivation – lose the greatest percent body weight and win $’s. Other forms of rewards you can use for extrinsic motivation may include new clothes or a new CD/book when a goal is accomplished.
Typically, intrinsic motivators tend to keep you going in the long run, but using both forms of motivation can be essential to your success. Extrinsic motivators may keep you moving forward in the short term, while intrinsic motivators are the reason you stick with it long term.
Take a step back from the craziness of everyday life and really look at the “why” behind your desire to start walking in the evenings or your goal of packing a lunch instead of eating out.
Ask yourself . . .
Have you taken action and started to move forward towards your goal? Are you just thinking about it? What type of reward could you put in place to spur you on from an external point of view? What reminder could you put in place to keep you moving forward internally?
Here’s a quick example for someone trying to lose weight:
Goal: Walk after supper for at least 20 minutes 5 nights a week.
Extrinsic Motivator: Achieve walking goal for 2 weeks and reward yourself with a new book.
Intrinsic Motivator: Place picture of yourself from 10 years ago (when you were at your ideal body weight) on the refrigerator door as a constant reminder of how great you’ll feel once you reach your goal weight.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Health Made Easy
5 Easy Steps to Incredible Health, Energy and Vitality from Cyndi O’Meara
Have you set a goal to eat more fruits and vegetables, but not followed through? Have you set up a gym membership only to let it go to waste?
At the Virtual Health Retreat next week, Australian nutritionist Cyndi O’Meara will be sharing with you 5 easy steps for increased energy, vitality, and incredible health. She’s had international and national success with her two books Changing Habits Changing Lives and Companion Cookbook.
Here’s a little of what she’ll be covering . . .
- The good, the bad, and the ugly in the food industry,
- Understand the impact your food choices have on your body,
- Step by step changes to change your life . . . MORE energy, BETTER health, increased VITALITY!
