Improving Personal Behavior: Planning And Implementing A Change For Healthy Eating

Background to the Behavior Change

Bringing changes in personal behavior ensures that a positive change is brought about for achieving results related to life course. Behavior change is referred to any transformation or modification in human behavior that results in different outcome related to a certain aspect. Such a change can include a wide range of approaches and activities that have the emphasis on the individual and environmental influences. Changing personal behavior can be a challenging task, and would require adequate planning and monitoring. Successful implementation of the plan requires setting targets and establishing a baseline. Further, there is a need of understanding the effectiveness of the change process. Based on such an evaluation, a reflection is necessary on the degree of success achieved, the key learning about the changes in own behavior and what could have been done differently. The present report is based on the principles of management of change in personal behavior. The task was to plan and implement a change in own behavior which is related to change in healthy food eating behavior. The report mentions the background to the behavior considered for change, and the driving forces and restraining forces of change. The next section mentions the plan progress for 8 weeks including the frequency and duration of the healthy food.  The implementation of the changed behavior is mentioned thereafter that focuses on the rewards and punishment put in place. The degree of success achieved is noted in the following section. Evaluation of the change forms the next part of the paper. Lastly, recommendations are put in place regarding how the change could have been better managed.
Behavior to be changed 

The behavior that has been considered for change is food eating behavior, and the aim was to have a healthy food eating behavior. A healthy eating behavior has been time and again linked with a healthy life as such a behavior ensures that the body receives the nutrients required for the optimal functioning of the body. An individual adopting a healthy food eating behavior is at lower risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes (Kelly and Barker 2016). According to Green (2016) the food choices of an individual affects how the person feels at present and also in future. The importance of good nutrition is not to be ignored at any cost. A healthy food eating habit must be focusing on increased consumption of whole grains, fruits, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Further, exclusion of saturated fat products and added sugars is also required (Bailey-Davis et al. 2017). The focus for the change was therefore on developing healthy eating habits such that there could be a development of a well-functioning body.

Driving and Restraining Factors of Change

While the behavior to be changed was decided upon after acknowledging the importance of the same, the driving factors and the restraining factors are also to be mentioned. The motivation for bringing change in personal behavior is multifaceted and involves a number of key factors. Likewise, a number of challenges restrain the urge to implement change (Michie et al. 2014). In the present case, the driving factors for behavior change were the need of managing weight, the importance of achieving disease prevention ability and the ability to have better cognitive functioning. Nevertheless, the primary restraining factor that counteracted the positive motivation was the love for unhealthy food and it is to be mentioned that fried and spicy food has a strong emotional pull. Food had been considered as a reward of pleasure and sensory experiences.

Planning for change is necessary for ensuring that the change process is effective. Setting the goals for the behavior change is essential for making the complete process a success (French et al., 2017). The outcomes that are desired to be achieved are to be considered through the change process and a clear set of goals are to be defined. The targets are to define what is to be achieved and when it is to be achieved. Establishing a series of prominent target helps in realizing each of the goals. Further, the actions that are required for change are also to be identified (Davis et al. 2015).

In the present case the eating behavior change was to be brought about by setting targets and establishing goals. The primary goal for the healthy eating behavior change was to adhere to a ‘clean eating’ diet which is a form of healthy eating. This goal was set in because clean eating is the simple manner of improving body composition and losing weight. The target was to eliminate unhealthy food items from the daily consumption (Kent 2017). Ideally, the target was to make clean eating a lifestyle. By embracing the change in a shorter term the idea was to understand its effectiveness as per personal needs. The key to achieve the target was to adhere to a transition diet is a notable manner of integrating the concept of clean eating into lifestyle. An 8 week plan was set to bring in the change into practice. The details of the plan is as follows-

Week	Goal	Target	Activities
1	The goal was to eliminate junk food from diet.	The target was to stay hydrated through increasing fluid consumption. A glass of water in case of feelings of hunger pangs helps in starving the food craving	There was a cut down in the intake of junk food such as cake, chips, pastry, frizzy drinks. At least six to eight glasses of water was to be consumed per day. Alcohol was also to be kept at minimal
2	The goal was to eat in small amounts and in more frequency	The target was to include the appropriate carbohydrates in diet. The focus was on keeping the energy level constant and maximizing the body’s potential.	Refined sugars were to be avoided and outstanding foods such as whole-grain rice and whole-grain breads were to be included in diet.
3	The goal was to eat low-density food at every meal	The target was to eat protein at every meal and avoid high-density foods.	It was important to eat more low-density food with proteins such as dairy, meat, nuts and legumes.
4	The goal was to prepare food at home	The target was to control eating by preparing food at home.	Healthy fats were to be consumed by including olives, seeds, avocados, fish and nuts.
5	The goal was to reduce the intake of starchy carbohydrates	The target was to reduce the consumption of added sugar	Foods such as corns, bread and white rice were to be avoided
6	The goal was to eat only whole foods	The target was to eliminate all processed foods	Foods such as salad dressings, cheese, dried fruits and preservatives were to be avoided. Instead snacks such as nuts and seeds were to be included in diet
7	The goal was to eat healthy	The target was to eat as healthy as possible by trusting self and taking in responsibilities	Food options such as protein shakes, and salads were to be added into the diet
8	The goal was to eat the perfect diet	The target was to add quality carbohydrates into the diet	The primary step was to follow the plan outlined for the previous weeks in a stringent manner

A baseline record was maintained for recording the present food intake without making changes to how much is being eaten. The following is the baseline diet considered-

Meal	Food	Approximate calorie consumption
Breakfast	One fruit, two poached eggs, two slices of whole grain toast, one cup herbal tea/ protein shake	550
Snack	One cup yoghurt, one banana	300
Lunch	One cup brown rice, chicken breast roasted/ grilled fish, garden salad with fresh fruits	425
Snack	One slice pita bread, one cup carrot and cucumber slices	150
Dinner	One cup brown rice, one cup boiled vegetable, water with lime juice	600

Planning for the Change

Reward and punishment was understood as the driving factor for initiating and sustaining the change planned. Rewards were considered to be an effective way of keeping self motivated and meeting the goals. Further, the punishments were perceived as a chance to bring in improvements in the key areas for achieving the set goal. Rewards were set in the form of shopping for new clothes, indulging in a wellness gate-away, watching a movie at the theatre indulging in favorite food, massage therapy and so on. One reward was set in at the end of each week and it was decided that the rewards would be self-presented if the goal was achieved (Tapper et al. 2015). Punishments were also set in for deviating from the set goals. These were in the form of not wearing the favorite clothes for a week, not watching the favorite shows and not listening to music when tired (Diertrich et al.2014).

Monitoring of the effectiveness of the change implemented was done through self-monitoring. Self-monitoring involves recording the changes brought about in relation to the goal set through self-perception. It has been noted that self-monitoring is the centerpiece of a number of change systems. Benefits of self-monitoring are varied, and this strategy has been used in a number of settings (Hutchesson et al. 2015). Michie, Atkins and West (2014) suggested that self-monitoring is a key tool for facilitating behavior change in relation to eating habits. A rich pool of literature supports that self-monitoring is a crucial factor for understanding the areas needing further improvement for achieving the best results. The important message that self-monitoring helps individuals to embrace the desired change in a rapid manner motivates and encourages individuals to keep track of their own behavior changes. Self-monitoring sheets were used for the monitoring process that detailed that food intake on a daily basis.  The sheet recorded the time of eating, the food and consecutive amount eaten, and the feelings and situation associated with the eating. A dairy was maintained for noting down date and time, food and liquid intake, location, and feelings and thought arising. Once four to five days worth of self-monitoring data was noted, review of the data was done. This was carried out for identifying trends and patterns in eating and the related behaviors.

The change process was implemented in a successful manner and the plan was adhered to throughout the 8 week time. There was a significant change in my eating behavior as there was a disposition to adopt a healthy eating habit as compared to the previous eating habit. At the end of 8 weeks there was successful integration of the key inputs from the plan into practice. However, it is also worth mentioning that there were certain instances when there was an absence of complete adherence to the plan outlined. This was due to lack of honesty in adhering to the plan and lack of focus. At the end of implementation of the change, there was inclusion of more low-fat dairy products into diet along with more fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods. The focus had shifted from eating unhealthy foods to eating healthy foods that can bring in health benefits. There was a keen interest in eating at home that ensured inclusion of healthy food options. A positive change was also brought about in that there was no skipping of meals and delay in taking meals.

The Healthy Eating Behavior Change Plan

The benefits and effectiveness of adhering to a self-monitoring process are to be discussed in here. Firstly, the technique helped in gaining a key understanding of the food choices at each level and the eating behaviors that were not perceived to be important. Keeping own track of eating helped in becoming aware of the food choices. Further, self-monitoring offered accountability which was noteworthy. While reflecting on the daily food consumption, there was a chance to develop a sense of personal accountability. Moreover, there was a chance to increase awareness regarding eating behaviors people of the similar age group might consider adopting. The diary maintained provided an opportunity to encourage and praise own self for the results achieved. According to Mouzakitis, Codding and Tryon (2015) by assessing need of bringing change in behavior through self-monitoring one can celebrate the success achieved and make a robust plan for changing any problem area. Further, there was an opportunity to discover the ways in which adjustments could be made in relation to eating behaviors. As opined by Choe et al. (2015) self-monitoring encourages individuals to analyze the thoughts that influence a certain behavior and helps in identifying the influential thought patterns. Self-monitoring helped in identifying situations that lead to disordered eating.  

Rewards and punishments acted as the driving factors for sustaining change when implemented for behavior change. According to Hayes (2014) rewards and punishments have been proved to be beneficial for reinforcing the behaviors and subsequent changes. Rewards are considered as the process of strengthening desirable behaviors, and the same was the case in here. The rewards decided upon for completion of set tasks act as a positive reinforcement. It can also be termed as operant conditioning. Giving a reward when a certain behavior is performed helps the individual to repeat the behavior in future. It is directly linked with increasing the incidence of measurable behavior. As opposed, punishment is the imposition of negative consequence with the aim of reduction in an undesirable behavior. The underlying objective is to encourage the proper behavior by enforcing a change through negative consequences (Vervoort et al. 2016). The focus is on decreasing the behaviors that act as a hindrance in adhering to the intentional plan. In future, rewards and punishments guide the manner in which the goal is perceived. Such forms of reinforcement also act as the basis for future tasks in alignment with the clear set of goals (Ginter 2018).

Monitoring the Change Process

Change management is continuous process and constant inputs are to be considered for achieving better rates of success in future. In future, there are a few considerations that are to be kept in mind for successful implementation of the change. There would be more need of being accurate and honest with self. It is common for individuals to feel tempted by food behaviors that are contradictory to what has been set as a goal. It is therefore needed that feelings of guilt and shame are overcome that act as temptations. Not being completely truthful to the set goals would limit progress. Since the record is utmost personal, being honest is the most crucial step for changing behavior. Further, there would be a need of completing the self-monitoring sheets in ‘real time’. Recording the food intake while eating and immediately afterwards would help in having a more accurate record of the feelings and thoughts (Mason et al. 2016). Further, a more detailed account of content of the food can be achieved. Lastly, it would be appropriate to carry the self-monitoring sheets with self all the time would assist in making useful records.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the healthy eating behavior change was a crucial one in relation to change management process. The behavior for change was so decided since eating healthy brings in several benefits for an individual. While the importance of bringing change in eating behavior has been acknowledged, there is also the need of understanding that there are certain driving factors and restraint factors for the same. An 8 week plan was set in place that was followed throughout the activity. Respective targets were set in as per the individual goals for each week and corresponding actions were taken. A baseline was set to understand the effectiveness of the change. Rewards and punishments acted as the tool for reinforcing positive behaviors. Self-monitoring was pivotal for understanding the effectiveness of the change. Drawing insights from the learning recommendations have been put in place.

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