How To Change Eating Habits
In late November, La Presse published an article entitled Les Québécois aspirent à mieux manger. The article spoke of the results of a survey conducted by CROP last August among 1000 adult Québecois.
What really caught my eye were the statistics relating to the main difficulty experienced by those polled when trying to improve their eating habits. 38% of the respondents expressed breaking their routine with a view to change ingrained behaviours as the number one difficulty. According to the survey, this was, in fact, the biggest obstacle of all. Money (19%) came second!
That is most fitting, as one of the strengths of Nautilus Plus professionals is caring for and providing support to their many clients. Since our nutritionists are experts in motivation-driven behavioural changes, I’ll give you a few tips.
The first step is to know the stage of change you’re in. The principle is quite simple! If you don’t know where you are, it will be harder to reach your goal. It’s a little like using a GPS, if it doesn’t recognise where it is, it can’t direct you to your destination. Once you know where you are, it will be easier to draw up a plan.
Here are the 6 stages of change developed by the celebrated psychologist, James O. Porchaska. The recommendations for going from one stage to the next are between the boxes.
*A relapse can occur at any stage in change. A relapse is not a failure! It is, in fact, an inevitable component of the process of change. The important thing is how you react. Eating a “not so healthy” meal is perfectly normal, as is eating badly for a whole weekend. What matters is that you accept it and immediately get back on track rather than be consumed with guilt and ditch your new eating habits.
A small exercise:
- Write down a lifestyle habit.
- Determine which stage you are in.
- Take the steps required to get you to the next stage.
If you’re interested in learning more about the stages of change, I suggest you read The 6 stages of change. No matter at which stage you are at the moment, you can always consult one of our nutritionists for help in achieving your ultimate goal.
Alyssa Fontaine, P.Dt.
