Heart HealthWeight Loss – 4 Steps to Make a New Behavior a Habit
Do you want to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lose weight, but you’re struggling to change your “bad” habits? If so, here are the four necessary steps needed to change a new behavior into a habit. I’ve used eating more fruit as an example.
1. Decide the habit: eating 2 pieces of fruit every day.
2. Set up triggers: reminders to eat the fruit, such as fruit on the counter, a large note on the front of the fridge, or a reminder from your spouse.
3. Motivation to stay on track: remind yourself why you set this as a goal. What’s the benefit to you if you eat more fruit? More fiber to promote weight loss, soluble fiber to promote lower LDL cholesterol, antioxidants and phytonutrients to promote lower blood pressure, a low calorie and nutritious snack to keep you on track with weight loss? Whatever rings true to you as the bottom line for why you need to increase fruit intake.
4. Develop repetition: eat more fruit day after day. This may mean you need to change up your trigger. After a while, the bowl of fruit on the counter or note on the fridge will blend right in and won’t jump out at you as a reminder. You’ll need to change it up.
Tired of changes that don't last?
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD
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