“It does not matter how slow you go so as long as you do not stop.” -Confucius

Do you ever feel stuck in your ways or find it challenging to build a new habit? Don’t worry — you’re not alone! Changing your health and nutrition habits is a lifelong process, but we’ve got the insight and tools to help you along your journey. Let’s start with behavior change and what it takes for our mind to adapt to new habits.

What Is Behavior Change?

Behavior change has a simple meaning — modifying human behavior. However, this process can be quite complex. According to researcher BJ Fogg, a behavior has 3 parts:

1. Trigger: A trigger is what prompts you to change or develop a behavior in the first place. It could be a thought, something you read, a conversation, etc.
2. Motivation: Motivation is your desire and drive to follow through on a behavior. Your motivation can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation relates to the “why” behind your desire to change. Extrinsic motivation can be any benefits outside of yourself, like getting compliments or positive reinforcements from others.
3. Ability: Ability is your skill level in accomplishing that behavior. A task may be easy or difficult to complete based on your skill level.

Ultimately, behaviors require the right combination of these factors for you to accomplish them. For example, if a behavior is difficult to accomplish, you would need more motivation to stick with it.

http://www.theeducators.com/2018/04/21/fogg-behavior-model/

How to Change Behavior

There are many ways to change a behavior, but one way to set yourself up for success is to make a behavior easier (1). By simplifying a behavior and removing friction, you impact the ability piece of the equation.

The human brain is programmed to conserve energy when possible. Therefore, it’s natural instinct to perform easier tasks over harder ones. When faced with the plethora of decisions made each day, the brain will opt for the tasks that require less effort (2).

In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits (which we highly recommend!), he compares this idea to holding a water hose that is bent in the middle. Water can still flow through, but not much. If you want to increase the water flow coming out of the hose, you can:

1. increase the water pressure and force water to come out of the hose, or
2. straighten the hose and allow for clear flow.

The practical choice is to just straighten the hose because it requires less effort. Behavior change is much the same way. While we could potentially get the results we want by barreling through difficulties and obstacles, it would be much easier if we eliminate the friction altogether. As you eliminate the friction, you set yourself up to successfully adopt the behavior as a long-term habit.

Behavior Change in Action

Let’s consider an example. Say you want to go to the gym on a regular basis. You could make this task easier by choosing a gym that is near your home or even on your way home from work. Because you don’t have to drive too far out of your way to go to the gym, the behavior requires less effort and is easier to incorporate into your routine.

We could apply the same principles to your goal to plan healthy meals on a regular basis. You’ve already simplified the behavior by registering with EatLove. Our system sends automated notifications regarding your meal plan along with messages from your EatLove coach. You can plan meals, create grocery lists, and even have groceries delivered to your home — eliminating many of the barriers people face when trying to meal plan.

However, you may still have obstacles. Don’t give up! You can still eliminate those obstacles or reduce friction. For example, meal planning can become easier to achieve over time as you use the EatLove platform more and become familiar with its features. It can also get easier as you review our training materials. As you simplify meal planning for yourself using EatLove, it is more likely to become a lasting habit.

Measuring Progress

Even though we might know what our goals are and are working towards them, so much of what we do daily is automated, and behavior changes take time! It’s not an overnight process, and staying positive has been proven to be more effective than trying to change by relying on guilt or fear (3). Instead of beating yourself up over a mistake, how about applauding how far you’ve come?

In terms of behavior change progress, perfect is the enemy of good enough. We are human, and we are going to make mistakes. But that’s to be expected. What’s far more important than perfection? Progress towards your goals at whatever pace is right for you.

EatLove is here for you for the long haul. We’re not about fad diets or quick fixes — we will help you make lasting lifestyle changes by providing you with the tools to change your behavior.

ASK YOURSELF THIS:

What’s the one mealtime per day that you’d like to focus on? When are you most challenged to eat in line with your goals, or what mealtime do you need the most support with?

TRY THIS:

Pick 1 meal per day to start batch prepping. Why? Because it’s more realistic than biting off more than you can chew too soon. If your intention is to be successful with meal planning, start small — even if that means you’re only doing snacks!

What we want is to help you make small adjustments over time, which results in lasting behavior changes. EatLove provides the guidance to help make this happen. Our platform enables behavior change and sets each of you up for success by utilizing behavioral tools such as planning ahead, anticipating behaviors, and leaning on social support systems.