Self-Management Paper
Samantha Craig
Psy/420
8/8/2016
Introduction
Self-management is a word that has many different definitions. The most common according to (Dictionary, 2016) it is where an individual is in charge of oneself "regulation, administration; superintendence, care, charge, conduct, guidance, treatment." This paper will cover how to change my own poor exercising and eating habits that is causing obesity in order to lose weight. It will also cover what increases this behavior, the steps that can be taken to reach the outcome, and present a three day journal that highlights these behaviors and what changes need to happen in order to lose weight.
Describe Targeted Behavior
Obesity is something that plagues many different countries. In the United States alone "More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. Adults are obese."(CDC, 2015) Knowing this number can give many a push to want to make their lives healthier. Exercising is something that does not come easily to me now that I am older, despite eating healthy and counting calories weightless is still avoided. The hardest part about finding a workout routine is having Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). When those who suffer from this disorder such as I do, being put in a routine is hard because I always want to be on the move and there is always multiple things going on to where distraction gets in the way of doing what needs to be done. Therefore, finding a workout routine that can keep my attention and focus, yet show results is the targeted behavior.
Outline the dimensions of measurement/baseline measurement.
When it comes to the reason for lack of weight loss it would be in my case multiple different causes. The first is that daily there is a lack of movement, because I don't have a career yet I am mostly sedentary. The second is procrastination, I have all the tools available to workout such as a treadmill, totally gym, weights, waist trainer and workout dvd's. However, I usually just say that I will work out later or that I will do it tomorrow and never get to it. The third and final one is the attention and will to keep working out. There will be times where I will exercise for two or three weeks then just stop because I get bored or I don't see a difference that I want.
Considering that this is a three day process that I have entered in here out of the two weeks that the workout that has been going on the goal is to at least lose a total of two pounds. At the moment I am currently only at a one pound loss. The measurement to show that this weight goal was met would be to log the workout times for three days. It will also include the calories burned during those days and food intake. All of those should work in harmony together to get the result wanted.
Outline of the Goals of the Behavior change
The behavior change is the lack of movement and exercise that is occurring in my life to lose weight the goals are fairly simple.
1. To watch food calorie intake and keep under 1600.
2. To work out for at least 30 minutes to 60 minutes a day
3. To burn off no less than 200 calories a day
Each one of these goals should change the unhealthy lifestyle that I am currently living. The reason I made these goals is based off of a weight loss tracker from the application on my phone called MyFitnessPal. It places the calories needed to consume a day based on a person's Body Mass Index (BMI), height and weight. Many doctors and exercise journals recommend for the average person to do a fitness routine an hour a day. The last is the more calories burned the better it is. However, just because those calories burned is subtracted by the food intake doesn't mean that one should eat more food.
Behavior Intervention Plan based on goals
Behavior Intervention is when certain behaviors require a change in order to meet a set goal. The first goal was to keep food intake under a certain amount of calories. This is super hard because I am a huge snack eater and it is something quick and in easy access in my house. In order to change this when I feel the need to snack on something water is a great alternative because it hydrates the body and usually makes a person feel full. Therefore the more that the body stays hydrated the symptoms of slight hunger should decrease. Positive reinforcement will go a long way with this goal. If I am under four hundred calories then I can treat myself to a small piece of pie that has only two hundred calories as a reward for keeping them low and making smart choices. If the calories are over or right on the dot then the punishment would not to be able have a snack that day or the next.
When it comes to working out it is hard to get into the rhythm of things and to make sure that the amount of calories burned is high and that it is for a time frame. It is important according to (Fray, 2016) "To meet the ACSM guideline, you could simply exercise for 40 minutes every day." However, it is important to make sure that the workout routines are at different levels. If it's a high intensity then it will burn more calories. In order to make sure that this limit is met walking everywhere with a pedometer or a "Fitbit" actually counts steps taken in a mile, and the time frame of total movement. As a positive reinforcement if I reach five thousand steps one day a lot myself less amount the next day to walk so long as it's about three thousand steps. If this goal is not met then I don't get to cut back on my walking. There is also scheduled times throughout the day that I work out in ten minute intervals that way I don't overdo it or get bored. This also leads to a person to burn more calories. A positive reinforcement for burning more calories a day can result in weight loss and the negative for not burning those calories and weight being maintained or even gained.
Potential barriers to treatment
When it comes to potential barriers that could get in the way of finding a workout routine that works for me there are quite a few. The first one would be my attention span, due to my Attention-Deficit Hyper Activity (ADHD) Disorder. It is really hard to get on a routine and stay in one because it can easily get to the point where it no longer holds my interest. After about two weeks of the same workout I tend to just stop. The second would be my motivation in general. It's very hard to get motivated to workout knowing that it makes me exhausted and my body hurts afterwards. The last could be the fact that I don't make time to do this. I am a mother, wife, house keeper, student and the only driver in a family of four so I am in a car about four hours on a good day. Therefore by the time foods cooked, house is clean and everything for school is done I just fall asleep. In order to prevent these from happening I plan on switching up my workouts between yoga, dance, kickboxing and calinstitics. This way I am not doing the same thing each week. Next I can assign myself three half hour time slots in the day that I want to try and workout. That way even if I miss two of the times they are spread out to where I can always do one. The last for motivation is getting my family involved, not only should I worry about being healthy but so should they sense my kids are in sports. If we workout together we can make a big impact on each other.
Conclusion
In conclusion, finding a workout plan and implementing it can be difficult for anyone. The biggest part is finding out what obstacles can get in the way and figuring out what to do to prevent them from becoming a distraction is a huge part. Goals are also important when using the behavior intervention plan such as this one. In the end the outcome is what you are aiming for. If my plan goes as followed the outcome expected on my end is to find an exercise that makes a difference in my healthy, happiness and weight.
Day one
Day Two
Day Three
Number of times I worked out
I walked a half a mile in 10 minutes. Along with workout DVD for twenty
Danced for ten minutes and yoga for another ten. I also walked for fifteen minutes.
Kickboxing for twenty minutes and walked for fifteen.
Number of times I reached minimum of 40 minutes
I did not reach this go was off by ten minutes but did reach goals previously stated
I was off by about five minuets but reached the other goals aimed for this day.
Still off on the total minutes needed for the day.
Times that I reached goals and rewareded self
Did not get reward because I was at the bare minimum of calories under and did not work out for the whole time.
Yes I did get a small treat of a KitKat bar because I was four hundred calories under my max allowed.
No, I was under calories but not by enough to receive a treat.
References
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/self-management
Frey, M. (2016, May). Weekly Workouts to Lose Weight. Very Well, (), . Retrieved from
Malott, R. W., & Shane, J. T. (2014). Principles of behavior (7th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.