You decide that you want to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables up to 3 cups a day for both. Describe how you would work towards this goal using the 6 steps to behavior change listed in Chapter 1

Answer 1

First of all, you may not realize that you have a problem with this but you see reports on TV or in the newspaper about the importance of eating enough fruits and vegetables. At this point, you are in the pre-contemplation stage.
You then think about whether you want to start eating more fruits and vegetables (produce). You consider the pluses such as eating more nutrients with fewer calories. You also consider the minuses such as the fact that fruits and vegetables cost more and don't last as long as other foods. You decide whether or not you want to start this eating plan. You decide to do it and pick a date to start. You are in the contemplation stage.
Next, you decide which fruits and vegetables you like are easy to prepare. You also consider how you can eat more of these while you are at work. You are in the preparation stage and are making plans to change your eating behaviors.
You then start to add ½ to 1 cup of the fruits and vegetables to your daily meals. You are actively involved in your new behavior; this is the action stage. You note how you feel as you add more produce to your diet.
You continue with your new behavior but you sometimes don't make your goal. You keep track of your produce intake and you also note what obstacles interfere with your progress. You are in the maintenance stage of your behavior change. You may have setbacks, but you keep acting on your behavior change.
You have been eating more produce without even thinking about having setbacks. This is a normal part of your eating behavior. You now wish to increase your whole grain intake. So you have moved on to new goals and are in the adoption stage as far as eating more fruits and vegetables each day is concerned.