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This feels like an important observation to me; thank you for sharing that. Have a great week!Gimmelean wrote:Plus the habit of weekly journaling and documenting here provides a feedback loop that continues to open my eyes about my food choices and relationship with food.
JeffN wrote:Self-efficacy is the extent or strength of one's belief, perception and convictions in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals.
I think that may be *the* individual characteristic/trait that makes all the others possible, at least in the current environment because while the program itself is easy, doing it in this world, is very difficult. Without a "greater degree of self-efficacy," it becomes even more difficult if not impossible due to the lack of social and environmental support for this way of life.
The research on lifestyle behavior change also supports the importance of self-efficacy. There is a full section on it called, "Self-Efficacy Enhancement," in this review paper..
LINK to REVIEW PAPERSelf-Efficacy Enhancement
Self-efficacy, a component of social cognitive theory, describes an individual's perception regarding his/her abilities to carry out actions necessary to perform certain behaviors (eg, making changes in diet or lifestyle).20 Perceived self-efficacy is a major determinant of performance independent of an individual's actual underlying skill.20 The strength of perceived self-efficacy is particularly important, as individuals are more likely to both initiate a behavior and continue their efforts until success is achieved if their perceived self-efficacy is higher.20 Thus enhancement of an individual's perceived self-efficacy can be incorporated into interventions to improve the likelihood of successful behavior change. Bandura's theory suggests 4 sources of self-efficacy that can be drawn on and incorporated into intervention strategies to enhance self-efficacy.82 The source with the greatest potential for increasing self-efficacy, mastery experiences, entails having a person successfully achieve a goal that is reasonable and proximal; for example, substituting fruit for a high-calorie dessert or being able to walk 1 mile. A second source, vicarious experience, consists of the individual witnessing someone who is similar in capability successfully perform the desired task; for example, observing patients exercise and improve their physical function in cardiac rehabilitation or watching a nonprofessional prepare a healthy meal. A third source, verbal persuasion, entails the provider persuading the person that he/she believes in the person's capability to perform the task. This is the weakest source for improving self-efficacy, but can be implemented via telephone or other electronic modes. The fourth source, physiological feedback, entails interpreting to the individual the meaning of different symptoms associated with behavior change. Examples include explaining that experiencing fewer symptoms with exertion is related to regular participation in a physical activity program or that feeling less fatigued or more comfortable is related to weight loss.20 An extensive body of evidence indicates that self-efficacy influences behavior change across all the behavior domains related to CVD risk reduction.83–92 Self-efficacy enhancements were incorporated into the interventions of several of the studies that yielded favorable outcomes.
There are many great references from that section to check out.
As described in this above paper, I think teaching self-efficacy should be a core part of these programs. We not only have to educate people on the program and teach them the necessary skills, but also how to actually succeed at them and how to empower them to believe they can and will succeed.
Mark Cooper wrote:Continuing our earlier discussions concerning building self-efficacy, I want to encourage everyone to think about creating the opportunity to have some Mastery experiences this month.Set your sights on a personally meaningful goal, task or behavior adjustment that feels challenging, but achievable. Spend some time putting together a plan for how you will succeed in your chosen endeavor. Practice executing that plan, make any needed adjustments, and try again. Practice builds confidence and success teaches you that you are effective and able to achieve reasonable goals that you pursue with diligence."Mastery experiences are the most influential source of efficacy information because they provide the most authentic evidence of whether one can muster whatever it takes to succeed. Success builds a robust belief in one's personal efficacy."
-Albert Bandura, Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of ControlI was thinking along these lines last June“People's beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities. Ability is not a fixed property; there is a huge variability in how you perform. People who have a sense of self-efficacy bounce back from failure; they approach things in terms of how to handle them rather than worrying about what can go wrong.”
-Albert Bandura, Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of ControlAs Jeff noted,Mark Cooper wrote:In pursuing excellence, mistakes and failures can provide an opportunity for growth; I can learn something each time, surmounting that obstacle (usually not on the first attempt) and be better for it. That feels like the path to mastery - not being perfect or free from mistakes, but navigating situations with confidence and poise, knowing how to apply the fundamentals, recognizing what "doing the best I can" looks like in a given situation, and striving to do even better next time. That may be a goal that is always just out of my reach, but I find the chasing of it inspiring.JeffN wrote:Self-efficacy is the extent or strength of one's belief, perception and convictions in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals.
I think that may be *the* individual characteristic/trait that makes all the others possible, at least in the current environment because while the program itself is easy, doing it in this world, is very difficult. Without a "greater degree of self-efficacy," it becomes even more difficult if not impossible due to the lack of social and environmental support for this way of life.
That is exactly how it is supposed to work; well done and keep it up!BambiS wrote: I reviewed my habits and made some tweaks.
Mark Cooper wrote:VegSeekingFit - Your score from the Farmers Market certainly does sound delicious! It appears to me you are continuing to make real progress with your "5/7 project", Stephanie; does it feel like that to you, as well?
Both of those "reminders" seem important and valuable. This is a great thread discussing thirst and drinking water.Gabby7 wrote:This week was a reminder that it’s easy to get off track but also it’s a choice to get back on as quickly as possible.
I feel like this is SUCH an important point - whenever hungry, eat of the recommended foods. Avoiding the feeling of deprivation, to the extent possible, seems important for supporting ongoing adherence.VegSeekingFit wrote:1) When hungry EAT.
I totally agree.2) Positive self-talk - try to laugh... This has helped a ton. It is hard to make meaningful forward progress when feeling disappointed in yourself... So, take a step back and reflect on what happened, what could work better, etc. without beating self up!
Yep, that is exactly the idea. I wonder if the "secret sauce" you are "missing" might just be inherent in your second observation regarding self-efficacy:3) If thinking of the non-compliant "food", EAT instead a recommended food. If I end up still eating the "bad" #5/7, it is a lesser amount. Sometimes it has even allowed a bit of time to reconsider and NOT eat the non-compliant item.
Consistent, adaptable action over time builds capability, and confidence in that capability. That has definitely been my experience. The "secret ingredient" is often just more TIME. Onward!VegSeekingFit wrote:2) The more days that elapse since adopting the 10 point checklist, the more capable I feel about being able to continue on.
I think you are VERY wise to be aware of the powerful lure of this particular type of troublesome item, and to take the actions you deem necessary to guard your success and adherence. It is certainly possible that, over a substantial duration of time, these particular "triggering" items will become less alluring and present less of a struggle, but the siren call of hyperpalatable foods can be both powerful and durable. I think of it this way: no one would think twice if a recovering alcoholic was extremely conscientious about having a safe, alcohol free home environment, right? Why should we take our own personal health and wellbeing any less seriously?Noella wrote:A friend brought some dairy-based frozen treats to our house and put them in our freezer...I was too polite to say no. But this is a massive problem for me to have in my house as this is the exact sort of food that led me to obesity in the first place. I'm sure of it. I am also very aware of its continued lure and danger for me if it's right in my immediate environment. If my husband doesn't eat these today, I will need to throw them away to be safe from eating them. Will I always struggle with this attraction to frozen creamy foods???
It is very kind of you to ask, and I really appreciate the well-wishes. My health is pretty excellent, apart from my CRPS/RSD. My pain is fairly well-managed, but it requires quite a lot of exercise therapy, and I do still have some tough days. Unfortunately, CRPS has no known cure, at present, and although I am sure my dietary patterns help me (particularly the anti-inflammatory nature of our diet) it is one of those uncommon diseases for which the McDougall diet doesn't seem to be a cure-all. That said, I'm much more mobile and physically able than many of those afflicted with my condition. I'm very much aware that I'm in something of a constant battle against potential dystrophy, so I take my exercise regimen VERY seriously. The "fringe benefit", I guess, is that I'm in excellent physical condition, otherwise; I can even do handstands now! Thanks again for your kind regards.Mark,
I'm wondering how you are doing health-wise and hope you are pain-free. Always wishing you the best of health!
Results
Lapse frequency showed a curvilinear relationship over time, such that frequency first decreased and then increased. More frequent lapses at baseline were associated with less early and overall weight loss. Lapses occurred most often at home, in the evenings, on the weekends, and entailed eating a forbidden food. Greater overall levels of assessed affective and environmental triggers predicted lapses; greater momentary hunger and deprivation, and the presence of palatable food also prospectively predicted lapses.
Mark Cooper wrote:Results
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Greater overall levels of assessed affective and environmental triggers predicted lapses; greater momentary hunger and deprivation, and the presence of palatable food also prospectively predicted lapses.
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