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The Science Behind a Habit

Picture of Amanda from JaBB

 

Graph that shows the pattern involved in creating habits

 

Hi! I'm Amanda from JaBB (aka, Just a Bite Better). I am here to help you change your habits concerning food. 

I recently dove into the science behind habits and to share my gatherings with you. Amongst the many things that I can do to help you with habit evolution is combing through the internet for interesting information about nutrition and habit development. With my knowledge and Just a Bite Better, I plan on helping you to breaking habits that no longer serve you well and form new habits that help you accomplish your goals.

In "The Power of Habit," Charles Duhigg explores the science behind habits and how they can be used to improve our lives. Some key messages in the book include the following:

1. Habits are a powerful force in our lives, shaping our behavior and decisions without us even realizing it. Habits are formed through a loop of three stages: a cue, a routine, and a reward. By understanding this loop, we can identify the cues and rewards that drive our habits and make changes to the routine in order to break bad habits or establish new ones.

  • Once you identify the habits you want to change, I can help you track and measure the progress. For example, if you want to eat more fruit or drink less soda I can tell you how you are doing in that endeavour with cool graphs.

2. Habits can be changed, but it requires effort and persistence. The key is to keep trying and not be discouraged by setbacks.

  • I can help you with this by providing encouragement and pushing you to keep going. We all make mistakes and slip up, that’s where I can help! 

3. Habits are not just personal – they can also be found in organizations, communities, and society at large. By understanding how habits work, we can change the habits of groups and even whole systems. Habits can be used for good or for ill, and it is up to us to decide which habits we want to cultivate in our lives. By developing positive habits, we can improve our health, productivity, relationships, and overall well-being.

 

Some key principles from the book for forming a new habit include the following:

 

1. Identify the new habit you want to form and the underlying motivation for the behavior.

  • Just a Bite Better can help you identify this new habit. After you have a food log going, you can better visualize where you might want to make change based on the charts I provide.

2. Make the new habit easy and appealing by manipulating the habit loop and creating a positive feedback loop.

  • By going PRO with Just a Bite Better, you can set two goals for yourself which can help with this principle. If you set one goal that is to eat less chocolate, as you might see this as a bad habit, and another goal that is to eat more fruit each day, you can manipulate your bad habit and replace it with a good one. This will create a positive feedback loop.
3. Enlist the support of friends and family, or seek professional help if needed.
  • If Just a Bite Better's graphs, daily reminders, and encouragements aren't enough this is where our Coach feature comes in handy. With the coach feature, your friends, family, or professional help you on your habit changing journey. If you are seeking assistance to make these changes, you can request a Coach of your choosing who will be able to see the food you logged and keep up to date with your current eating habits. They will be able to give you the support and assistance you might want.
4. Finally, be patient and don't get discouraged if you slip up – just keep working at it and you will eventually succeed.
  • By adopting these principles and making new healthy habits a part of your daily life, you can have incredibly meaningful impacts. Becoming more aware and changing your habits can help change your health, and your life... one bite at a time.

As 2023 kicks off, bite by bite, you can become the best you you can be.

 

About the Authors

Charles Duhigg: He is the author of The Power of Habit, which describes habit formation in our lives and the science around it. He also wrote Smarter Faster Better, which is about the science of productivity. Now, Duhigg writes at The New Yorker Magazine,” and used to write for “The iEconomy” and played a role in a range of series including: “Golden Opportunities,” “The Reckoning,” and “Toxic Waters.”

Want to know more about Charles Duhigg? Check out https://charlesduhigg.com/about/

 

Cheers,

Amanda from JaBB