Order Description
constructive feedback (for each of 3 essays). on 3 key ideas (not just agree and like their progress).
comment on 3 other Reports with constructive observations.
1. Identify the parts of Trans-theoretical Model of someone else’s report.
2. Identify the strategies and concepts someone used to complete their behavior.
3. Describe a way to include more research tools and data application to the report analysis.
Kate Toll
HLWL 1114
Professor Danraj
November 28, 2015
Behavior Change-Drinking More Water
This semester, for the Behavior Challenge in class, I chose to drink more water in order to begin living a healthier life style. Before the behavior change I barely drank any water, and would instead turn to caffeinated drinks such as coffee or tea. As a college student, it is very common not to drink enough water, and to instead choose sugar-sweetened beverages or caffeinated drinks. However, I have come to realize over the course of the semester just how beneficial water is to the human body, and how important it is that I drink at least eight cups of water a day. Having a doctor as a grandfather, I was constantly told growing up how important it was that I drank enough water. Now as a college student it is extremely important for my health and wellness that I consume the recommended daily amount of water, which, as my grandfather has always told me, is approximately eight cups per day. Although at times over the past six weeks it was difficult to remember to drink enough water each day, by the end of the semester I could easily, without thinking or planning, drink at least eight cups of water throughout the day.
In order to achieve my goal of drinking at least eight cups of water a day I created many smaller goals and created plans on how I would reach each one. Remembering to drink enough water was difficult at times, so to help myself remember I set timers on my phone to function as reminders. Each day I had three reminders set, one in the morning to have water with my breakfast, one in the afternoon so I would drink water at lunch, and finally one at dinner when I would drink at least two glasses of water at that time. Additionally, I began to carry a water bottle with me each day. This made it much easier to always have water with me, which I would drink instead of having another cup of coffee or tea. Finally, I also kept track of my water intake on the iPhone app “My Fitness Pal”, which helped me to not only keep track of how much water I drank, but also how many calories I ate and how many I burned exercising. Using these steps I was able to reach my goal of drinking more water and living a healthier lifestyle.
My goal of drinking more water each day inspired my roommates to do the same, and as the semester went on we began to help each other reach our goals of eight cups of water a day. At dinner we would all remind each other to have a glass of water instead of a soda, and we each began buying water flavors that we could try together. The encouragement and help of my roommates was also instrumental in reaching my goal. We kept each other accountable for our actions to make sure we consumed enough water.
Throughout the semester I noticed many measurable positive changes from drinking more water, such as completing assignments more easily, getting sick less often and sleeping more soundly at night. I noticed that as I began to drink more water I had increased concentration and the effects were noticeable in my schoolwork. I was able to think more clearly and in turn receive higher grades. Additionally, I often suffer from severe headaches, and simply by adding more water to my daily routine my headaches became less frequent. Finally, although I rarely sleep the recommended eight hours per night, I found that by drinking more water I was able to sleep more soundly during the hours I did sleep. Overall, I found that there were numerous positive effects from drinking more water, and I know that this is a habit that I will continue in order to keep living a healthy lifestyle.
Although occasionally I did not reach eight glasses of water a day, during the entire semester I never drank less than six cups per day. In order to continue working on this behavior change and make it part of my everyday routine, I will continue to use “My Fitness Pal” to measure my water intake, additionally, I will continue to carry a water bottle to keep water more accessible throughout the day. Now, drinking more water has become a habit in my life, and I feel as though I no longer need to set daily reminders on my phone in order to drink eight cups of water per day. This behavior change experience this semester has helped me create a new positive habit that keeps me healthier, as well as helps me to succeed academically.
Graphs and Planning:
Weekly Goals- Repeated Each Week
Monday Carry water bottle- refill at least once per day
Drink eight cups of water
Only drink one cup of coffee
Sleep through the night, at least 6 hours
Tuesday Carry water bottle- Flavor Water
Drink eight cups of water
Only drink one cup of coffee
Sleep through the night, at least 6 hours
Wednesday Carry water bottle- refill at least once per day
Drink eight cups of water
Only drink one cup of coffee
Sleep through the night, at least 6 hours
Thursday Carry water bottle- refill at least once per day
Drink eight cups of water
Only drink one cup of coffee
Sleep through the night, at least 6 hours
Friday Carry water bottle- Flavor water
Drink eight cups of water
Only drink one cup of coffee
Sleep through the night, at least 6 hours
Receive an ‘A’ on an assignment
Saturday Carry water bottle- refill at least once per day
Drink eight cups of water
Only drink one cup of coffee
Sleep through the night, at least 7 hours
Sunday Carry water bottle- refill at least once per day
Drink eight cups of water
Only drink one cup of coffee
Sleep through the night, at least 7 hours
Graph of cups of water consumed per week:
Information logged in ‘My Fitness Pal’
A goal of eight cups of water per day means it was my goal to consume 56 cups of water per week. As can be seen by the graph, I met or exceeded my goal each week. On the few days when I did not consume eight cups of water, if I fell a cup or two short, I was able to make up the cups of water on another day of the week, therefore ensuring that I would reach at least 56 cups per week. On the sixth week of the challenge I consumed 60 cups of water, showing that I was able to meet and (highly) exceed my goal over the course of the challenge.
Graph of Hours Slept per Night (Daily Averages Over the Six Weeks)
This graph shows that although I was not able to sleep at least six hours each night I hardly ever slept less than five and a half hours per night. Additionally, on the weekends I was able to sleep seven or eight hours on average which exceeded my goal. Furthermore, before I started drinking more water I woke up numerous times during the night. However, now that I have started adding more water to my diet I rarely wake up at night and am able to sleep much more soundly. This shows that by simply adding more water to my diet I was able to positively change my sleep habits, which has helped me to feel better, and concentrate easier.
This behavior change was very beneficial to me, as it showed me how much I could improve my overall health and wellness simply by adding more water into my diet. I experienced many positive changes to my health and wellness over the course of the semester, and I am certain that I will continue to drink at least the recommended amount of water per day now that the challenge is over. Additionally, I was able to positively influence the lives of others, as my roommates also began drinking more water and staying away from sugary beverages. I am very proud of my progress this semester, and I am also excited that I was able to help others begin to make healthier choices. I now realize that if I make a plan and follow steps I will easily be able to change other behaviors or bad habits, and therefore improve my overall health and wellness even more.
