Developing a Healthy Lifestyle: Learning Plan for Better Health

(1) Environmental Scan:

Identify issues related to your health and wellness
(What is in your environment that may help or hinder your?)

Individual

Family History of:

o Obesity

o Diabetes

o Cardiovascular disease

Personally, since childhood, I have struggled with feeling confident about my physical appearance and constantly experienced episodes of weight gain and weight loss throughout my adolescence. At present, while I feel that I am maintaining a healthy, I am not engaging in any exercise and my meal timings are very irregular and I feel mostly tired, fatigued and restless throughout the day.

Work

·  Unemployed

· I am a college student who lives alone and spends most of my time working on my assignments in the computer. Lately, after the Covid-19 pandemic, I have mostly remained confined to home and find little motivation in engaging in any physical activity. However, I strongly feel the need to improve my physical activity levels and food intake since I feel that can improve my energy levels.

External

· I live in the city

· I have adequate access to a gym and health center which thus means that I have an opportunity to consult professional. There is also accessibility to a park and a grocery store from where I can source fresh food ingredients and engage in recreational activities.

(2) Self-Assessment

Identify your lifestyle behaviours, your current knowledge and skills, and  strengths and limitations that will assist or hinder you in achieving your goal

Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours

· I try to take frequently walks after sitting for too long

· Avoid alcohol and any drug intake.

Unhealthy Lifestyle Behaviors

· Sedentary life – spend most of the time sitting without any exercise

· Frequently skip meals since I feel too tired to cook

· High intake of processed and takeaway foods.

Knowledge and Skills

· Knowledge of basic nutrition from college course

· Knowledge of cooking skills

· Knowledge on physical activity and dietary guidelines and strategies from College Health and Wellness Course  

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths:

· Openness and willingness to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors

· Optimistic about the future since I possess basic nutrition and exercise knowledge

Limitations:

· Limited financial resources due to unemployment

· Limited stamina due to sedentary life

· Loss of interest in engaging in social activities since the Covid-19 pandemic 

(3) Learning Plan

Objectives

Resources/Strategies

Project Development

Target Date

Criteria for Self-Evaluation

(May be qualitative or quantitative)

I will follow a regular exercise routine and consume a balanced diet as per my requirements within the next 6 to 12months

Specific: The goal specifically addresses following a regular routine of recommended exercise and dietary intake

M: The number of minutes or hours I exercise and a measurement of my weight every month can be considered to evaluate my progress.

Achievable: In addition to nearby gyms and clinics, my course knowledge also equips me with basic nutrition and exercise knowledge

Realistic: The goal focus only on the exercise and dietary needs which I require.

T: A period of 6 to 12 months and a monthly health assessment will enable me to engage in a timely evaluation of my progress.

Resources

(Be specific)

Canada’s Food Guide: Healthy eating

Recommendations (https://food-guide.canada.ca/sites/default/files/artifact-pdf/HEPs-Guide-nw-en.pdf)

Public Health Agency of Canada: Tips to get Active (https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/migration/phac-aspc/hp-ps/hl-mvs/pa-ap/assets/pdfs/07paap-eng.pdf)

Strategies

(Be specific)

I will visit the local health clinic in my neighborhood every month to evaluate my weight and obtain a professional consultation with a dietician for a balanced diet plan.

I will also consult the fitness practitioner in my gym for a flexible exercise plan for me which I can start at home until I feel more capable of socializing.  

The plan for your  lifestyle change needs to include  

I will refer to ‘Canada’s Food Guide’ and ‘Tips to get Active’ by Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to monitor my compliance to my recommended exercise and dietary intake.

After receiving an exercise and diet plan, I will start to follow it by exercise gradually at home and cooking my own foods instead of purchasing it. Every month, I will consult both by fitness practitioner and dietician to evaluate my progress and need for any changes.

1^st November, 2021

Monitor weight by measuring my Body Mass Index every month and comparing it with normal standards of 18.5 to 24.9.

Consult with dietician and fitness practitioner every month.

Track my time of exercising to ensure compliance to recommended 2.5 hours of exercise per week.