Applying Conditioning to Real Life

Applying Conditioning to Real Life

My exercise plan definitely needs a change because I am starting to slack on keeping on track of my exercise routine. I finally got a gym membership to help me with my process of losing weight but, just having a membership isn't going to shed off the pounds. It feels like in every way I try to make excuses to do everything other than go to the gym and get a work out in. I pretend I don't have enough time, I don't have the energy, or I always make other plans. I need to figure out a new exercise plan because I don't want my health to be effected by my excessive weight gain.

The plan I now have just isn't working for me. I believe I have come up with a way to help by giving myself positive feedback to generate positive results in my body weight. A positive reinforcement will help because it is a stimulus event whose introduction strengthens the behavior it follows. An example of this would be praising children for picking up their clothes this increases the likelihood that they will repeat the behavior. In my case if I am praised for going to the gym and doing my workouts than I will be more likely to want to return. The way I am going to go about doing this is by using, The Law of Effect. This is Thorndike's principal which responses that having satisfying effects are more likely to recur, while those that have unpleasant effects are less likely to recur. I am using this principal to help base my exercise routine.

I will be using operant conditioning to positively help change my behavior. I will quantify the target behavior by measuring each month how much weight I have lost. My behavior now is not very enthused as to getting on track with my exercise plan because I keep slipping off my intended path. When I started out I had positive feelings toward my goal but now I haven't been to the gym in a matter of 6 weeks and have packed on 15 lbs. I feel this is because I have no positive influence to help stay devoted to the exercise plan. My desired goal is to lose 5lbs. every month until I am back down to 120 lbs. I want to stick with my exercise plan and not stray away from my ambition, I will continue this for a time frame of six months.

Positive reinforcement is what I am basing the exercise plan on because I will be rewarding myself with a shopping spree at the end of each month. Only if I reach my goal though of five pounds will I get to indulge in a shopping spree. I have chosen to use a schedule of continuous reinforcement because I will be rewarding myself each month that I lose five pounds. A shopping