Page 111 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

7. Grocery shopping is done by the wife, who does not read labels.

Four steps may be used in setting goals with clients. They include (1) goal identification, (2) goal importance
and acceptance, (3) goal analysis and overcoming obstacles, and (4) goal implementation.

Step 1: Goal Identification

The first step in goal setting is identification of what the client finds is appropriate and feasible. Personal goals
can spur clients to new achievements and changes because they give people something to strive for as well as a
standard against which to judge one’s progress. Because clients are more committed to changes that they
select, the counselor may inquire which one or more potential changes the person wants to address first by
saying, “Which one or two changes do you think that you can work on this week?” When people play a
significant role in selecting goals, they hold themselves responsible for progress. If goals are imposed by the
counselor, people may not accept them or feel personally responsible for fulfilling them.

CASE ANALYSIS 4

What are some possible short-term goals for change for Mr. Howard to consider with you?

The goals should meet each of the elements of the S.M.A.R.T System, which stands for Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Specific.18 Goals selected by the client should be positively stated
as concrete behaviors. A goal should specify what the person will do or is trying to achieve. The following are
examples of specific goals:

EXAMPLE “I will eat fruit instead of baked desserts 5 days this week.”
“I will lose 1 to 2 lb each week for the next 4 weeks.”
“I will walk for 20 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week.”

Specific, clear, attainable goals produce higher levels of performance than do general intentions to do the
best one can, which may have little or no effect. An example of the latter is a statement such as “I’ll look for
low-sodium foods the next time I am at the grocery store.” When goals are set unrealistically high,
performance may prove disappointing. If the client selects problems numbered 1 and 2 from the earlier
sodium list, for example, these can be reinterpreted into achievable goals for change as follows:

EXAMPLE “I will use low-sodium seasonings in cooking and pepper at the table starting today.”
“I will eat fruits and low-sodium crackers for snacks 4 days this week.”

Note that the positive statement of using low-sodium seasonings is preferable to the negative goal of
avoiding salt. It is easier to do something positive than to avoid doing something. A plan for reaching each
goal can be explored by asking the question, “How will you do that?”19

Setting specific goals can be motivating and result in positive outcomes. For example: “I will walk for 30
minutes every day.” Measurable goals should be written down with a frequency and time frame and referred to

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