Time to Reflect
Take some time today to think about your eating habits. You've read a lot of tips about eating healthy over the last few weeks.
Now, focus on yourself for a bit.
Try these steps to check in with yourself:
Review your food log. Take a look at what you eat and think about how you were feeling at the time. Were you really hungry? Were you tired? In a rush?
Highlight any habits that might make you overeat. Do you eat too fast? Not prepared to make dinner? Skip meals, or always need dessert?
Identify all the triggers that cause those habits.
But don't forget to pat yourself on the back for the things you're doing right, like shifts to healthier foods and no dessert.
Be proud of successes!
Triggers
Do any of these triggers sound familiar?
Seeing your favorite snack food in the cabinet.
Sitting at home watching television.
Before or after a stressful meeting or situation at work.
Coming home after work and having no idea what's for dinner.
Having someone offer you a dish they made "just for you!"
Walking past a candy dish on the counter.
Sitting in the break room beside the vending machine.
Seeing a plate of doughnuts at the morning staff meeting.
Swinging through your favorite drive-through every morning.
Feeling bored or tired and thinking food might offer a pick-me-up.
Dealing with triggers:
Note the triggers on your list that you face on a daily or weekly basis. For now, let's focus on the ones you face more often, not things like holidays.
Ask yourself these questions for those triggers: Is there anything I can do to avoid the trigger or situation? For things I can't avoid, can I change something at the time?
Replace unhealthy habits with new, healthy ones. Think of ways to change your habits, such as:
Eat more slowly.
Eat only when you're truly hungry. Call a friend, read, or exercise to cope with other emotions.
Plan meals ahead of time to make sure you eat a healthy well-balanced meal.
Be patient with yourself. New habits take time. It doesn't happen overnight. When you do find yourself engaging in an unhealthy habit, stop as quickly as possible and ask yourself: Why do I do this? When did I start doing this? What changes do I need to make?
Don't ever put yourself down. One mistake doesn't ruin a whole day's worth of healthy habits.
You can do it! It just takes one day at a time!
Do you need advice on changing an unhealthy habit? Send your care manager a message.