How to replace bad eating habits with good ones

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Identify your bad eating habits and find out what causes them. Then gradually replace them with good ones.

1. Keep a food diary

It will help you figure out what eating habits you have now. Keep records throughout the week.

• Write down exactly what you ate, how much, and at what time.
• Make notes about how you feel: "hungry", "stress", "bored", "tired". This will explain why you ate something. For example, you got bored at work and bought a chocolate bar.
• At the end of the week, review your notes and identify your eating habits. Decide which ones you want to change.

Don't set many goals for yourself at once; move gradually. Limit yourself to two or three goals to get started. For example, like this:

• drink skim milk instead of whole milk;
• drink more water throughout the day;
• instead of sweet, eat fruit for dessert;
• take healthy snacks and homemade food with you for lunch;
• learn to distinguish between when you eat because you are hungry, and when - from stress or boredom.

2. Identify triggers

Think about what caused these habits. Maybe something in your environment is provoking you to eat when you are not hungry. Or the choice of food is influenced by emotions. Review your food diary entries and circle the recurring triggers. For example:

• you saw something tasty in the kitchen or in the vending machine;
• you eat while watching TV series;
• you are stressed at work or in another area;
• you are tired after a working day, but nothing is ready for dinner;
• you have to eat junk food at work;
• you have junk food for breakfast;
• by the end of the day, you want to please yourself with something.

Focus on one or two triggers that fire most often. Think about how to avoid them.

• Don't pass the vending machine on your way to work.
• Prepare dinner ahead of time or prepare groceries to quickly cope with this evening.
• Don't keep unhealthy snacks at home. If someone in the household buys them, store them out of sight.
• Suggest buying fruit instead of sweets for your work meetings. Or bring them separately for yourself.
• Drink mineral water instead of juice and soda.

3. Replace old habits with new ones

Find alternatives to unhealthy snacks

• If you eat sweets at the end of the day to recharge your batteries, opt for a cup of herbal tea and a handful of almonds. Or go for a short walk when your energy dips.
• Eat fruit and yogurt for your afternoon snack.
• Instead of a bowl of candy, place a plate of fruit or nuts on the table.
• Watch your portion sizes. It is difficult to eat a few chips or other junk food when you have a whole packet in front of you. Set a small portion aside on a plate and discard the rest.

Eat slowly

While chewing, place your fork on a plate. Only bite off the next bite when you have swallowed the previous one. If you eat too quickly, your stomach will not have time to signal that your hunger is satisfied. As a result, you overeat.

How do you know if you are eating too fast? About 20 minutes after eating, you will notice that you are overeating.

Eat only when you are hungry

Don't try to calm down with food, you just overeat. To feel better, call loved ones or go for a walk.

Let your brain and body relax. Take a break to relieve stress without eating.

Plan your meals

• Decide in advance what you will eat to avoid impulse purchases.
• At the beginning of the week, decide what you will cook for dinner and buy groceries. This way, you will be less tempted to eat fast food on your way home from work.
• Prepare some of the ingredients for dinner ahead of time. For example, cut up vegetables. Then in the evening it will take less time to cook.
• Try to have a hearty breakfast so that you don't feel like having a sweet snack before lunch. If you don't feel like eating in the morning, eat a fruit, drink a glass of milk, or a smoothie.
• Have a hearty lunch and a healthy snack before dinner. Then you will not die of hunger in the evening and do not eat too much.
• Don't skip meals. Otherwise, next time you overeat or eat something harmful.

When you've changed one or two bad eating habits, move on to the next. Take your time and don't berate yourself. It will take time. The main thing is not to give up.