Behavior techniques can help you clean up poor food habits or unwanted behaviors that block you from following a healthy diet and seeing long term change. Begin by observing when, how, why, and what you are eating:

• Are you skipping breakfast, the most important meal of the day?
• Are you grabbing a candy bar during a break because you didn’t plan ahead to bring a piece of fruit from home?
• Are you standing over the stove and snacking rather than waiting until you can sit at the table and really taste and enjoy foods?

Spend several days looking at how you eat and then work on slowly changing one poor habit at a time. Be good to yourself and reward the changes in non-food ways.

Behavior Techniques

• Before starting a meal, enjoy the appearance of the food and drink a glass of a low calorie beverage. This will cut your hunger pangs and prepare you to be more aware of your food.
• Eat slowly and take at least 20 minutes to eat a meal - this is the length of time your body takes to register fullness.
• Eat in one place of your house to reduce the number of opportunities for eating and help lessen food thoughts.
• Eat only if hungry. Don’t be a clock-watcher. Skipping meals is not encouraged, however, because you may tend to overeat later.
• Think about why you are eating. Overeating is often done in response to a strong emotion. Can you change the situation or feeling? Normal eating, however, does at times involve emotional eating.
• Try most often to plan healthy choices, but not necessarily “diet” foods unless that is what you truly like best.
• Reduce food cues in your environment. Don’t leave food dishes, cookie jars and leftovers out on the table to plague you with food reminders.
• Shop for groceries on a full stomach.

Success Smells Sweet

Use these techniques to make following a healthy diet and exercise plan easier for you. You are surrounding yourself with a positive environment that is not constantly nagging you to eat. Be kind to yourself as you try to change. Perfection isn’t normal. As you change, you will smell the sweetness of success and love it!

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