Behaviour modification is crucial in relation to eating habits and weight loss. Habits, good or bad, are formed by repetition. Eating habits are no exception. If you are in the habit of snacking when you watch TV, you were reinforcing that habit until finally it became a part of you. Other habits are formed in the same way. Some of these habits are: eating while reading, eating when coming home from work or your office, eating while cooking dinner, etc.

We also find that a certain mood or emotion, and circumstances can cause us to eat …even if we are not hungry. For example: anxiety, anger, boredom, fatigue, happiness, loneliness, and nervousness all may trigger an eating response. The list is endless. Habits are hard to break. We must not only break old habits, but we must make our goal to form new ones in the same manner…which is through repetition. Make some daily commitments. Work to meet these commitments each day whether you feel like it or not. Your daily commitments will help you form good habits. Remember: “It is easier to act your way into a new way of feeling than it is to feel your way into a new way of acting.”

Resisting temptation is difficult. However, if you succeed in resisting the first time, it becomes easier to resist the next time. Before long, you will have formed the good habit of resisting temptation every time it confronts you.

Join the Wellness Revolution

Join Now!

Because of the human weaknesses mentioned, we must use what has become known among weight control groups as behavior modification. It simply means changing your behavior. These techniques work only if you commit to them and consistently repeat them, so that they become a new habit and part of a new you.

1) Eat when you are truly hungry, don’t eat when you are not hungry. Therefore, plan your meals and have two or three planned snacks (fruit, health bar) available daily. When tempted to grab for food because you smell it or see it, just ask yourself: “Am I hungry”? If not don’t eat!

2) Prolong your meals by eating slowly. Putting down your eating utensil between each bite and not picking up your eating utensil until you have swallowed the bite; hesitating between bites, even if you’re eating finger foods.

3) Choose a specific place in your home or office to eat all of your meals. This will become your “designated eating place” and should not be changed. Try not to eat at your desk at work. This would make you prone to eat all day long (even when not hungry) and not just at meal time.

4) Do not do anything except eat when you sit down for a meal. Do not eat while you read, watch TV, talk on the phone, work, etc. Make yourself aware of the food you are eating. Focus on the conversation and enjoy your meal.

5) Do not keep food in any room in your house except the kitchen. Do not keep food such as cookies out on the counters. Do not store these items in “see-through” containers.

6) Do not buy junk food. NOBODY needs it! Replace refined snacks that lack vitamins, fiber, minerals, and phyto-chemicals with fruits and vegetables. Drink plenty of WATER to keep yourself hydrated, and remember that water fills you up and is calorie free!

7) If possible, serve individual plates from the stove and do not serve family style on the table. If you finish your plate, ask yourself if you are still hungry…if not, don’t get seconds (I know it’s difficult when the food smells good). Serve your meals on a smaller plate; you may not need that larger portion in order to feel ‘really’ full.

Develop a habit of leaving at least one bite of each item on your plate. If you can master this, it becomes easier to stop eating when you feel full. You will be used to leaving food on your plate… and that’s just fine!

Also, make sure you work on reducing stress and try to RELAX! Overeating is often caused by stress and over-scheduling. We also recommend you keep a record of your food intake and exercise.

All of the above are eating techniques that aid in behavior modification. Other behavior modification techniques not related to eating are to substitute activity for eating, which means exactly what it says– substitute another activity for between meal snacking. If you are in the habit of going straight to the kitchen and eating every time you walk in the house, try to change this habit by going to another room of the house when you come home. Delay going into the kitchen until the desire to eat is gone. When you are tempted to eat, try to use substitute activities such as walking, checking your e-mail, drinking water, playing with the kids or dog, calling a friend, writing a letter, reading a book, taking a bath, gardening, painting or any other activity or hobby.

I had a client who always was stressed at work when the boss was around (a few times per week). After their usual confrontation, my client would get up from her desk and walk over to the vending machines…she would buy a soda and a snicker…and vent! She consumed this JUNK not because she was hungry (she just had breakfast at home), but because it was her way of coping with the stresses at work (some people would go outside and smoke their cigarette). In order to change this ‘bad’ habit and form a new habit, we had to identify the problem and acknowledge that the junk food consumption was a mood-related impulse. We decided to substitute the walk to the vending machine with a walk around the office building; when my client would go to the vending machine and stood in front of it, she would have to ask herself: “Am I REALLY hungry or do I just want something to deal with the stress?”. If she wasn’t hungry, she should save her money! Also, we decided that my client had to bring some bottled water to work, and drink it whenever stressed and unable to go for a walk. Water fills you up, detoxifies the body and has no calories! My client has had no soda or snicker bar for over 6 months now, and saved lots of money too!

Yours in Optimal Health,

Dr. Mike

Related Articles

Final Conclusion on Exercise
Sleep & Weight
TAKE CONTROL, YOU CAN DO IT!

Join the Wellness Revolution

Join Now!

Visit Dr. Mike’s Store for Health & Wellness Products

Dr. Mike’s Store

Related Articles

• Dr. Mike’s Wellness Advice: Apples Healthy Facts!
• Dr. Mike’s Healthy Lifestyle Advice: Exercise Research
• Dr. Mike’s Healthy Lifestyle Advice: Sensible Weight Loss
• Dr. Mike’s Nutritional Health Advice: Popular Diets
• Dr. Mike’s Wellness Advice: Successful Weight Loss Program