Eating Behaviors
I feel like I have my eating choices down finally. Lifestyle changes are all about good pre-planning. Given the choice, 90% of the time I will choose the healthy option. I try to bring several different options of snacks to work, so I won't eat the snacks at work. I've taken to produce shopping twice a week so I always have fresh produce on hand, and in the front of the fridge. (Plus, it satiates my shopping addiction). I've stopped keeping junk foods around the house - and if I do have them, they go at the back of the pantry - out of sight.
I also do better with meal planning. That way it reduces free shopping out of hunger, and is easier not to eat junk if I have a meal planned.
I've adopted a saying I got from Nigella Lawson, a chef who is often a guest on NPR. She talks a lot about self indulgence, and allowing yourself to do that. She says (quite accurately in my opinion) that the people who are typically overweight are those who don't allow themselves occasional self indulgence... so they end up bingeing later. Nigella says: Don't eat it if you're going to feel guilty about it later. To expand on that, it's not saying you SHOULD feel guilty about eating "bad" foods, but self indulgence isn't about guilt.... learn how to treat yourself without feeling guilty.
I've been trying to assess my behaviors around eating.
GoodNeeds WorkI bring my own snacks to workI eat too fastI keep a stocked refrigeratorI eat in front of the TVI utilize the hunger scaleI am an emotional eaterI eat a full and healthy breakfastI would like to exercise on a more regular basis
This week I am going to work on not eating in front of the TV. I eat in front of the TV because I eat alone. Not eating in front of the TV is going to be challenging because of the stigma of eating alone. I'm trying to come up with a couple game plans to reduce the pain of eating alone.
I'm going to listen to my NPR pod casts or some music while I'm eating, and perhaps buy a book of cross word puzzles to have at the table... the easy crossword puzzles of course.
I also do better with meal planning. That way it reduces free shopping out of hunger, and is easier not to eat junk if I have a meal planned.
I've adopted a saying I got from Nigella Lawson, a chef who is often a guest on NPR. She talks a lot about self indulgence, and allowing yourself to do that. She says (quite accurately in my opinion) that the people who are typically overweight are those who don't allow themselves occasional self indulgence... so they end up bingeing later. Nigella says: Don't eat it if you're going to feel guilty about it later. To expand on that, it's not saying you SHOULD feel guilty about eating "bad" foods, but self indulgence isn't about guilt.... learn how to treat yourself without feeling guilty.
I've been trying to assess my behaviors around eating.
GoodNeeds WorkI bring my own snacks to workI eat too fastI keep a stocked refrigeratorI eat in front of the TVI utilize the hunger scaleI am an emotional eaterI eat a full and healthy breakfastI would like to exercise on a more regular basis
This week I am going to work on not eating in front of the TV. I eat in front of the TV because I eat alone. Not eating in front of the TV is going to be challenging because of the stigma of eating alone. I'm trying to come up with a couple game plans to reduce the pain of eating alone.
I'm going to listen to my NPR pod casts or some music while I'm eating, and perhaps buy a book of cross word puzzles to have at the table... the easy crossword puzzles of course.