Behavior Change for Weight Management

TIPS FOR CHANGING YOUR EATING HABITS

As you create your own healthy eating style, identifying food triggers (cues) becomes very important. Cue control is when you control the eating cues around you. How you respond to your eating cues can affect how much you weigh. Below are some positive cues along with suggestions that help combat negative cues.

• Have a list of alternate activities for situations where food has been the usual response. Examples are taking a walk, brushing your teeth, reading a good book, writing a letter, working a crossword puzzle, or calling a friend.
• Turn off the computer and television. Begin to change channels during commercials for foods you like.
• Rather than eating when you come home from work or school, change the routine. Immediately go walking, check your phone messages, or feed your pet. Do anything but eat. Break the cue that says “I’m home, it’s time to eat!”
• Keep food records. These will allow you to become more aware of situations or cues that affect your food choices. Your food records, if used as intended, will become an excellent tool to combat the constant bombardment of food cues which we face each day.
• Stay positive. Changing your eating habits begins with changing the way you think. Create realistic short-term nutrition goals to help you achieve a long-term healthy lifestyle.

Although managing cues can be challenging at times, you will see lasting results when you focus on theses tips. It takes time and effort to counter old eating habits and build new healthy eating habits. Begin with small steps, and stay focused as you learn to recognize food triggers.