The following are some ideas from the Wellstar Healthcare Dieticians:
Healthy habits are those behaviors that are going to promote a healthy lifestyle. Changing behaviors takes time and practice. Remember, it took years to develop your eating habits, so it may take weeks, months or years to change them. But one small behavior change will become a new healthy habit for a healthier life.
Plan!
Planning prevents the day’s circumstances, your moods, your environment and other things from interfering with your good intentions. Planning keeps you aware and prevents automatic or unconscious eating that may lead to overeating.
Eat regular meals and snacks.
Overeating tends to occur when meals are skipped and snacks are omitted.
Eating slowly.
It takes 20 minutes for the brain to receive the stomach’s signal that it is full. Put your fork down between bites and take time to taste and enjoy the food.
Enjoy eating.
Limit distractions. When you are involved in an activity while eating (watching TV), you can be distracted from really tasting and enjoying your food. It is easy to overeat.
Eat in one specific location.
Designate an “eating chair.” If you eat in every room of your house or in the car, you may associate eating with these rooms and places.
Minimize food cues.
Food cues are those signals that say “time to eat” (such as TV commercials, signs, vending machines or movies).
Control emotional eating.
Remember, food is not the answer. Find an activity other than eating to calm your emotions.
Deal with stress.
Try exercise, relaxation, music, crafts, etc.
Be aware of social influences.
They can affect your eating behavior. For example, if you tend to overeat at parties, don’t stand next to the food table.
Serve food from the stove.
Using serving bowls at the table encourages large portions and seconds.
Store problem foods “out of sight.”
Use opaque containers or place in hard to reach places. Some foods may need to be left at the store or purchased in one serving quantities.
Control cravings and binges.
Divert your attention to some other activity for 10 minutes. Cravings will often pass if you can get your mind off them.
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Go to Starch Exchanges
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