Life-Long Weight Control

MAKE EATING WELL A HABIT FOR LIFE

The key to life-long weight control is the development of eating habits that help you eat well and make good choices. These good habits become your defense against what many have called a toxic food environment, which is an environment that constantly pressures people to overeat.

The best way to evaluate your eating habits is to record everything you eat during a typical day. Note when and where each meal or snack was eaten, and any other relevant information that affected your decision to eat and your choice of food. The tricky part of this exercise is to eat as normally as possible, and not let the act of recording interfere with your typical eating behavior (“I’m not going to eat these chips because I don’t want ‘bad’ food in my notebook.”).

Once you have a picture of your daily routine, evaluate what you see. Are your habits helping you eat well? Do you generally avoid empty calorie foods? Do you get enough fresh fruits and vegetables? Are there times during the day when you tend to eat even though you are not hungry? What situations trigger unnecessary snacking? Do you skip meals early in the day, only to be starving later?

Next, use your common sense and knowledge of yourself to come up with one or two new habits to replace habits you wish to eliminate. Try to be as realistic as possible, and remember that food should be delicious as well as nutritious. Consider the following as you think about cultivating a more nutritious lifestyle.

Clean up your eating environment

We all eat in response to environmental cues: the time on the clock, the smell of popcorn, the box of donuts on the table. Think about the places you eat, and how you might reduce unnecessary temptations.

Start with your home. Limit your exposure to junk food as much as possible. If you live alone, keep it out of the house. If you live with others who insist on having foods you prefer not to eat, at least keep these foods out of sight. Put them in the refrigerator or in cupboards or containers. And talk to your family or roommates: Maybe you will be a good influence!

At mealtime, serve yourself reasonable portions and keep serving dishes off the table. That way you can resist automatic seconds. Remember that leftovers are good to have, and could save you from making or buying lunch tomorrow.

But not your plate

Recognize that many restaurants tend to serve large portions. But big portions are no bargain if you develop obesity and related health problems, such as high blood pressure. Eat a reasonable amount, and take the rest to go. “Do you want to supersize that?” Just say, “no.”

Eat with awareness

We often pay little attention to our eating behavior or our food, and shovel a meal down while watching television, reading or talking with friends. When our attention is elsewhere, we may not notice when we are feeling satisfied and have had enough to eat. Eating quickly also leads us to eat more than we need, since it can take 15 to 20 minutes to realize we have had enough.

Whenever possible, eat your meals in a peaceful environment. Eat slowly and enjoy your food. Take time to focus on your food, enjoying the appearance, smell, flavors and textures.

Replace snacking with physical activity

Instead of snacking when you are tired, take a brisk walk. Run up and down the stairs a few times. Eating because you are bored? Read the paper while you walk on the treadmill or ride the stationary cycle. Work out while you watch TV. Physical activity helps reduce stress while it burns calories. It may also reduce your appetite.

Get used to it

Opportunities to overeat are everywhere, so limiting your intake is not easy. Cultivating a new habit takes a lot of effort, but once you get used to a new habit, it will slowly become automatic. It will gradually take less self-control to say, “No, thank you,” to foods you don’t really want, while you enjoy the good foods you choose to eat.

Barbara A. Brehm, Ed.D., is professor of exercise and sport studies at Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

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