Breaking unhealthy eating habits

If I asked you this question, do you have a healthy relationship with food? What would be your answer? How honest do you think you're being with yourself?

If you're struggling to eat a healthy diet, and find yourself easily tempted to eat badly, then read on.

Lets face it, we're all busy, stressed, worried. After a long day, its so much easier to opt for the unhealthy, quick, convenient option. How easy is it!!? When driving home and on your route there's a pretty good chance you'll pass a McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, Guz Gomen, Taco Bell, the list could go on. How can we change the way we eat?

It can take time, but we have to change the way we think about food, by breaking it down into a process.

Trigger

Thought

Action

Consequence

You're driving, tired and see Hungry Jacks (Environmental Trigger) you think, I'm too tired to cook, stuff it, I'm doing it (thought), you go get A Whopper Meal (oops Action) you may feel happy at the time whilst eating, but after you may feel guilty, or bloated and if it becomes a regular habit, you'll gain weight (consequence)

Identify your triggers tv ad, a stressful situation, social outing etc

Change your thought process to finding a healthier option

This alters the action

and the consequence becomes a happier one.

I've been using this recently, and discovered I have a lot of triggers. People passing me may think I'm odd, if I'm out and recognise a trigger, I fnd it works for me to say "Trigger" out loud, then talk myself out of feeling tempted. I have an issue with petrol stations as I associate them with chips and chocolate, but this process is working for me. I hope it can work for you, and this was useful and made sense. Drop me a line if you'd like to ask anything else.

Ellen