feeding on Stuff You shouldn't - part 2

How do we change our eating behavior or eating foods bad for us? !. Pick one or two behaviors we want to change, then observe. Do these eating behaviors happen most often when we are stressed? When you're tired? At certain times or certain places? Maybe sertain situations are involved. Do you grab the sweets when you get home after a bad day at work? When the family goes out to dinner do you order a cheezeburger and fries like they do? Do you turn to food for comfort when you are feeling down and out? Putting your thoughts into a small journal may help you see what habits you are perpetuating. Knowing what these habits are can help you find solutions. 2. Set realistic goals that can be easily measurable For example, don't start with "I want to stop stress eating" Not many of us will be able to stop cold turkey. A more realistic goal is " I will decrease stress eating over 6 weeks to no more than 4 stress snacks a week." Use music, crafts,exercise, reading, and journaling to deal with stress more often. Get a punching bag if necessary. Rechannel your stress away from food. a journal will allow easy measurement by showing how often and what you eat and how you are feeling at the time. You can break this big goal by using a week-by-week set of little goals. 3. Ask, "What has kept me from meeting this goal in the past? If you stress eat a lot, what you might like is the immediate reward, and the comfort it brings. It is sometimes easier to eat than to tackle the problem. Did you have a bad day at work? A fight with someone? Bill problems? Knowing what causes you to eat will make it easier to come up with solutions. 4. Keep a temtation basket in the kitchen Have a basket with goodies in it to deal with the cravings that will come. Put in protein bars, sugarless gum,herbal tea, a book. These items you can grab and go and you won't stop to think about what would taste good about then. 5.Reward yourself along your journey Many people only focus on the end result rather than the accomplishments along the way. Find yourself rewards in your journey too. The beauty of setting these mini goals is that you can reward yourself for your accomplishment at each step. Plan your rewards. Maybe a new outfit, a out to dinner or movie night, an out of town trip. Maybe even throw 5 bucks in a jar with each goal for spending on whatever you wish when you reach the big goal. 6. Think Healthy We all have heard that we should never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. It is usually then when we buy all our comfort foods. Our mind is blocked by the goodies and we don't think of the healthiness of the food we are buying. Ask yourself 3 questions. Is it healthy for me? Will it make me dump? Will it sabotage the progress I have made if I eat it? All of us are different. Some of us can eat almost anything, including a dead frog, and not dump. Some people have had changes in their taste buds and find that the foods they once ate now taste yucky, while others can eat everything they did before their surgery. If you must eat something to combat stress, eat something healthy. A protein bar, carrots, celery with peanut butter, or a score of other things. Be mindful of what you eat.

I did Dr. Gould's "masteringfood" on line class. I was great. It has helped me see my eating problems and find ways to stop them. Even the emotional eating.