Step 1

By KelliJo

Changing Eating Habits Step By Step

You more than likely know this but changing eating habits is really hard to do.  How many times have you said or have heard a family member or friend say “I am trying out this diet again.  I lost weight when I did it the first time but then I gained it all back.  I am going to stick with it this time.”  I don’t know why we keep kidding ourselves with diets?  It feels good when we are losing the weight and obtaining goals but once we start to slack on the diet and gain the weight back it is devastating.  If you really want to lose the weight and keep it off you have to change your eating habits. I am constantly trying to change habits to better myself whether it is for health, nutrition, fitness, spiritual growth etc., I want to always to be striving to grow and evolve.  Hence the name of my blog Forever Evolve.  There is always room for self-improvement and growth.  While this can be overwhelming it truly is worth it.  And because I know that it is worth it I want to help you.  So through my next few blogs I am giving you my step by step guide on how I changed my eating habits.

So let’s begin!

Step 1

Goals Goals Goals!

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

                                                                

                                                                                                               -Henry David Thoreau

                Why do you want to change your eating habits? Is it to lose weight?  Is it for health reasons?  Do you want to have amazing abs?  Do you want to have more energy? What is one goal that can help you change your eating habits?  If I want to change something about myself I always ask myself what NEEDS to change.  This helps me to have a clear directive on what my goal is.  For example, at this moment in my life I need to stop eating out as much as I am.  I have a rule for myself to only eat out once a week.  But over the last few months I have been eating out more and this needs to stop. So my goal will be to only eat out once a week.  So ask yourself what eating habits need to change for you and write down what your overall goal is. 

Next, I ask myself WHY.  Why am I doing this? I like to figure out the whys to my habits.  Am I over eating because I am bored?  Am I depressed so I turn to food?  Figuring out the why really helps to get to the truth of why we have this habit. So I ask myself why am I eating out more than normal? I am eating out more because I am too tired to cook dinner.  I get home and I just want to get everyone in bed so the easiest thing to do is eat out.

Now, HOW am I going to change this habit?  At this point I make a list of small goals that will help me change this habit. Small changes lead to big changes.

1.     Stop saying up late.  I average 5 to 6 hours a sleep at night.  I need to get about 8. I usually go to bed at 12 because I am watching tv.  I need to turn the tv off at 10 and go lay down.

2.    Look up 5 new dinners that are easy to prepare and make.

3.    For the next month I will try my best to only eat out 2 times a week.  Once I have succeeded in this I will then go back to once a week. 

Lastly, you have to REWARD yourself.  Once you reached your goal give yourself a pat on the back! Jump for joy! Shout it out to the world because you did it!  Now, go buy yourself a little something. Then repeat the process and find a new goal to work on.

I hope you found this to be helpful.  I would love to hear what your goals are and how you are going to achieve them.  If you liked this post do me a favor and share it! My next step will be on what foods you should be eating!