Eating is to be changed in your lifestyle

These are not “Diet Tips”. The word “diet” represents a means to an end, and once you reach your goal weight your “dieting days” are usually over. But to reach your weight goal and maintain your weight, you need to change your lifestyle of eating which mean you need to change your habits, behaviors, and attitudes toward food in your daily life.

You need to always keep in your mind to never beat yourself up over few extra pounds. Your are beautiful person and you need to tell your self that everyday. The weight is just something that is there. It may cause medical problems for you, but it is not something that makes you a horrible person.

Do’s and Don’ts for General lifestyle changes

DO’S

Believe you can: When you start a venture as big as changing your lifestyle of eating and losing or maintaining weight you must believe you can do it. Soon, you truly believe you can change your lifestyle of eating and make it a permanent part of your life.

Each day is a new day: You need to know that each day is a new day. What is done is done and you can start the new day. Do not dwell on what you did but focus on what you can do.

Do find what works for you: Ttry different meal times and meal sizes. You need to do what works for you and stick with that
Do write down what you eat: This will make you countable for what you put into your mouth.

Do write down emotions: This will let you know if you are emotionally eating or are really hungry.

Do challenge yourself: Challenge yourself to see how long you can make a bag of cookies last
Do smaller dishes: Using smaller dishes will let you fill your plate up and still have a correct portion size. This way you will think you are eating more because your plate will be full.

Do drink water: If the clock says you shouldn’t eat but you feel hungry then you might be dehydrated. If you drink a full glass of water and wait for your brain to register the water then you may not want to eat anymore.

Do keep your mouth busy: Your mouth is used to being filled with food so you need to keep it full of sugarless gum or hard candy until your mouth gets use to being empty between meals.

Do leave somthing on your plate: leaving something on your plate after you finish eating will help you eat correct portion sizes because you will eventually not feel obligated to eat everything.

Do write a plane on a calendar: Writing down changes you are going to make on a calendar will motivate and make changing your lifestyle of eating less overwhelming because you will know you only have to change a few things at a time.

Do break your normal routine: When you find you are having trouble with overeating at one particular time of the day then you need to break your routine. Go for a walk, leave the house and count the weeds in the front lawn, or simply run in place. If you can distract yourself for about a half of an hour you will find you do not want to overeat anymore.

DON’TS

1- Don’t give yourself a wrong challenge: Tell yourself you will make a bag of chips last and not that it is the last bag you will eat.

2- Don’t obsess about your mistakes: Remember, mistakes are stepping-stones to success. You will not change overnight so you will make mistakes. Don’t get bogged down thinking about what you did wrong. Think about what you have done right and accept that you will make mistakes. Go forward knowing you can change and you eventually will.

3- Don’t think you have to be like other people Just because something works for your friend does not mean it will work for you. You need to figure out what works for you and follow that lifestyle. Remember, it is your lifestyle not someone else’s lifestyle.

4- Don’t be dehydrated: Dehydration can mimic hunger so be sure to drink a lot of water.

5- Don’t sneak food: We need to learn to eat only in the open, in front of people. When we sneek food we overeat because we try to get away with eating as much food as we can without anyone finding out.

6- Don’t think you are hungry for food: You may be hungry for water or you may want to eat due to emotions. Just because you feel hungry does not mean you need food.