Step 26

Ruthie’s Step 26….Bad, bad….. Eating habits!
1. Eating just before going to bed.
Some people have done this all their life, and it is simply a bad habit. If you do, be very careful! Keep your portion small and make it a healthy food!
2. Wanting to feel full all the time.
Most overweight people eat until they are stuffed. Develop the habit of stopping when you feel comfortably full.
3. Having to eat something sweet after every meal.
Many people feel the need to eat something sweet after meals, but this is an acquired habit and it can be broken. Just sub it with something else. I know in my family after they eat desert then they need to eat something to take the sweet taste from their mouth!
4. Snacking while watching television or movies.
If you have this habit and feel that you just have to have something to munch while you watch TV, try snacking on something healthy.
When you eat snacks to ward off hunger, make sure they are healthy. Good choices include:
• Celery and carrot sticks
• Low-fat cottage cheese topped with fresh applesauce and walnuts
• Unsweetened gelatin made with fruit juice in place of sugar and water
• Natural sugar-free whole-grain muffins
• Freshly made unsalted popcorn (not pre-packaged microwave bags)
• Rice cakes topped with nut butter (but not peanut butter)
• Watermelon, fresh fruit, or frozen fruit popsicles
• Unsweetened low-fat yogurt topped with granola or nuts and fresh fruit
5. Eating just because others are eating, because the food is out in plain sight, because the food is being advertised, or because you are angry or upset.
Don’t feel that you have to eat every time you get around people who are eating or every time you come into contact with food or snacks. Don’t feel that you have to get up and go to the kitchen and fix a snack or got out to the store and buy some food product just because it is shown on television or pictured in a magazine. Don’t feel that you have to eat to find comfort in food when you get emotional or to spite someone who has offended you. You are not hurting anybody but yourself. Substitute your emotional eating by doing nurturing things like taking a warm bath, calling a friend or by going for a walk.
Stay committed and focused!
Keep on keeping on……making better choices for a healthier you!