How to break bad eating habits

Admit it:  you've got at least one bad eating habit that you'd love to change. Maybe you put a lot of sugar in your coffee, or always order french fries with lunch, or don't go to bed at night without first eating a really big bowl of rich ice cream. I've got some bad eating habits myself:  I crave chocolate after lunch and dinner every day (I manage to avoid chocolate at breakfast, though!) and I eat waaayyy too fast. Blame it on my childhood when it seemed like every meal was a race to see who could finish first.

Changing our bad eating habits is going to give us lots of positive benefits:  increased energy levels, decreased risk of chronic disease, or lower body weight. Use these 3 tips to break your bad eating habits, and get ready to reap the benefits:

1.  Focus on just one behavior at a time. Avoid waking up on Monday morning, ready to get rid of all your bad eating habits at once. By Wednesday you'll feel overwhelmed and chuck the whole thing. Instead, make a list of all the bad eating habits you want to change, then pick just one habit at a time to address.

2.  Write down the habit you want to change, what you're going to put in its place, and why this is important to you. All three of these steps are crucial. By writing down this information you own it, you understand it, and you really and truly want to make it happen. We can't just give up one habit and expect life to go on. Instead, replace the bad habit with something positive. Finally, be sure and know exactly why this behavior change is important to you. If it's not important, you won't follow through. Here's my example:  I want to stop craving chocolate after lunch and dinner, and instead will make sure I have a sweet non-chocolate dessert ready and available. I want to stop craving chocolate so that I have a choice when I eat it, plus if I eat fewer calories I'll have more energy and won't need to buy new (bigger) pants.

3.  Be consistent. It can take up to three months to truly see a change in a bad habit, so be sure and give yourself plenty of time. Every morning focus on the new, positive eating behavior and how great you'll feel when you accomplish it. Every evening before you go to bed, reflect on how you implemented the new behavior. Banish negative thoughts from your mind and focus on the positive.

I'll let you know how I'm doing with the chocolate cravings. Today I had apple slices with a bit of caramel sauce to finish up lunch, and I plan on enjoying strawberries for dinner. One step, one day at a time!