How Can I Change My Eating Behaviours?

How much does what's happening in and around you dictate your actions? What if you were to change what is happening to make it easier to do something and harder not to?

Our actions have a lot to do with the influences around us.  Often the reasons we eat have little to do with hunger and a lot to do with the subtle cues (triggers) that drive us. These triggers can be found in the eating environment, in the food environment and in the emotional environment.

The eating environment triggers may be regarding the atmosphere or ambiance of the place you eat, the ease and ability to eat, the social aspect of eating,  the distractions around the eating and the time and length of time for eating

Imagine being in a busy, noisy, fast paced, “all you can eat” restaurant. Will you want to eat more because you are seeing other people eating, unaware of how much you are eating, wanting to get value for money, eating fast and distracted by the conversation around you?

The food environment triggers may be regarding the salience (prominence and visibility) of the food, the structure and variety of foods, the size of food packaging and portions, the shape and size of food plates, glasses and bowls.

Imagine being in a room with  a large bowl of brightly coloured, assorted chocolates in the centre of the coffee table, will you want to eat more because of they way they look, because there are lots of different tastes and textures and because they are constantly in your view?

The emotional environment triggers may be regarding your internal feelings, the need for reward or punishment, the need for fulfilment and satiation, the need for energy or relaxation, the need for stimulation and variety…

Imagine being in a place where you feeling tired and bored and you think food will provide the energy and stimulation you need. Will you eat more because the food won’t be satisfying your real needs?

So what can you do to change your environment so that it supports the eating behaviour that you want to see in yourself?...........

Move!!!!

What can you move away from or move away from you?

What can you move nearer to or near to you?

Who can you move away from?

Who can you move nearer to?

Where can you move away from?

Where can you move nearer to?

Move away from the things that trigger unwanted eating behaviours

·  Move away from self destructive feelings about yourself and move nearer to positive feeling about yourself.

·  Move away from worrying about things you can not control and move nearer towards things that you can influence.

·  Move away from the things you are fearful about and move nearer to the things that you have courage about.

·  Move away from the lack of satisfaction and enjoyment around food and move nearer to feeling satisfied and pleasured around food.

·  Move away from feeling guilty about what and how you eat and move nearer to feeling happy about what and how you eat.

·  Move away from the larger portions/packages and move towards the smaller sizes.

·  Move away from irregularity and being unorganised and move towards structure and planning.

Move away from the person/people who trigger unwanted eating behaviours

·  Move away from seeing yourself being this person with this eating behaviour and move nearer to seeing yourself being a person with a different eating behaviour.

·  Move away from the person/people who encourage your unwanted eating behaviours and move nearer to the person/people who encourage your desired eating behaviours.

·  Move away from the person who tells you, you must, you should, you ought, you will…. and move nearer to the person who asks if you can.

·  Move away from the person/people who disrespects you and move nearer to the person/people who respects you.

Move away from the places that trigger unwanted eating behaviours

·  Move away from sitting near the vending machine at work and move nearer to a place that provides you with stimulation and energy at work.

·  Move away from having coffee where there are cakes and biscuits on view and move nearer to a place that allows you to enjoy your coffee on its own.

·  Move away from going to the same garage/service station where you always buy fuel for you as well as your car and move nearer to a different garage where you will only buy fuel for your car and have your own fuel elsewhere.

  ·  Move away from the unhealthy food isle in the supermarket and move nearer to the healthy food isle in    the supermarket.

 ·  Move away from socialising around places you eat and move nearer to socialising around other places.

Of course, if you don't feel able to change the environments, or think it's important to change them, or don't really see yourself making the changes, or don't think there is any point in changing these environments that are influencing your behaviour, then that's another story.....!