Eating Patterns Awareness

Eating Patterns Awareness - There are predictable patterns of behavior and food choices that lead us to failure. Most of us gain weight because we eat the same foods, with the same behaviors, and in the same situations, over and over again.

These behaviors might seem random but if you journal, you will develop an awareness of patterns of eating forming. Maybe you skip breakfast, and hunger is extreme from lunch on. Maybe you hit the break room machines at 3pm every day. Maybe you eat 1000 calories, while you fix dinner.

There are 1000's of habits that cause you to overeat. If you can determine your eating patterns, you can develop some Healthy Diet Habits to change your patterns.

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Journal For Eating Patterns Awareness

There are several areas that you can examine on your journal to determine your personal eating patterns:

• Time - Look for times in the day when you eat. Do you skip any meals? Are there times when you mindlessly eat? Do you eat before bed? Do you snack between lunch and dinner? Is your eating centered on a certain time of the day? Do you do well on the weekdays, but lose control on the weekends?

• Amount - Look over your foods and calories and determine where you have huge portions. Which foods do you continually overeat? Are your portions all too large?

• Foods - Look at the types of foods you eat? Do you eat a balanced diet? Do you crave carbohydrates at certain times of the day? Do you eat those foods because they are just there, or do you look for that food because of a craving? Are there foods that you can’t eat a proper portion and lose control with? Could they be trigger foods? Do you eat many vegetables, fruits or healthy grains?

• Places - Look for places that you are eating, rather than the table. Do you have special places like your car, desk at work, or in your family room that you love to eat?

• Feelings and Emotional Eating - Look for feelings that you continually associate with your eating. Do you eat when bored, depressed, mad, lonely, sad, or for any negative emotion? Do you eat when happy, wanting to show love or celebrating, or for any positive emotion?

• Activities - Look for activities that you associate with eating. Do you watch television, read a book or the newspaper, use the computer, or do something else while eating? Do you go to the movies or a sports event and need food to enjoy the event?

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Once you have developed an awareness of your eating patterns, you can begin to make Lifestyle Solutions that will improve your health and help you lose weight.