How to Change a Behavior: Part I
Making a behavior change doesn't happen by accident. If you want to make lasting changes in your lifestyle, such as in losing weight, you need to have a plan.
What's important is that you are able to identify and examine those behaviors that interfere with your ability to lose weight and find healthy ways to deal with them.
Here's some ways you can begin to change an unhealthy behavior into a healthy one:
- List those behaviors that you feel are unhealthy. For example: eating too quickly, snacking throughout the day on junk food instead of eating regular healthy meals, skipping your walks, and being on the Internet too long when you should've been exercising.
- Select the one behavior that you would like to change and focus only on that one. Trying to change more than one behavior at a time can be overwhelming... and it greatly increases the likelihood that you won't be successful.
- Consider how you developed this behavior. Are there underlying causes that need to be addressed? For example, is all-day snacking related to constant stress?
- Think of ways to change this behavior. Come up with several strategies, then decide on the one that you feel is practical and doable. Locking yourself out of the kitchen is one way to prevent snacking, but it isn't realistic. Taking time over your noon hour to eat a healthy lunch and to exercise is more realistic.
- Devise ways to promote this strategy. How will you go about making time to eat and exercise during a busy day? One option may be to reserve 30 minutes everyday over the lunch hour for yourself - when nothing is scheduled.
To be continued...
What's important is that you are able to identify and examine those behaviors that interfere with your ability to lose weight and find healthy ways to deal with them.
Here's some ways you can begin to change an unhealthy behavior into a healthy one:
- List those behaviors that you feel are unhealthy. For example: eating too quickly, snacking throughout the day on junk food instead of eating regular healthy meals, skipping your walks, and being on the Internet too long when you should've been exercising.
- Select the one behavior that you would like to change and focus only on that one. Trying to change more than one behavior at a time can be overwhelming... and it greatly increases the likelihood that you won't be successful.
- Consider how you developed this behavior. Are there underlying causes that need to be addressed? For example, is all-day snacking related to constant stress?
- Think of ways to change this behavior. Come up with several strategies, then decide on the one that you feel is practical and doable. Locking yourself out of the kitchen is one way to prevent snacking, but it isn't realistic. Taking time over your noon hour to eat a healthy lunch and to exercise is more realistic.
- Devise ways to promote this strategy. How will you go about making time to eat and exercise during a busy day? One option may be to reserve 30 minutes everyday over the lunch hour for yourself - when nothing is scheduled.
To be continued...
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