Here are some general strategies that you may find helpful as you change unhealthy behaviors.

Keep a Food Journal
One of the best ways to understand what causes an unhealthy eating behavior is to keep a food record.  In addition to the type and amounts of food you eat, your record may include emotions, social itnteractions, environment and your level of hunger.

Start your record without altering your regular routine.  After several days , you may be able to discern behaviors that affect your weight.  Whatever the patterns, you can work on changing them.

Have a Meal Plan
Try to plan your meals at least one day in advance.  Planning ahead means the ingredients are on hand and you can start food preparation without delay.

Planning also means packing lunches, snacks or even breakfasts to take to work.  This saves you from relying on fast-foods and making impulsive poor food choices.

Of course, the best plans can go astray.  Have something ready that's healthy to munch on, such as low-calorie popcorn, cut-up vegetables or fruit.  This helps if unexpected deadlines or errands interrupt lunch or dinner.

A shopping list is also part of the plan.  Following a list helps keep you from impulse buying.  Avoid shopping when you're hungry - you'll be tempted to grab anything that looks vaguely appetizing.

If you want to save a lot of time and money with all this, there's a company located here in the Dallas, Texas area that ships food - overnight - nationwide.  They specialize in pre-packaged, delicious, quick, nutritious snacks, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.  I've known this company since its inception.  I know the owners, and in particular the founder, very well.  I trust them.  I'm aligned with them.  The company is Smart Cooking aka Smart Healthy Solutions.  Please visit the website: www.Fawcett.SmartCooking.com   

Don't Tempt Yourself
You might trick yourself into believing that bag of chocolate-covered peanuts in the pantry is for a special occasion.  But can you really resist sampling them?  Do yourself a HUGE favor... don't buy high-calorie foods that tempt you.

That doesn't mean you have to give up sweets and junk food entirely.  Just consider not having them in your home.  Or at least store all those tempting foods out of sight.   Where and how you store high-calories foods can influence how much of them you eat.

Keep in mind that as you aquire new eating habits, your tastes will change.  Foods that once seemed dreamy eventually may taste too sweet or too fatty.  Believe it or not, you can unacquire a "new" taste.

To be continued as How to Change a Behavior: Part IV