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Articles
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Overcoming Temptation
Meaningful change, particularly when it comes to life-long practices, is not without its challenges. However, there are steps you can take to help you stay on track and maintain the results you may be experiencing at this point. Instead of reacting to what's going on around you, you can be proactive and "take charge."
There are three main steps involved in creating a plan for handling difficult situations.
- Expect temptation. Anticipate it and have plans of action ready for any situation.
- Control your environment. Create the place where you feel comfortable and where you can achieve your goals.
- Arm yourself with information. Learn your dietary goals by heart and remind yourself often of what you're doing and why. Plan ahead for social events: learn how to order sensibly in restaurants, what cooking methods to request, and what foods to avoid.
Many of us have grown up in a world that revolves around food. As children you may have been taught that leaving extra food on your plate is wasteful, celebrations and holidays revolve around eating, and family time often means dinnertime. With all of our connections with food, it is no wonder that eating well is so hard.
However, the final decision to live a healthier lifestyle is always yours. It won't come without work, but you can change your environment and turn each situation into an opportunity to reinforce positive, healthy behaviors.
You probably confront food temptation every day. Certain sights and smells may be associated with eating. Sometimes we make these associations without even realizing it. Seeing someone else eating, smelling fresh bread, or just walking into the kitchen may lead to eating, even when you're not hungry. Identifying these "triggers" allows you to take steps to remove them from your life.
A good place to start is by organizing family gatherings around activities unrelated to food. Help your loved ones understand what you're trying to accomplish. Then, instead of gathering around the television with snacks, try a new sport together, or take up a hobby you can share.
A second step can be eliminating anything that has a negative effect on your success. For example, if you know there's a food you simply cannot resist eating, don't have that food in the house, at least early on in your efforts. By eliminating triggers such as your favorite kind of cookies out on the counter, you can help eliminate temptations for yourself.
Taking the focus off food isn't easy, but simple steps like these allow you to control your environment. You can turn bad habits into exciting new opportunities for your health
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