The importance of good eating habits
Developing healthy eating habits is an incredibly difficult challenge. Not only will you be forced to sacrifice foods that you have become accustomed to, but sticking to a dietary regimen is often not an easy task.
For the most part, we develop our earliest eating habits as young children, and before we know it those habits follow us as we get older. Being that we have been continuing these unhealthy habits for so long, it becomes that much more difficult to create long-lasting changes.
Oftentimes, people make sudden changes to their diet and eating habits in the hopes of losing weight in the immediate future. However, by making radical changes like only eating a certain type of healthy food, you will see short term weight loss but you won’t see the long term benefits of developing healthy eating habits.
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), the best way to create long-lasting healthy eating habits is through a thoughtful approach where you Reflect, Replace, and Reinforce.
Here are a handful of helpful tips and tricks if you want to finally commit to a more rewarding lifestyle. What do the industry professionals have to say?
Tips for adopting healthier eating habits
Changing eating habits will first involve making a conscious decision. Similar to other lifestyle modifications such as quitting nicotine or reducing your intake of alcohol, you have to be honest with yourself in regard to what it is that you are trying to achieve.
Furthermore, be sure to establish realistic goals. One of the most common reasons why diets fail is that individuals expect to witness miracles within short periods of time. The fact of the matter is that the body will first need to adjust to new and possible unfamiliar dietary habits. If you set logical milestones and accept that patience is required, you will be much more likely to achieve your desires from a long-term perspective.
Let’s also remember that those who have a firm grasp upon what they are looking to achieve are more likely to remain positive when the “going gets tough”. This way, nothing will prevent you from achieving your healthy eating habits.
Reflecting On Your Current Eating Habits
First, try starting a food diary for the first few days you’re attempting to change your eating habits. By writing down what you eat and when, you can start to discover your current eating habits and determine how to best change them. For example, if you eat a sugary snack around the same time each day, you’ll be better equipped to find a healthy replacement that will accomplish the same goal.
Try taking notes on how you’re feeling when you eat something, especially when you’re not hungry; this will help you determine what might be causing your poor eating habits.
Next, sit down and study your food diary while observing your habits, both good and bad. While the goal of your food diary is to identify and correct your bad eating habits, it is also important to appreciate the good habits you already have and determine how you can build on them.
Try to identify certain triggers during your day that make you eat something unhealthy. Oftentimes, by making yourself aware of these triggers you can actually avoid putting yourself in the same situation again and again. To have the best habits for weight loss you first have to spot the poor ones so you can change them.
Reflecting On Your Current Eating Habits
First, try starting a food diary for the first few days you’re attempting to change your eating habits. By writing down what you eat and when, you can start to discover your current eating habits and determine how to best change them. For example, if you eat a sugary snack around the same time each day, you’ll be better equipped to find a healthy replacement that will accomplish the same goal.
Try taking notes on how you’re feeling when you eat something, especially when you’re not hungry; this will help you determine what might be causing your poor eating habits.
Next, sit down and study your food diary while observing your habits, both good and bad. While the goal of your food diary is to identify and correct your bad eating habits, it is also important to appreciate the good habits you already have and determine how you can build on them.
Try to identify certain triggers during your day that make you eat something unhealthy. Oftentimes, by making yourself aware of these triggers you can actually avoid putting yourself in the same situation again and again. To have the best habits for weight loss you first have to spot the poor ones so you can change them.
Replace Your Bad Eating Habits
Now that you have a better idea of your current eating habits, it’s time to begin replacing the bad ones with new and improved habits that will build long term success.
For example, if you notice that you often eat too quickly, try various tricks to slow down your eating process, like putting your fork down in between bites. It’s a simple tip that will help you achieve better eating habits.
If you realize you eat worse when you’re eating alone, try and make the commitment to share lunch with a friend or join a family member for dinner to guarantee you’ll avoid relapsing with your old bad habits.
Another poor eating habit that is often found is the fact that you will eat even when you aren’t hungry. This could be a result of stress, exhaustion, or even anxiety. Try to find alternatives to eating that will help you through whatever emotional stress you may be feeling that causes you to fall into bad habits. For example, if you eat when you’re bored, try finding a few activities to fill your time other than snacking.
If you eat sugary foods when you’re stressed, try to put the electronics down for a moment when you feel stress coming on and go for a short walk to clear your mind; you may find that when you sit back down you no longer have a sugar craving.
Lastly, planning your meals can be incredible when it comes to developing healthier eating habits. By either starting meal prep or just identifying what you’re going to eat for dinner, you’ll have a better idea of your daily food schedule and avoid snacking throughout the day.
Reinforce Your Positive Eating Habits
Developing healthy eating habits is a daunting task, and it’s not something that is going to change overnight. If you catch yourself falling back into an unhealthy habit, try stopping yourself as soon as possible and replace that poor habit with a new healthy one.
When you find yourself on a streak of healthy habits, make sure to acknowledge how far you’ve come, and remember that feeling to keep you motivated moving forward. You’ve got this!
Healthy eating ideas
There are numerous tips for eating healthy and the good news is that the majority are rather straightforward. For example, consuming a large meal immediately before going to bed will inevitably pack on the kilograms. It could also negatively impact your sleep cycle; leading to lethargy and the desire for sugary snacks throughout the following day.
It is also wise to avoid eating out too often. While the food itself is quite tasty, some meals are laden with empty calories and high levels of saturated fat (particularly fast food). It is much better to prepare your meals at home and when applicable to involve the entire family. Of course, the amount of money you will inevitably save can be used towards purchasing healthy meal options.
On a final note, consider nutritional supplements (such as meal replacement bars) as opposed to common snacks. Not only will these encourage you to develop healthy eating habits, but they are full of important vitamins and minerals that your body requires to perform at optimal levels.
Best habits for weight loss
Weight loss requires time and patience. As a result, embracing the proper habits will generally not occur overnight. If you wish to augment the results associated with a healthy diet, try to incorporate other positive lifestyle changes. For instance:
- Commit to a gym membership
- Surround yourself with like-minded individuals.
- Drink plenty of water (this reduces cravings for unhealthy foods)
- Count the number of calories that you consume each day.
- You may also choose to work with a nutritionist in order to discover even more inspirational healthy eating ideas.
Introduce these healthy eating habits to lose weight and you will be closer to your goal!
Get better eating habits with Spatz3
When you develop healthy eating habits to lose weight in conjunction with the Spatz3 adjustable gastric balloon, there is no doubt that amazing results can be achieved over time. Thankfully, such a positive change will help to transform your entire life. Never be afraid to take the first step!
At Spatz Medical, we believe in a holistic approach towards losing weight. While our Spatz3 Adjustable Gastric Balloon provides the highest weight loss results on the market, you will need to work with your balloon to create real long lasting changes in your life.
Our weight loss balloon will help you lose weight, but the healthy eating habits you develop throughout your gastric balloon procedure will keep you looking your best long after the balloon is removed. Over 70,000 patients have trusted the Spatz3 to help them meet their weight loss goals… will you be next?
Take your first step towards develop healthy eating habits and little by little you will see your quality of life improve!
