How to Develop Healthy Eating Habits

From your very first bite of chocolate, your brain discovers the wonders of sugar. From there you branch out and you (your brain) becomes obsessed with eating as much of it as possible. This comes in the form of sodas, candy, ice cream, etc. This is the instant gratification your brain comes to expect. After time passes, you need more of it to experience the same effect; in time, you realize you'll never have that original feeling of euphoria and it becomes habit.

Other foods, similar to sugar, are easily addictive. For example fat and sodium. These foods lead to weight-gain, to laziness due to lack of energy, and to emotional instability. 

So many people struggle with unhealthy eating habits, and it's not easy to get away from them. Modern society is consistently putting unhealthy choices at the forefront which can make it hard to form healthy habits. The faster paced our lives become, the easier it is to fall into bad habits. 

While we all know we must eat, how is it that we can form healthier habits? 

Think about what you eat

While so many of us claim we want to eat healthier meals, most of us don't even really know what we're currently eating. This makes it tricky to change our diets. The easiest way to keep track of what you're really eating it to simply log it. There are apps that do this for you and even count calories based upon what you enter. Track everything you eat: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee runs, etc. Not only will your notes be detailed, you will have gained more awareness of what you consume. 

Next, you need to identify which foods are the culprits. Figure out what about your diet needs to change and why. Through this route you can find meal replacements. You can switch to high-protein shakes, protein bars, etc. This can help you maintain a similar eating schedule but eliminate unhealthy foods. 

Lastly, preparation is key. If you plan your meals, even those that you'll eat out at restaurants, you'll be more likely to stick to you plan, break old habits, and create healthy ones. 

Visualization helps for the long term

Your mind plays an enormous role in the food you choose and in forming healthy habits. A very effective technique for success, even used by elite athletes, is called visualization. This is the practice of seeing your goals in your mind. It requires focusing on every tiny detail of what it is you want to achieve, over and over again. If your goal is to have a strong, fit, energetic body, then visualize yourself that way. Literally watch yourself move and feel what it would be like to live each and every day with that kind of vitality. Visualization should provide you with plenty of motivation to choose healthy food options for as long as you continue to pursue that goal.

We hope this gives you some good ideas on how to go about starting your journey toward better health. If you'd like more specific help, ask us about our personalized, medical weight loss program.