Behavioural Strategies to begin Managing Your Eating
Has your eating started to get away on you? Is it escalating out of control?
Part of regaining control of your eating is to try and establish some guidelines for yourself and get some routine back into your meals and eating patterns.
Generally this will vary from person to person so you need to consider what will work best for you. Many people eat three or four meals each day plus one or two planned snacks. Between these times it is important to resist the urge to eat. By eating regularly those unrealistic attempts to delay eating and subsequently overeating will be avoided. The main objective is to establish a regular pattern of eating . The following techniques may assist you in controlling how you eat.
- Try not to engage in other activities while you eat. Eating should be a pure experience. This will help you avoid automatic eating and as a result you will eat less. Encourage yourself to enjoy and savour your food.
- Confine your eating to one room of the house and within that room have a specific place for eating. When you are eating try and formalize the act – setting the place, cutlery, glass etc.
- Limit the supply of food available while eating. Do not leave supplies of food on the table where you are eating. You should have to physically get up and leave your seat if you wish to extend the meal. Never eat directly from containers since it is difficult to keep track of the quantity eaten
- Practice leaving food on your plate that is excess to your requirements. .You may feel guilty at first. It’s OK.
- Throw away left overs. Don’t be tempted by them after you have finished your meal
- Limit your exposure to “danger” foods. If it has to be kept in the house keep it out of sight and only in one room.
- Plan your shopping and prepare a list. Stick to this list and take only sufficient money to purchase the food listed
- Avoid, if possible, being the food dispenser for others i.e. Flatmates, family, children etc