Tips for Healthier Eating for Stuck-in-Their-Ways Adults

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Are you stuck in a food rut and having a hard time changing to healthier eating habits? If you want to make lasting changes to the way you eat, you need a plan. Follow these steps for changing an unhealthy behavior into a healthy one:

1   List your behaviors that you think are unhealthy. For example, maybe you eat too fast, or snack throughout the day instead of eating regular meals, or eat whenever you’re under stress.

2   Choose one behavior that you would like to change. (Trying to change everything on your list at once can feel overwhelming.)

3   As you think about strategies for changing, try to figure out how you developed the behavior. For example, do you tend to snack all day because you’re under constant stress?

4   Brainstorm about ways to change your behavior. Think of five to seven possible solutions. Then pick one strategy that you think is practical and doable. For example, choose a healthy habit that you can substitute for an unhealthy one.

5   Figure out a way to make your new behavior easy to do. For example, how can you eat more fruit? Maybe you can make sure that a well-stocked bowl is always on your kitchen counter.

6   Identify obstacles that might get in your way. What conflicts might interfere with your strategy? What plans can you make to work around those possible hindrances?

7   Set a date for when you want to achieve your goal of changing your behavior and routine. Establish a comfortable pace for making the change.

8   When you reach the goal date, evaluate your success. What worked and what didn’t? What would you do differently?

9   Consider what you need to do to maintain your new approach to food. Think about what you need to do to make your healthy behavior a permanent one.

10   When you’re ready, select another behavior you’d like to change and restart the process.