You’re Better Off Tracking Habits Not Calories
I have an embarrassing secret I’ve only revealed to a few luckies on the planet: when I’m under a lot of pressure I fidget with my fingers. Sure, it sounds innocent, but I promise you I take it to a whole new level… My thumb nails start to crack waaaay down low so I can’t just cut them short; I have to wear bandaids to keep them from snagging my clothes while I wait for them to grow out.
If I didn’t completely gross you out by now, I swear I’m headed somewhere with this!
Ok so the stress / nail thing is a BAD habit and my God it’s a bitch to break. I have to consciously think about NOT doing it otherwise it just happens and two cracked thumb nails later I’m pissed at myself yet again for not nipping this thing in the bud sooner.
I see the same tendencies in bad eating habits. After years of doing things a certain way they become automatic and if we’re not consciously making choices to stop them, they’ll continue to rule our lives.
In terms of dieting, most of us get it wrong. The first thing we do is start tracking what we eat and counting calories (yes, this includes counting WW points). Trust me, there’s a time and a place for counting / weighing / measuring food, but it’s not on the first day of your new diet.
Changing a habit is sooooo much harder than changing what’s on your plate or what snacks you stash in your desk. If your behaviors around food don’t change, ain’t no 100-calorie pack on the planet gonna get you into that LBD, honey. (Picture me with pursed lips, waving an “oh no you di-n’t” finger in your face.)
Here are some of the most common bad-food-habit-offenders I see along with my tips for shaking them:
1. You order 10 family style appetizers with friends every time you go out
choose fewer = mindless calorie control
choose lighter; there are always better options so try to stick with those
don’t go! If your friends are bad food influences perhaps it’s time to make some new ones
2. You’re notorious for getting obliterated at happy hour and then “soaking up the booze” with half a pizza on the way home
don’t get obliterated.
eat before you go, particularly something with protein to squash your appetite
learn your limit and stop before you get to it
drink a full glass of water after every cocktail (you’ve heard this before- it really works)
3. Dinner doesn’t stop when your plate is cleared; it’s actually just the beginning of a several-hour-long chow session that only ceases when your head hits the pillow. This behavior is not hunger. It’s a habit. A very bad habit.
switch up your surroundings; go for a walk, go meet a friend, start a new hobby, workout, curl up with a sleazy romance novel, etc.
drink herbal tea to get that “full” feeling — and to satisfy the oral fixation
when all else fails, go to bed!
4. Every morning your barista sees you coming a block away and has your venti white mocha and cheese danish ready before you get to the door.
go to a new coffee shop
break the news to your barista that you’re switching things up
5. You can’t seem to get past the pastry assortment in the conference room at work.
take a detour and do NOT walk past the conference room
bring a healthy mid-morning snack so that low blood sugar isn’t clouding your focus (my go-to: a jar of peanut butter and a spoon in my desk drawer)
bake your own healthier treats
gorge yourself on a super high protein breakfast so you literally don’t have room for another bite
6. When you’re feeling particularly lonely you swing by the bakery
remember this: food isn’t company; it’s not going to make you less lonely
exercise is actually a far better mood-booster than pastries; you won’t regret it and it won’t end up on your ass
figure out a way to not be lonely like taking a class or joining a club
7. When you’re celebrating it always includes cocktails and dessert and you always end up going overboard
whatever you’d spend on eating, spend on yourself; get a massage, buy a new bag, put that cash in your vaca stash, etc.
figure out new ways to celebrate that don’t always include food
make better choices at those celebrations (here are some tips for BBQs)
8. After a long, stressful day all you want are carbs
calm the F down; stress can make us carb-crazed so actively work on soothing yourself. Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and bubble baths all work wonders
drink a giant glass of water as soon as you walk in the door; it’ll help take the edge off
take a long, hot shower to unwind before you go anywhere near the kitchen
Do any of these behaviors sound like you? Habit changing is no piece of cake, but once the deed is done you’ll be forever grateful to yourself for buckling down and getting that shit done.
