I have been thinking a lot about eating habits for weight loss lately.\u00a0 A recent Salt Lake City client suggested that the reason that she was having trouble implementing the nutrition recommendations I had given her was because of her ingrained eating habits.\u00a0 She has a habit of eating late at night once her husband has gone to bed and can\u2019t seem to stay away from the kitchen.\u00a0 She went on to say that she is not used to exercising regularly and is having difficulty creating this new habit.\u00a0 So I started researching how habits are formed and how hard it would be to change the ones we don\u2019t like in order to achieve weight loss.\u00a0 Is there a recipe for this difficult task?<\/p>\n

To get a better handle on understanding eating habits for weight loss, I started with a book I heard about on NPR which was written by New York Times business writer Charles Duhigg called, the Power of Habit<\/strong>.\u00a0 His book explores the science behind why we do what we do.\u00a0\u00a0 Neuroscientists have traced our habit-making behaviors to a part of the brain called the basal ganglia, which also plays a key role in the development of emotions, memories and pattern recognition. Decisions are made in a different part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. As soon as a behavior becomes automatic, the decision-making part of the brain goes into a sleep mode of sorts.\u00a0 Parallel parking, exercising, brushing your teeth and every other habit-forming activity all follow the same behavioral and neurological patterns.
\nExploring the intricacies of habit formations are also the specialty of a team of neuroscientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). According to their research, the habit creating process in the brain can be viewed as a \u201cthree-step loop.\u201d The forming of a new habit requires:<\/p>\n

\n
1. a cue that triggers the brain to go into automatic mode,<\/li>\n
2. a routine or automatic reaction that follows in response, and<\/li>\n
3. a reward, which also helps the brain to decide whether a particular experience is worth remembering for the future.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

   Over time, this loop \u2013 or cue, routine, and reward \u2013 becomes more and more automatic and neurologically intertwined. The results can range from a simple tendency to cravings to a full-blown addiction.<\/p>\n

   Here\u2019s an example of a 3-step loop and how it can affect the formation of a new eating habit for weight loss:<\/span>
   \nAfter work (cue) , you arrive to your Salt Lake City home and reach into the freezer and pull out the ice cream (action) and you sit and lose yourself in the cool, sweet taste of your favorite ice cream and forget about the bad day you had at work (reward). What exactly turns an event into a cue and what constitutes a reward depends on the individual as well as the situation.
   \nStudies have shown that people will perform automated behaviors \u2014 like pulling into the driveway\u2014 the same way if they’re in the same environment. But if they take a vacation, it’s likely that the behavior will change. That’s one of the reasons that taking a vacation is so relaxing: It helps break certain habits.<\/p>\n

   Needless to say, the cue (pulling into the driveway after work) is where the change has to begin. Now that you are on a weight loss regimen, you have to find a way to interrupt what the M.I.T. scientists identified as your \u201cloop.\u201d Instead of continuing to expose yourself to the cue that will inevitably trigger your routine response, you have to plan something else after work.\u00a0 Stop at the park and walk for 10 minutes while listening to your favorite music on your iPod. It may take several months until you are able to come home without heading for the freezer \u2013 but eventually you will succeed. Just how will you succeed? Your cue is still there, but you have developed a different routine in response. The long term reward is self mastery and a thinner physique.<\/p>\n

   The good news as Duhigg puts it is that, \u201cHabits aren\u2019t destiny,\u201d \u201cThey can be ignored, changed or replaced.\u201d The bad news is that old eating habits die hard and never fully disappear.\u00a0 They can rear their ugly heads at any time and really mess with your weight loss plans. To help you with this daunting task, I have collected several ideas for you to think about and try on one of those pesky habits you are trying to rid yourself of.\u00a0 Start with something small. Many of these ideas come from Steve Pavlina, a self-help author and motivational speaker.\u00a0 Check out his website http:\/\/www.stevepavlina.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

   Eleven Ideas for Sustainable Eating Habits for Weight Loss<\/strong>
   \nCreate a Trigger<\/strong> \u2013 A trigger (or cue) is a short ritual you perform before a habit. If you wanted to wake up earlier this might mean jumping out of bed as soon as you hear the sound of your alarm. If you wanted to stop smoking this could be snapping your fingers every time you feel the urge for a cigarette. A trigger helps condition a new pattern more consistently.<\/p>\n

   Replace Lost Needs<\/strong> \u2013 You obviously get something (rewards) out of your deeply ingrained habits so you will have to find an alternative. You can\u2019t just get rid of habits without replacing the needs they fulfill. Giving up television might mean you need to find a new way to relax, socialize or receive information.<\/p>\n

   One Habit at a Time<\/strong> \u2013 Try not to change too many things at one time.\u00a0 A month may seem like a long time to focus on only one change, but trying to change more than a few habits at a time could be confusing. Pick the one that is going to give you the most bang for your buck. Your successful outcome will stir you to tackle the next one more easily.<\/p>\n

   Balance Feedback<\/strong> \u2013 Listen to reason. If your change creates more pain in your life than joy, it is going to be hard to stick to. Don\u2019t go to the gym if you hate it. Find diets, exercise, financial plans and work routines that are more to your liking and support your uniqueness.<\/p>\n

   Kill Bad Thoughts<\/strong> \u2013Anytime you feel yourself thinking negatively about yourself, use the word \u201cbut\u201d and point out positive aspects. \u201cI\u2019m lousy at this job \u2013 but \u2013 if I keep at it I can probably improve.\u201d<\/p>\n

   Write it Down<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t leave commitments in your brain. Write them on paper. This does two things: first, it creates clarity by defining in specific terms what your change means, and second, it keeps you committed to breaking the habit since it is easy to dismiss a thought, but harder to dismiss a promise printed in front of you. Put these papers on your fridge, in your card, and on your office desk.<\/p>\n

   30, 90, 365 Day Rule<\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019d like to say most habits go through a series of checkpoints in terms of conditioning. The first is at thirty days. Here it doesn\u2019t require willpower to continue your change, but problems might offset it. At ninety days any change should be neutral where running the habit is no more difficult than not running it. At one year it is generally harder not to run the habit than to continue with it. Be patient and run habits through the three checkpoints to make them stick.<\/p>\n

   Get Leverage<\/strong> \u2013 Give a buddy a hundred bucks with the condition to return it to you only when you\u2019ve completed thirty days without fail. Make a public commitment to everyone you know that you\u2019re going to stick with it. Offer yourself a reward if you make it a month. Anything to give yourself that extra push. Not only does it create accountability on your end (the heaviness of living up to expectations is a massive motivator for taking the right action) but it also gives you that \u201cra-ra\u201d pat on the rear just when you need it.<\/p>\n

   Keep It Simple<\/strong> \u2013 Your change should involve one or two rules, not a dozen. Exercising once per day for at least thirty minutes is easier to follow than exercising Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays with yoga the first day and mountain biking the third day, except when it is raining in which case you will do\u2026 what? Simple rules create habits, complex rules create headaches.<\/p>\n

   Consistency Is Key<\/strong> \u2013 The point of a habit is that it doesn\u2019t require thought. Variety may be the spice of life, but it doesn\u2019t create habits. Make sure your habit is as consistent as possible and is repeated every day for thirty days. This will ensure a new habit is drilled in, instead of multiple habits loosely conditioned.<\/p>\n

   Experiment<\/strong> \u2013 You can\u2019t know whether a different habit will work until you try it. Mix around with key habits until you find ones that suit you. Don\u2019t try to follow habits because you should, but because you\u2019ve tested them and they work in your life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

   I have been thinking a lot about eating habits for weight loss lately.\u00a0 A recent Salt Lake City client suggested that the reason that she was having trouble implementing the nutrition recommendations I had given her was because of her ingrained eating habits.\u00a0 She has a habit of eating late at night once her husband has gone to bed and can\u2019t seem to stay away from the kitchen.\u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n