Improve Your Eating Habits with St. Mary's Nutrition Services | St. Mary's Health Care System (2024)

When it comes to eating, many of us have developed a variety of habits. Some may be good, while others need some improvement. Even if you have had the same eating habits for many years, it is never too late to make a positive change.

Although sudden, radical changes – such as eating nothing but carrots – can lead to short-term weight loss, such extreme diets are never safe or healthy in the long run. To ensure success in improving your eating habits, use the 3-R tool: Reflect, Replace, and Reinforce.

• Reflect on all eating habits and pinpoint common triggers for unhealthy eating
• Replace unhealthy eating habits with healthier ones
• Reinforce the new healthy eating habits to your daily life

One way to reflect is to create a list of all eating and drinking habits. This will help uncover unhealthy eating behaviors you might have during the day. It is also important to note how you felt when you ate. Were you tired? Stressed? Bored?

Next, reflect. Take your list and highlight the habits that can lead to overeating. Most eating habits that may be connected to weight gain include eating too fast, eating when you are not hungry, always eating dessert, or skipping meals during the day. Once you have highlighted your habits, look for the unhealthy ones. It is important to identify triggers that lead to unhealthy eating behaviors. This can help you better understand what needs to change.

Once you have reflected, it is now time to replace unhealthy behaviors with healthier ones. For example, while reflecting, you may have noticed that you eat too fast. One strategy that can help you slow down is putting the fork down between bites.

This can help you eat slower because you are focused on eating until you are satisfied rather than making sure you clean the plate. It is also important to avoid eating when bored and eat only when hungry. If you find yourself eating while bored, anxious, or stressed, try finding a non-eating activity instead, like walking or talking to someone.

Now that you have reflected and have worked out how to replace unhealthy habits, it is time to reinforce them. It is important to remember that these new habits will not develop overnight; be patient with yourself when beginning this journey. Be careful not to erase a whole day of eating healthily due to one mistake. You can do it! It just takes one day at a time!

Need Help?

First, talk with your primary care provider. Your doctor is an essential partner for identifying underlying conditions, such as diabetes, that affect your journey to better health. They can help you identify what your healthy weight range should be and how to get there. They can also make recommendations and refer you to a registered dietitian for professional assistance to improve your diet.

St. Mary’s Nutrition Services provides a staff of registered dietitians to help you with a wide range of conditions and needs in order to meet your nutritional requirements. Services include:

• Individual nutrition assessment and counseling for all age groups
• Disease self-management strategies
• Analysis of daily food logs
• Assessment of calorie needs and recommendations
• Assistance with diabetes self-management classes and counseling

We also provide easy-to-follow, healthy recipes to better help you begin your clean eating journey!

Call us at (706) 389-3669 or check out the website for more information!