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Do you struggle with sugar cravings? Do you have a sweet tooth? Maybe your vice is salty, crunchy things? Do you have a soda habit? Do you eat when you’re bored? Maybe you eat when you’re upset? If you answered yes to any or all of these…you’re not alone!
And if you’re like many of us, you go through phases of trying to be ‘good’. And for a period of time, it works. But not permanently. They always creep back in. Does this sound familiar?
I want to share with you the 4 Ds to Healthy Eating. These steps help you become more aware of your emotional eating habits. Once we bring things into awareness, we can work to change them. It isn’t a quick fix. It takes work. But if done correctly, it lasts. How does it work? By getting right to the core of WHY you’re choosing the unhealthy treat. Once we acknowledge the reason why we are making our choices, things begin to change.
Before you eat or drink your next sugar filled treat. Work through these 4 steps:
- DELAY
Before eating an unhealthy snack, drink a glass of water. - DISTANCE
Get rid of the junk in your house, car and/or office. Out
of sight, out of mouth. Stock your fridge and pantry with healthy snacks. - DISTRACT
Before reaching for a snack, find something to do as a distraction like take a walk, fold the laundry, make a phone call. Then you can decide if you really want the snack when you’re done. - DECODE
Before eating the snack, ask yourself the following:
Am I hungry? Am I bored? Am I lonely? Am I upset?
Start to understand your emotional eating patterns.
I encourage you to adopt this simple process for 30 days and see how life changes. See what happens when you work through the process. Take time to work through the DECODE step…it’s the key to lasting change.
And remember, if you ever need more help as you start unpacking these emotions, I’m here for you.