Author: AIPM

This section covered a lot of nutrition information. Don’t worry if you aren’t ready to use all of it right away. The next section will help you form a plan and put this information into action. For now, choose one or two simple steps.

Strategy

*  I will eat the vegetables on my plate first.

*  I will have a glass of water before each meal or snack.

*  I will put 25% less food on my plate than I usually do.

*  If I am full, I will stop eating, even if there is more food on my plate.

*  I will eat something within two hours of waking up.

*  I will choose low-fat dairy over full-fat options.

*  I will drink one less sugar-sweetened beverage a day.

*  I will not consume any sugar-sweetened beverages.

*  I will choose to eat half my grains from whole grains every day.

*  I will choose to fill half my plate with fruits and vegetables.

Make a small change. Stick with it. It becomes routine. Add another small change. Stick with it. It becomes routine. You’ll get there.

This section covered a lot of tips for planning healthy eating. It also covered how to make healthy choices in different environments. Answer the following:

*  Name a new idea from this section that you have recently tried or are planning to try soon.

*  What do you like about this idea? What would you change?

*  What do you feel makes it hard for you to stick with new habits?

The next section will talk about setting yourself up to succeed. Knowing what to eat is important, but training your mind to make healthy choices automatically can help make changes stick.

This section looked at ways to create a helpful physical, social, and mental environment. Designing helpful environments can make it easier to change behaviors. Answer these questions:

*  What changes have you made to your physical environment (e.g., pantry, kitchen countertops, plate size)? How have these changes helped you make healthier choices?

*  What changes have you made to your social environment (e.g., being assertive, changing social media habits)? How have these changes helped you make healthier choices?

*  What changes have you made to your mental environment (e.g., banishing black and white thinking, saying nice things to yourself)? How have these changes helped you make healthier choices?

The next section focuses on physical activity and how to fit it into your daily routine. Start to think about your favorite ways to be active.

This section guided you to make physical activity part of your daily life. Most importantly, this section encouraged you to look at why you are being active and how to have a healthy relationship with your body. Answer the following questions.

*  How have you sat less and moved more this week?

*  What changes are you making to how you exercise (e.g., adding variety to cardio activities, adding resistance training)?

*  How are you managing time differently to have more time to be active?

*  What is something amazing about what your body can do?

The next section will help you manage emotional eating and be more mindful. Make sure you are pacing yourself through this guide. Take time to practice strategies and address unhelpful thoughts.

This section built on the tools you have been learning throughout this guide to manage emotional eating triggers. Stress, anxiety, boredom, and celebration can all trigger unhealthy eating behaviors. Answer the questions below.

*  How do you know when you are physically hungry?

*  What is the first thing you do when you realize your hunger is emotional?

*  List relaxation strategies you have practiced this week. If you haven’t practiced any, pick one and do it now.

*  How has addressing, rather than brushing aside, emotions helped you this week?

The next section will help you maintain weight loss, overcome plateaus, and connect to weight management in long-lasting and meaningful ways.