Vim & Vigor - Spring 2018 - Community Healthcare - 19

Recognizing BAD HABITS

Every bad habit starts for the same reason, Johnson says: We feel discomfort,
so we do something-eat a cookie, vent
our complaints-to feel better. Having
recorded that positive feeling, the brain
reminds us to find the same solution
next time.
That's why the first step in changing
habits, she says, is simply recognizing
them as suggestions from your brain.
"If you know that's just a thought
flowing through your mind-'hey, let's
go get some cookies'-you know how
that works," Johnson says. "You don't
have to act on every thought."
Willpower, though, is only a shortterm strategy for stopping habits. It's
more effective to identify patterns
and replace undesirable habits with
healthier alternatives, says Jill Grimes,
MD, a spokeswoman for the American
Academy of Family Physicians.
For example, dessert might be the
follow-up to every family dinner. But
instead of serving cake and cookies each
night, you can start substituting fruit
salad or chocolate-covered strawberries.
"Look for your rituals and see how
you can make them a little healthier,"
Grimes says.

Changing Habits
TOGETHER

It's hard to be the only person choosing
salad over pizza, and it's easier to adopt
healthy changes with family support.
Try these ideas for improving habits
as a family-and bonding while you're
at it.
The habit: Your family constantly
grazes on chips, cookies, candy and
other unhealthy snacks.
3 The fix: Healthy snacks must be two
things: easy and visible, Grimes says.
Rinse and chop fruits and veggies when
you get home from the grocery store,
and store ready-to-eat servings in containers at the front of the fridge.

"You're going to eat what's there. We
all are," Grimes says. "No one's going to
pick up celery over a candy bar sitting
next to it."
The habit: Most of your meals come
from drive-thrus and restaurants.
3 The fix: It's hard to follow a healthy
diet at restaurants, where portions are
oversized and many options are high in
fat, salt and sugar.
Save dining out for certain nights of
the week, and find at least five healthy
recipes to prepare at home, Grimes
says. Add veggies to family favorites,
like pasta. And have children help in
the kitchen so they feel ownership of
the meal.
The habit: You rarely see a family
member without a cellphone in hand.
3 The fix: Set house rules so that
phones can't be used after a certain
hour or during meals. Don't forget the
rules apply to adults, too: You can't
expect kids to engage in dinner conversation when their parents are staring
at screens.
The habit: After school and work, the
whole family hits the couch for the rest
of the night.
3 The fix: Make exercise a habit by
incorporating it into your schedule,
like taking a family walk or bike ride
after dinner.
The habit: The TV is on all night,
every night.
3 The fix: Start by turning off
the TV at least 30 minutes before

bedtime-light emitted from TVs and
other screens can affect sleep quality.
Instead, end the day with screen-free
activities, such as reading. Find substitutes for TV time, like a family game
or craft. ■

USING GOALS
TO BREAK
BAD HABITS
When it comes to modifying bad behavior, the key is to define what motivates
you, according to Kathryn Lipari, RDN,
CD, clinical bariatric dietitian with
Community Healthcare System's Healthy
4 Life program.
"It's important to be able to answer
what is driving you to make this change,"
she says. "Defining the 'why' will help you
set achievable goals and motivate you to
reach those goals."
Lipari also stresses the importance of
being realistic.
"Your goals should be a mix of both
short-term and long-term plans," she
says. "Try not to overreach with too
many goals. This can lead to feeling overwhelmed and makes it easy to give up."
Lipari recommends periodically evaluating your plan and making adjustments.
"Tweak what is not working so you
don't fall back into old habits," she
says. "Developing a maintenance plan
once you break your habit will also prevent backsliding."

WEBSITE

A Team Approach
Looking to lose weight but don't know where to start? A registered dietitian
can help you design an eating plan that focuses on behavior modification.
Learn more about Healthy 4 Life weight loss programs with offices in Hobart
and Munster by visiting Healthy4LifeCenter.org.

SPRING 2018

19
http://www.Healthy4LifeCenter.org
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