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Changing Behaviors
Eating is something you learned to do years ago and have practiced
many times over. It is closely associated with many aspects of your
lifestyle, such as when you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, with
whom you eat, and what else you do while eating. As such, it becomes
an unconscious habit, something you do without thinking about it. To
permanently control weight, you must improve the eating habits you
have that are counterproductive. The good news is that not all your
habits need improvement, and those that do; certainly don’t all need
changed at once.
Because you learned to eat as you do, you can unlearn your habits
or learn new ones. It may be easier to improving inappropriate eating
behavior than you think. Small changes can yield amazing results. In
order to improve eating behaviors, you must first be able to identify
those that are a problem for you. Read through the Problem
Behavior Checklist at the end of this chapter and check those that
apply to you, and add the ones that you can identify about yourself
that aren’t listed. You can’t change something you don’t know exist.
After you have read through the list, identify the few behaviors
that are your biggest problems. If you’re not sure, pay attention to
when, what, where, with whom and even why you eat. Next, analyze
why. There is a reason for everything you do, and only you really know
what it is. Unfortunately, if you keep doing what you’ve always done,
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you will keep being what you always have been (overweight). And if you
don’t eventually figure out why you do something, it is difficult to
figure out what to do differently. After you analyze your problem
behavior, you are ready to choose alternate activities to be used in
place of the original behavior.
As an example, suppose your problem is that you eat only one big
meal per day, late at night before bed. The reasons could be, you were
too busy to eat through the day, or you always ate a large supper with
your family as a child and therefore it is your most revered meal, or
you were taught to always eat everything on your plate. What could
you do different (better) that would still be acceptable to you? Could
you plan to eat better through the earlier part of the day so you’re not
as hungry? Could you prepare a better meal and still enjoy supper; or
serve the foods on your plate in smaller portions. Perhaps you eat
sweets when you get depressed. The reason could be that you like the
way those foods make you feel or that you were given candy as a child
to make you stopped crying and that is an association that still exists.
What could you do different? Could you talk to a friend instead of
eating, or go for a walk and think about what is bothering you.
Only you have the solutions for your problem behaviors. There
are several mental steps that will help you change them.
You have to be willing to change. Many people want to lose
weight but are not willing to do what it takes. You must be willing to
give up old behaviors and create new ones.
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You must take full responsibility for yourself.
As an adult you
are responsible for your behavior and the choices your make. In every
circumstance some choices are better than others. If you
consistently make the better choice you’ll reach your goal easily.
Think of losing weight as a concept. Don’t worry about counting
calories, weighing food, or tracking fat grams. In every situation just
do the best that you can.
Have a plan to make better choices. Practice those better
choices. How do you get to Carnige Hall …… practice, practice,
practice. That’s how you change a habit, practice, practice,
practice...and if you practice enough, the new behavior can also become
a habit. You don’t have to be perfect; (a good plan today is better
than a great plan tomorrow) you just have to keep improving.
Remember the benefit. Its hard to change eating behaviors.
Unless you perceive a benefit from your changes your won't change.
Every time you do something better remind yourself of the benefit
you'll get from your weight loss. In
Focus on the positive. This weight loss program is positive. It
offers you weight control, health, and other benefits by eating
abundant amounts of nutritious foods. The only thing you lose is
weight. Reinforce the positive nature of this program with a positive
mental attitude on your part.
Every time you do something right,
praise yourself. But if you do something wrong, don’t get discouraged,
you’re not perfect. Learn from it, improve upon it, and forget it.
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Then praise yourself for what you’ve learned. By focusing on the
positive, you simply eliminate negative ideas and attitudes that could
stand in your way and prevent you from getting the results you
deserve.
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PROBLEM BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST
Awareness is the first step in changing problem behaviors. Read
through the following list and check any that are problem areas
for you.
I OFTEN
_____ eat in various places in my home
_____ eat while doing other activities (watching TV or reading)
_____ eat all the food on my plate
_____ eat quickly
_____ have snack foods readily available
_____ eat when I am upset or nervous
_____ eat when I am bored
_____ eat when I am depressed
_____ eat when I am lonely
_____ eat when I am happy
_____ eat even if I’m not hungry but the food looks or smells good
_____ reward myself with food
_____ shop for food when I am hungry
_____ do not pre-plan my meals and snacks
_____ snack between meals
_____ snack late at night
_____ eat at fast food restaurants
_____ eat only one big meal a day
_____ eat desserts
_____ eat sweet or sugary snacks
_____ eat salty snacks
_____ eat while driving in my car
_____ eat pre-prepared foods or processed foods
_____ fry foods or add extra fats like butter, gravy or mayonnaise
_____ eat meals away from my home
_____ eat more frequently around certain people
_____ overeat on holidays or special occasions
_____ go for hours without eating
_____ go on crash or fad diets
_____ others ______________
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Excuses
“Always remember when there is a will there is a way.”
We all have a tendency to not exercise, eat healthy, or complete
our daily chores due to different excuses we make. However when you
commit and consciously intend to start a new behavior you will be able
to achieve it no matter what kind of daily schedule you follow. This
chapter has to do with getting away from excuses and actually
beginning your new behavior. There are often many excuses that we
use to justify our negative behaviors. These excuses will be listed and
the alternatives or the behaviors that you could do instead of
continuing this negative behavior.
You will be able to go through the different excuses and see
which excuses or behaviors pertain to your personal life. Hopefully
you will be able to use the alternatives to assist in changing your
behavior.
Negative behavior and alternatives
Behavior I often do: I do not exercise and I hang around nonexercisers.
Instead I could:
(a) Join a gym and slowly start off with an exercise program
that gets progressively more difficult.
(b) Plan more physical activity thought out the day (this will
include taking stairs instead of elevators, walk or ride a bike
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instead of a car, jog around the block instead of watching
television.
(c) Clear about an hour a day that is designated only for
exercising, and commit to this new schedule
(d) Join an aerobics class where I will be able to meet people
that will encourage me to continue to workout.
Behavior I often do: I have a sedentary job
Instead I could:
(a) Exercise before work!
(b) Concentrate on not snacking during work and bring a healthy
packed lunch in order to avoid fast food.
(c) Try to walk to and from work, further from the parking lot
and take walk breaks through the day.
(d) Always take stairs, while at the desk and on breaks include
small stretches and muscle exercises.
Behavior I often: Eat because of my stressful job.
Instead I could:
(a) Try to supplement an exercise program in place of eating to
ease stress.
(b) Eat healthy foods instead of fast foods.
(c) Deal with the stress directly, find out what is stressing about
the job and figure out a way to positively cope with it or change
my perspective on it.
(d) Do not eat without necessity or hunger.
Behavior I often do: Eat more since I quit smoking
Instead I could:
(a) Find other ways that make you feel good in the same way.
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(b) Find other activities to do in the time that you used to smoke
in besides eat.
(c) Eat low calorie foods.
Behavior I often do: Preparing and eating fatty, fried, salty, saturated
fat foods.
Instead I could:
(a) Substitute similar tasting foods.
(b) Substitute healthier oils to cook with and use less in the
process.
Behavior I often do: Eat excessive simple sugars daily, sweets and
sugary snacks, deserts chocolate, donuts, and cravings.
Instead I could:
(a) Change the definition of “love”; the new definition should not
include foods.
(b) Eat these sweets only on occasions.
(c) Substitute other lower in sugar sweets that you enjoy to eat.
(d) Substitute artificial sweeteners.
Behavior I often do: Eat excessive protein foods daily.
Instead I could:
(a) Reduce the portion size of protein servings per meal.
(b) Reduce the number of meals and snacks per day at which
protein is eaten.
(c) Set a weekly goal to reduce the times per day at which
protein is eaten.
(d) Look at other food substitutes such as vegetables and whole
grain foods that are filling.
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Behavior I often do: Do not drink much water.
Instead I could:
(a) Count the number of glasses of liquid consumed per day then
try to exchange one for water.
(b) Add an additional glass of water when you wake up and
before going to bed each day.
(c) Get kidney and liver checked annually.
(d) Try to ad 10% juice or other flavoring if straight water does
not taste good.
Behavior I often do: Buy and eat fast foods and vending machines
foods regularly; junk food
Instead I could:
(a) Make the healthiest selection available (ex. Broiled chicken
sandwich rather than fried).
(b) Plan ahead; carry and eat healthier snacks (ex. fruits, yogurt,
and non-fat cottage cheese).
(c) Set goal to reduce the frequency in consuming fast foods per
day and week (ex. instead of every day, twice a week).
(d) Eat small meals and snacks throughout the day in order not
to crave a quick fix.
Behavior I often do: Do not have time to exercise or diet
Instead I could:
(a)
Schedule it on your daily planner.
(b) Try reducing the television viewing time per day by 30
minutes and walk around the neighborhood.
(c)
Don’t buy or allow junk food to be brought into the house.
(d) Have plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits around for
snacking.
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Behavior I often do: Feel dieting is to difficult, and no fun
Instead I could:
(a)
Take small steps, do not attempt to change all at once, (ex.
Start with removing one serving of fried food per day).
(b) Plan a day trip to the park – pack a food bag with water,
fruits, vegetables, and some low fat cheese.
(c)
Set a goal of one change per day and a small reward at the
end of the week for succeeding (ex., buy a book).
Behavior I often do: Cannot exercise due to a physical disability or
sports
Instead I could:
(a)
Check with the doctor first and ask what activities are all
right to do – walking, climbing, pulling, pushing, etc.
(b) Work around the disability or injury – if you can’t walk use an
arm ergometer.
(c)
Get physical therapy or hire a certified and experienced
trainer to assist in the beginning of the program.
Behavior I often do: Gain weight due to a slow metabolism
Instead I could:
(a)
Try adding 30 minutes of brisk walking a day.
(b) Keep a diary of what you eat each day as well as noting time,
place and feelings when eating.
(c)
Read up on the positive effects of increased physical activity
and proper nutrition.
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Behavior I often do: Eat quickly
Instead I could:
(a)
Slow down while eating, eating at a slower pace.
(b) While eating chew food really well by counting to 20 with
each bite.
(c)
To make mealtime more relaxing and not so stressful, but to
unwind while eating.
Behavior I often do: Snack between meals
Instead I could:
(a)
Eat more balanced meals.
(b) Write down a log to see what I am eating and get it analyzed
by the dietician at the Wellness Center.
(c)
Keep myself occupied so I don’t get hungry after meals.
Behavior I often do: Eat too much dessert
Instead I could:
(a)
Serve desserts with salad.
(b) Try to combine dessert with fresh fruits, could add sugar
syrup if it has to be sweet.
(c)
Prepare new dishes with dry fruits.
(d) Try to understand that it is more of a bad habit to take too
much of dessert and self educate.
Behavior I often do: Hang around people who eat a lot of food.
Instead I could:
(a)
Try to educate the group.
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(b)
(c)
If it is not possible to educate the group, understand that
the health is more important, and wean away from the
situation when the situation will demand you to eat more.
Try to get into groups which have good values.
Behavior I often do: Purchase food on an empty stomach.
Instead I could:
(a)
Eat much more frequently, in smaller quantity.
(b) Don’t go near restaurants/ food stores/ fast food chain
when hungry.
(c)
Try to plan, prepare food from the house, so that I eat
healthier
Behavior I often do: Overeating
Instead I could:
(a) Pre-plan meals and snacks.
(b) Pre-determine portion sizes
(c) Immediately set aside and refrigerate leftovers after
cooking.
(d) Wait half an hour before helping myself to seconds.
Behavior I often do: Snacking late at night
Instead I could:
(a) Avoid the television late at night.
(b) Choose foods that are less dense in calories such as a piece
of fruit.
(c) Exercise later in the day.
(d) Do not keep snack foods around the house.
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Behavior I often do: Don’t know when to stop eating/lack of selfcontrol
Instead I could:
(a) Serve smaller portions.
(b) Set aside and refrigerate leftovers immediately.
(c) Pile up on vegetables, instead of higher calorie foods.
(d) Wait a half an hour before returning for seconds
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PROBLEM BEHAVIOR WORKSHEET
I have a problem in that I often eat:
_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The reason I do this is because:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Instead I could:
1.________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________
I have a problem in that I often eat:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The reason I do this is because:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Instead I could:
1.________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________
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PROBLEM BEHAVIOR WORKSHEET
I have a problem in that I often eat:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The reason I do this is because:
_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Instead I could:
1._______________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________
I have a problem in that I often eat:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
The reason I do this is because:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Instead I could:
1.________________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________________
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Positive Affirmations/Self-Esteem
Affirmations are statements of acceptance that one uses to
allow the manifestation of your destiny. They are powerful and
positive thoughts and statements sent out to the universe. To do
positive affirmations you need to eliminate any negativity around you.
It must be a powerful positive belief.
There are several important points to know about
affirmations:
 Use the present or past tense, not future tense. You want
your mind to know it has already happened.
 Be POSITIVE. Never use negative affirmations.
 Write them so you will remember what you want to say.
 Always believe, it makes the affirmation strong.
 Be repetitive, this helps to get them in your head.

Always set a specific time aside for positive affirmations
and meditations, this will help set a pattern for you to do
this daily.
Self-esteem is the total of one’s self-confidence, self-worth,
and self-respect. Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “a confidence and
satisfaction in oneself.” Self-esteem means feeling good about your
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beliefs, thoughts, feelings and desires. Self-esteem is a form of pride
that includes motivation to do something. It provides morale to go on.
Realistic self-esteem is the “immune system” of the self. It
helps to keep you psychologically fit and tells us when your health is on
the decline. The better you feel about yourself the better we handle
stress, anxiety, anger, rejection, love, and joy. The better we feel,
the better life we live. The healthier we are!
Genuine self-esteem includes high levels of interest and
enjoyment. In false self-esteem, there is little enjoyment, only
obsessions, compulsions, and exhaustion. High self-esteem evolves
from viewing yourself as a valuable and worthwhile person, and is not
dependent on how others view you.
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS/SELF-ESTEEM
Positive affirmations are statements of acceptance they have a
strong positive effect on an individual’s health. They increase a
person’s self esteem. Self-esteem is something we can change and
when we do, everything in our life changes. Self-esteem is simply the
value we place on ourselves. Self-esteem is of paramount importance
to our well-being. A positive self-image helps us to be better adjusted
and less defensive, to exhibit greater social effectiveness and to
accept others as they are. The key to self-esteem is developing self-
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acceptance and feelings of competence. Most people who are
overweight believe that their self-esteem will improve once they
loss their extra weight and look better. Research proves just the
opposite of this is true, that people will lose weight once they
improve their self-esteem.
Recommendations
It is necessary to talk about things that have happened or are
currently happening to acquire a positive affirmation. Starting
positive affirmations require belief, this in turn makes them more
attainable and much stronger. Positive affirmations must be repeated
so they can become part of us. People emotions, perceptions, and
behavior are shaped by our most dominant thoughts. Advocates of
affirmations theorize that people frequent thoughts represent goals,
which the subconscious mind strives to perfect.
Attitude
An attitude is “… a disposition to respond favorably or
unfavorably to an object, person, institution, or event”. Attitudes are
relatively enduring and consist of a series of beliefs organized in such
a way that they predispose one to act or respond to some situation in a
predictable manner.
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An attitude is a point of view about a situation. An attitude has
three components. An attitude is made up of: what one thinks, what
one does, and what one feel. No matter what situation people are in
they always have certain thoughts about it.
To begin changing an attitude, people either change their thinking, the
way they act, or the way they feel. The first two of these choices are
easier to influence than the third.
Feelings are powerful but vague. If people want to change their
feelings they must start elsewhere. They must begin with either their
thinking or their behavior over which they have more control. The
secret in effectively changing emotions is knowing that feelings,
thoughts, and behaviors are all related. When one change one of them
(for example, thinking) the other two (feelings and behavior) will
change as well.
You can IMPROVE your self-esteem and your attitude by:
 Believing in you.
 Letting go of past hurts and forgiving others.
 Loving and accepting yourself.
 Believing in your dreams and making them come true.

Setting attainable goals in life.
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Positive Attitude and Self-Affirmations
Read through the following list of words. Circle those that express what you
like about yourself. Underline those that you would like to describe you in
the future.
A = able, abundant, accurate, active, adaptable, authentic
B = balanced, beautiful, benevolent, best, blessed, brave
C = capable, caring, competent, chipper, choice, compassionate
D = daring, debonair, decent, decisive, distinctive, delightful
E = eager, earnest, effective, efficient, empathetic, effective
F = fair, faithful, festive, fine, forthright, free, fun, flexible
G = gentle, genuine, giving, glad, good, grown-up, gutsy
H = harmonious, honorable, handy, happy, humanitarian, humorous
I = illuminated, important, , industrious, individualistic, idealist
J = jovial, joyful, judicious, just jubilant, jaunty, jazzy
K = kind, kindhearted, knowledgeable, keen,
L = law-abiding, learned, level, life full, liked, lively, loving
M = mannerly, mature, merry, motivated, moderate, musical
N = natural, needed, noble, novel, newsworthy, nimble
O = obedient, open, optimistic, ordered, orderly, original
P = patient, persuasive, peaceful, pleasant, practical, preserving
Q = quaint, qualified, quixotic, quotable, questing, quick-witted
R = radiant, ready, real, reasonable, relaxed, reliable, romantic
S = self-disciplined, self-respecting, self-reliant, solid, soft
T = tactful, tenacious, tender, thankful, thorough, tolerant
U = unassuming, unique, unequaled, upbeat, unaffected
V = valuable, versatile, vigorous, vital, vivacious
W = warm, well, wholesome, wise, worthy, witty, wonderful
X = x-tra special
Y = young, youthful, yourself
Z = zany, zestful, zingy, zippy
Add your own_______________________________________