Outline Craving Change Why Its Hard to Change

Outline - Craving Change Why It’s Hard to Change • Eating under the influence of. . . What Needs Changing? • Uncover your eating triggers How You Can Change • Step-by-step instructions for change Keep the Change! • Tips for a healthier, lasting relationship with food

Outline – Why It’s Hard to Change • Introduction • Eating Under the Influence of – Our environment Our body Our learned behaviours

“I’m an emotional eater” “I know what to eat, but I just can’t seem to do it” “I just want more willpower”

Focus on Problematic Eating • Eating unhealthy foods often • Eating an excessive amount of food • Eating at inappropriate times

Environmental Influences What is different about the way we live and eat now compared to 30 years ago? What are some of the differences between our North American food environment and that of Europe and other countries?

Eating under the Influence Studies • 91% watch TV when eating meals at home 62% often too busy to sit down and eat • The more we buy or are served, the more we eat – it’s human nature.

The Influence of Our Environment • Would you eat differently: – At a dessert buffet that offered a dozen different, tasty desserts compared to one that had only one amazingly delicious choice? – If fresh fruit was whole and in the fridge versus whole and sitting on the counter versus peeled and cut up and sitting on the counter?

Our Body – Eating Patterns • Skipping breakfast deprives the body of fuel to start the day. • Study results vary as to whethere is a connection between skipping breakfast and weight management. • Long periods of time between eating increase cravings for high fat, high sugar foods. • Blood sugars and other chemical messengers may fluctuate.

Our Body – Restricted Eating Can cause significant psychological changes: • Irritable • Socially isolated • Loss of interest in enjoyed activities • Depression, mood swings • Decrease in concentration and memory • Constant thoughts about food and eating • Binge eating

Our Body – Lifestyle Factors Food cravings and weight gain may be caused by the following factors due to the body’s hormonal and chemical responses: • Inactivity • Chronic stress • Lack of sleep

Triggers Response Worksheet

Outline - What Needs Changing? Uncover your Eating Triggers • Reasons we eat • Types of hunger • HALT before eating • Self-awareness worksheets • Nurture yourself

Types of Hunger Stomach Hunger • physical hungry Mouth Hunger • craving a specific taste or texture Heart Hunger • emotional need, or learned behaviour

Consider your Circumstances I feel I have trouble with my eating when I’m: With a particular member of my family Dealing with my children Being criticized Feeling rushed Working on the computer Doing a task or job I don't like Celebrating a special occasion Other: Just getting home Visiting at a relative's home On vacation Dealing with money issues Cleaning up after meals Putting off a task I need to do Eating out in a restaurant Anticipating a deadline All alone after the kids are in bed Vacuuming

Emotions Inventory Abandoned Angry Anxious Apprehensive Awful Awkward Bitter Blank Blue Comforted Compelled Conflicted Content Daring Dazed Deflated Delighted Depressed Desperate Disappointed Down Empty Excited Excluded Frazzled Frustrated Fulfilled Grouchy Guilty Overwhelmed

Eating Log Situations, Event, Person or Place Emotion(s) experienced before problematic eating Mid-Morning Work Coffee break Worried about meeting deadlines Time of Day 1: 00 pm Quick lunch at work cafeteria Evening Watching TV Exhausted, Discouraged Rushed What was eaten? Emotion(s) after eating Within 5 minutes 20 – 30 minutes later Bag of chips Relaxed Guilty Burger, fries, pop Tired Stuffed Cookies, popcorn, ice Frantic cream Self-Disgust

Ways to Nurture Yourself Download a new song or podcast Go to bed an hour earlier Soak in the tub Warm up next to a fire Turn off your phone Wander through an art gallery Relax with a good book or magazine Lie on the grass and watch the clouds Download a new song Walk in a park Go window shopping Visit a greenhouse Have a tea party with a child Watch sports replays Other Ideas: How I will nurture myself in the next week: :

Outline – How You Can Change Step-by-step Instructions for Change • Unlearn problematic eating behaviours • Apply the cognitive-behavioural approach • Sample from The Change Buffet • Strategies to change your thoughts and behaviours

Eating Trigger Review • Is this stomach, mouth or heart hunger? • When experiencing an eating trigger, you have a choice – Eat in a way that is problematic OR Change your response to the trigger

The Change Buffet Nurture yourself Solve problems effectively Plan an activity Stop unwanted thoughts Assert yourself Manage your stress Distract yourself Put your craving on hold Journal • Follow the 80/20 rule • •

Quick! Distract Me! Challenge your mind to shift your thinking Visualize your dream vacation destination Think of a vegetable for every letter of the alphabet Count to 10 in a language you don't know very well Shift your location to get away from food Water your plants or garden Go to the bathroom and rinse your face with warm water Shovel or sweep the walk Shift gears to an activity Figure out five words in a crossword puzzle Play with dice and try for a Yahtzee Do some stretches Other Ideas:

Manage your Stress “It’s not what you eat, it’s what’s eating you. ” • Stress is a very common trigger. • We often use food for comfort.

Relaxation Techniques Reduce stressors and/or learn relaxation techniques, such as: • • • Yoga Meditation Deep breathing Tai chi Visualization Progressive muscle relaxation

Ride the Craving Wave When the food craving hits. . . 1. Give yourself permission to eat, BUT 2. Say that you will wait one minute. 3. Set the timer for one minute.

Ride the Craving Wave 4. When the time is up, either eat or wait another minute. 5. Gradually increase the length of delay time. 6. Determine how long it typically takes you ride out a craving.

Plan an Activity • • Walk with friends or family Create something Discover a new hobby Organize your photos Learn something new; take a class Volunteer Join a club or organization Other ideas?

Be Assertive • Say “no” with backbone, but not a bite. • Openly and honestly communicate what you want and need from others. • Assertiveness is a skill that you need to learn and practise.

Problem Solving Steps 1. Determine the actual problem. 2. Brainstorm solutions! 3. Choose ONE solution. 4. Try it. 5. Assess the outcome. 6. Go back to Step 2 if problem not improving.

Sampling from the Change Buffet Change Strategy Put your cravings on hold Assert yourself My Plan and the Results I will put dessert “on hold” after dinner every day this week. Started by waiting 2 minutes and increased the delay by 2 minutes each day. My craving for dessert feels less strong. I will take out a book from the library on assertiveness. I read the book and tried some of the assertiveness techniques with my demanding co -worker. Feel more confident.

Outline – Keep the Change! • Applying The Change Buffet strategies • Sharing experiences with the change strategies • Adding to The Change Buffet • Slipping toward success • Set goals for success • Resources • Continue craving change

Environmental Influences & Prompts Living in fast forward Food is everywhere! Food is big business Too many choices We think big XX-large portions Optical illusions Food is always within reach We love a deal

Self-talk Our thoughts influence our behaviours. • positive and productive • negative and self-defeating Negative self-talk often starts with: • “I can’t” • “I shouldn’t” • “But”

Advanced Thought Stopping 1. Listen to your thoughts. 2. Write down your unwanted thoughts. 3. Stop unwanted thoughts. 4. Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. 5. Rehearse.

Slipping Toward Success • If you slip - be curious! • Ask yourself questions – What happened? What was going on? What was I saying to myself? What was different compared to times I didn’t slip? • Learn from your mistakes.

Goal Setting Guidelines • • Your idea Achievable An Action Able to answer the questions: – – What How much or how often When With whom

Celebrate your Success! • Always look at how far you have come, not at how far you still have to go. • Celebrate every success, no matter how small.