Eating Right in 2022...

It’s easy to get lost in the maze of your eating options.

Byte FAM… We made it!

Welcome to 2022. Phew… somehow, we got through 2021 with enough optimism to continue investing in ourselves and our communities. (That’s why you’re reading this right now).

So, let’s dive right into the secret sauce of how to shift your wellness habits for the better. We’ll use eating habits as an example.

But, let’s review the past week’s discussion question, first.

Discussion Questions:

• Question: wrapping up the year, what is 1 habit you changed for the better in 2021?

• What will you change in 2022?

Eating Right in 2022

You don’t have to be superhuman to change your eating habits. Life design trumps will power.

If you’re hoping to change your eating habits, and you’re not where you want to be today, there’s a reason for that. The reason is not that you’re pathetic, or weak-willed, or undeserving or lazy. If you’re motivated to make a change, and yet you haven’t…here’s the reason: Your life design.

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Your life is set up in a way that keeps you exactly where you are, with eating habits you wish you could shake. It’s not just you, it’s a species thing.

We’re not as evolved as we’d like to imagine. Behavioral Psychology research shows that human behavior, like that of dogs and mice, is heavily influenced by our environments. Our lives are a maze of factors that influence our choices. Remember that time you ate a dozen doughnuts in one sitting? (Don’t be coy, we’ve all been there)… You blamed your poor will power. But, that was less of a will power problem and more of a maze design error.

We’re not engineered to withstand the temptation of all that sweet fluffiness. Put 12 doughnuts in anyone’s face, and quite a few will be eaten. *Periodt*.

Switch out *doughnuts* for whatever your guilty pleasure is, and this starts to sound a little more familiar, no?

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These decisions don’t happen in a vacuum. Let’s check the context:

It’s Thursday morning, you’re rushing off to work. You had a hectic morning getting the kids ready for school. You dropped them off- late. You made cereal for the kids’ breakfast, but you didn’t take time to eat your own breakfast. Now you’re hungry, which is a horrible way to start a work day. You stop your car at a red light and notice the Dunkin’ Donuts to your right. “Why not?”, you think. “I need to eat something, and I deserve a treat for the morning I had”. You pull into the drive-thru. You could buy a breakfast sandwich, but let’s be honest, you want something sugary that melts in your mouth. You want a doughnut. When it’s time to order, you notice the sale on a dozen. Might as well get all 12. You can always share with your work friends. You drive away justifying your choice. Shifting the doughnut box from your lap to the passenger’s seat, you reach in and grab a glazed one to eat. You did buy them as a breakfast treat, after all. You turn up the radio on your fave artist.

Fast forward 15 minutes. You pull into the parking lot at work. Half the doughnut box is missing. You’ve reached and eaten, and reached and eaten 6 doughnuts…without even realizing it. You know you can’t bring this half-eaten box into work! So, you leave the box in the car. Before you know it, you’re back at the car eating more doughnuts on your lunch break and finishing them off on the way home. The kids’ bus beat you home, and the place is madness. You start your usual routine of checking homework while checking whatever you just put on the stove, and a push notification pops up on your phone. You turn it face down. “Not today, MyFitnessPal. You won’t catch me logging 12 doughnuts…”

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How on earth did you get here? More importantly how do you leave and NEVER come back? Re-design your maze to [mostly] avoid temptation. Figure out how you ended up with access to a dozen doughnuts. Then make it VERY difficult for that to happen again.

Follow these 3 steps to change your eating by re-designing your maze.

1) See The Maze

What Influences Our Choices?

• Barriers and Predisposing Factors

2) Name Your Walls and Paths

What Do Behavior Change Barriers Look Like?

• TIME

• ACCESS

• SKILLS and KNOWLEDGE

• CRAVINGS/EMOTIONAL EATING
  

3) Redesign Your Own Maze

What does shifting barriers look like?

• To shift barriers, context is key

That’s a good place to start. Click through the links above to learn more about each topic. Leave a comment below to let us know how your approach to eating changes Happy Healthy Living in 2022!!!!

Dr. Wuse