This Week I'm Going To (week of January 18)

Last night, I spent about two hours or so reading The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle. There were some pretty simple tips in there of things you could do to start being healthier. In reality, trying to incorporate all of these simple tips at once will be rather overwhelming. So, I have decided to start compiling a list of healthy habits to incorporate into my life and each week, I’ll focus on one new habit. Gradually, all of these habits will build on each other and (fingers crossed!), I’ll be on my way to a healthier lifestyle.

This week’s habit change is coming from the Fit Bottomed Girls’ 12 Tips for Permanent & Healthy Weight-Loss. Tip #10 is:

…pick a “Designated Eating Place” (“DEP” for short) and restrict your eating to this location. If you trade carrots for cookies when you’re sitting on the couch watching TV, you haven’t changed your behavior, you’ve only changed what you eat while watching TV. Such mindless eating is more often a reaction to boredom than hunger. Enjoy the foods you love at your DEP. You’ll be surprised by how much unnecessary munching you will cut out.

At home, my DEP is the kitchen table. At work, my DEP is either a table on our bridge or a table downstairs in the atrium. We have an area called ‘town hall’ that has tables, but there are TVs there. I think I’m going to stick to non-TV areas.

I think the biggest challenge as far as a sticking to a DEP is concerned will be at work. I have a bad habit of doing other things during lunch (such as running) and then going back to my desk to eat and work at the same time. Also, I’ll mindlessly munch on candy and snacks throughout the day when I’m in boring meetings so I think making myself eat in only one location will help with that.

At home, I always eat at the table. I’m not big on sitting on the couch and watching TV while eating. I think it’s because I like for things to be orderly and clean and I don’t want a hot mess on my couch. But, I do like to snack out of the bag later at night so I think making myself sit down at the table to snack will help curb that as well.

Wish me luck!

Do you have a DEP?

FYI: I’m fighting a cold right now (hence why I was reading for two hours yesterday), so I’m delayed on posting my food diary entries from the weekend. It might not happen today. My boss has already asked me about going home. But, please do pray that this cold gets better! I’m going on a mission trip to Savannah this weekend and I want to be in top shape!