Lifestyle Choices

Making positive lifestyle choices will help you maintain a healthy weight and many of these habits will make healthy eating and exercising easier.

• Tackle emotional eating.
Feeling angry, sad or bored can make you want to eat.
Ask yourself how you’re feeling when you go to grab a snack.
If it’s not hunger you’re feeling, then do something else, like call a friend, take a walk or write in a journal.

• Keep healthy snacks on hand.
When you get hungry away from home, you’re likely to reach for a fast and fattening fix.
Plan ahead for hunger.

• Manage stress.
Stress can cause you to overeat.
Learn relaxation techniques. Try meditation. Get 7-9 hours of sleep a night to help handle stress better.

• Shop for a healthy home.
Keeping high-calorie foods in your home makes it easy to make poor choices.
Stock your kitchen with healthy foods. Keep lean meats, whole grain breads and crackers, fruits and pre-cut veggies in the house.

• Eat out the healthy way.
Don’t ban dining out. Make smart choices and practice portion control.