Breaking bad habits is one of the most difficult tasks in life. In our drive-through society, we struggle to not form bad eating habits. No one has time to cook healthy meals. Fast food is easy and so many of us fall into the trap of taking the easy path over the correct one. But you can break the bad eating habits. Anyone can do it. Anyone! Here are some steps to help ensure your success in changing your eating habits.

Getting started is the hardest part of change. We\’ve all tried the latest and greatest diet fads. Programs like the South Beach Diet, the Atkins Diet, the Zone Diet, the Subway Diet, and Weight Watchers have certainly shown some positive results. The problem is, most people cannot sustain these diets for prolonged periods of time. Many have difficulty even getting started. The key is to focus on nutrition. We all know the difference between a healthy food and an unhealthy one. Find a program or create your own nutrition plan that you can live with for the long run. Don\’t set yourself up for failure with a program, that for you, is unrealistic.

Try starting slow. It can be overwhelming to make wholesale changes to your lifestyle. Pick one change that you can make in your life, whether it be to start exercising a couple times a week or eliminating a regular high-calorie food from your diet. Every couple weeks pick another change with regard to your fitness or nutrition and before you know it, you will be on the right track to getting fit.

Keep a journal. Studies have shown that people who keep a food journal lose up to 40% more weight than those that don\’t. If you have to write down that HO-HO, Zinger or Cupcake, you are less likely to eat it. Also, use the journal to plan out your meals. Whether you make a plan for the entire week or just the next day, the journal allows you to think less about food throughout your day. If you take away the food decisions for the day then you can\’t make a bad decision.

Pick a day of the week to indulge. Having a day every week or every other week where you eat whatever you want and as much as you want can help have a positive mental and physical effect. If you have a \”free\” day to look forward to, you are less likely to cheat during the rest of the week. Physically, a high caloric intake once per week can actually create positive hormonal changes that can improve fat-loss. Everyone eventually has a binge day. Plan for it and you can minimize the damage and better sustain your overall eating habits.

Get others in your household to make changes as well. There is power in numbers! Having someone you can lean on when breaking or forming a habit can make all the difference in your success. Getting support from a friend or loved one and giving it in return can make the process rewarding and help sustain your success.

Whether you are breaking a habit or creating new good habit, in my experience, two weeks seems to be the magic time frame for most people. If you can stick to your plan for two weeks, whether it be adding a habit or removing one, the habit becomes ingrained. Each week thereafter becomes easier to sustain your change. Remember anyone can make changes. Get started today and make the changes that can improve your life.

Author Bio: Steve Stark Get Fit & Stay Fit! Steve is a NFPT Certified Personal Trainer with over 15 years of experience training athletes as well as private clients. Steve\’s website offers expert fitness advice, instructional exercise videos, printable workout routines and 4 or 8 week workout programs.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: diet,nutrition,eating habits,food,healthy diet,food journal