Sister to Sister

From our Daily Tips: “Change Up Your Routine to Avoid Overeating Triggers.”

Let’s face it – we all have bad habits. Sometimes they’re habits we pick up when trying to balance our work with our families, like turning to TV dinners instead of home-cooked meals; other times, they’re a reward-yourself indulgence gone bad, like eating chips in front of the TV after a long day. These habits are easy to form because they’re convenient or because we think that they’re making us feel good. Still, for our hearts’ sake it’s important to break them.

Go ahead and take a serious look at your habits. Chances are, you’ll be able to see patterns you could easily change to improve your heart health. Here are a couple examples I’ve seen in my life or my friends’ and family’s:

• My best friend used to calm down her young son during temper tantrums  by sitting with him in front of the TV and turning on his favorite shows. After a while, she’d usually start snacking without thinking about it. She had a wake-up call when she realized that this behavior wasn’t doing her or her son any favors. Now when he has a bad day, she takes him for a walk instead. I It gives him something else to focus on, and pushing the stroller keeps her moving  instead of munching.
• My mom used to play games online to relax after work. With an office job that keeps her sitting for eight hours a day, more sitting was the last thing she needed. Now she unwinds by walking the dog instead. It’s just as  relaxing and it gives her a way to fit in daily exercise.
• I used to buy lunch each day from the deli in my office building and always ended up ordering a big sub and a soda – way more food than I needed. No more! Now I pack lunch at home the night before work and brown bag it each morning. I also drink water instead of soda at work, because I’m trying hard to get in my daily eight cups. This saves me money, and I usually end up liking what I’ve packed better than what I could buy because I made it myself!

If you had to give up one habit that’s bad for your heart, what would it be? How would you change it?