How to be more aware of your eating habits—and why it can help you
Behaviour technique
Fact: It’s not only what you eat that impacts your weight-loss journey, but also when and how. We call that your overall eating pattern. And to make meaningful changes, you need to know what you’re working with. Choose three days this week to tune into each meal and snack, then follow these steps.
Try this!
![3. Thirty minutes after, write a few more notes: a) The amount I ate was either [what I planned / Less than planned / More than planned]. b) My hunger level is [choose a number between1 and 5, with 1 being not hungry and 5 being starving. c) The speed at which I ate was [choose a number between 1 and 5, with one being slow and 5 being super fast. d) My mindfulness level was a [choose a number between 1 and 5, with 1 being barely remember eating and 5 being dialed into each bite. e) It’s [unlikely, likely, or you’re not sure] that I’ll eat before my next planned meal. f) The foods I enjoyed most while eating: ________, ________, ________. g) I feel [content / energized / exhausted / regretful / proud / or other]](https://v.cdn.ww.com/media/system/cms/au/1001_Technique2.jpg "3. Thirty minutes after, write a few more notes: a) The amount I ate was either [what I planned / Less than planned / More than planned]. b) My hunger level is [choose a number between1 and 5, with 1 being not hungry and 5 being starving. c) The speed at which I ate was [choose a number between 1 and 5, with one being slow and 5 being super fast. d) My mindfulness level was a [choose a number between 1 and 5, with 1 being barely remember eating and 5 being dialed into each bite. e) It’s [unlikely, likely, or you’re not sure] that I’ll eat before my next planned meal. f) The foods I enjoyed most while eating: ________, ________, ________. g) I feel [content / energized / exhausted / regretful / proud / or other]")
Let’s dive a little deeper…
Imagine that you’re trying to save money by cutting some of your expenses. Do you think you could do it without paying attention to how, when, or on what you’re spending each week or month?
Probably not. And the same goes for losing or maintaining weight. Sure, tracking food in the app builds awareness of what you’re eating, and that’s a great place to start. But digging into the how and when and “what’s really going on here” around your meals and snacks brings a deeper level of understanding that can help you make impactful changes.
Your overall eating patterns influence things like your choices, behaviours, and feelings, which can make your journey easier or harder. Noticing habits helps you identify what’s working (e.g. eating slowly) and what’s not (e.g. waiting until you’re level-five starving). Then, you can take steps to do more of the former and address the latter—and get even closer to your goals.
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3 fast facts
Your eating pattern includes what you eat as well as how you eat.
Becoming aware of your eating patterns allows you to identify what’s working and what changes you want to make.
This can help you develop eating patterns that both set you up for success and that you can stick to long term.