Tips to Help You Watch What You Eat

• Drink a glass of water prior to eating your meal.  This will help to fill you up a bit before you begin eating.

• Use smaller plates, bowls, and silverware.  The larger the utensils and dishes, the more you’ll eat.

• Ask yourself why you are eating.  Are you hungry?  Out with friends?  Bored?  Stressed?  Etc.  Depending on your answer, you will be more likely to watch what you eat and how much.  At times you may see that it’s not necessary for you to eat at that time after all.

 
• Start with one serving.  For example, even if you know that you will be going back for a second roll, waiting to do so will help you to stop and think about how much you have eaten and listen to your body.

• Take a larger serving of vegetables, and less of the main entre.  This will help you to still get full, but with less calories.

 
• Chew your food slowly.  This will help you to pay attention to the food that you are consuming, enjoy every bite, and acknowledge when you are full. 

• Avoid eating with distractions.  You will eat more if you are distracted by other activities while you eat such as watching TV.  If your family likes to sit and talk after dinner, move into another room where you will not be tempted to pick off of your plate or get another serving. 

• If you feel that you are still hungry after clearing your plate, wait 20 minutes.  This will allow time for your body to process the food that you’ve already consumed; giving you time to assess whether or not you need a second serving.

• If you go out to eat, box half of your food before you begin eating.  This will help you avoid leaving the restaurant stuffed due to overeating.  If it is in front of you, you will continue to eat.

• Don’t beat yourself up, and take it one meal at a time.  Being mindful of what you are eating and assessing your body’s needs is the key; however, this takes time and effort.  Be patient with yourself and remember that it’s to be done in baby steps.

Sleep Hygiene

 Tips from the American Sleep Association:

Maintain a regular sleep routine.

• Go to bed at the same time. Wake up at the same time. Ideally, your schedule will remain the same (+/- 20 minutes) every night of the week.
Avoid naps if possible
• When we take naps, it decreases the amount of sleep that we need the next night – which may cause sleep fragmentation and difficulty initiating sleep

Don’t stay in bed awake for more than

5-10 minutes.

• If you find your mind racing, or worrying about not being able to sleep during the middle of the night, get out of bed, and sit in a chair in the dark. Do your mind racing in the chair until you are sleepy, and then return to bed. No TV or internet during these periods! That will just stimulate your mind, making it difficult to fall asleep.
• If this happens several times during the night, that is OK. Just maintain your regular wake time, and try to avoid naps.

Don’t watch TV or read in bed.

• When you watch TV or read in bed, you associate the bed with wakefulness.
Do not drink caffeine inappropriately
• The effects of caffeine may last for several hours after ingestion. Caffeine can fragment sleep, and cause difficulty initiating sleep. If you drink caffeine, use it only before noon.
• Remember that soda and tea contain caffeine as well.

Avoid inappropriate substances that interfere with sleep.

• Cigarettes, alcohol, and over-the-counter medications may cause fragmented sleep.
Exercise regularly
• Exercise before 2 pm every day. Exercise promotes continuous sleep.
• Avoid rigorous exercise before bedtime. Rigorous exercise circulates endorphins into the body which may cause difficulty initiating sleep.

Have a quiet, comfortable bedroom.

• Set your bedroom thermostat at a comfortable temperature. Generally, a little cooler is better than a little warmer.
• Turn off the TV and other extraneous noise that may disrupt sleep. Background ‘white noise’ like a fan is OK.
• If your pets awaken you, keep them outside the bedroom.
• Your bedroom should be dark. Turn off bright lights.
• Get rid of distractions that will keep you from falling asleep.  For example, if you are a ‘clock watcher’ at night, hide the clock.

Have a comfortable pre-bedtime routine.

• A warm bath, shower
• Meditation, or quiet time

American Sleep Association