When it comes to healthy eating, do you feel you need to modify your lifestyle? Do you stock up on junk food when you go grocery shopping? Help yourself to too many servings at the dinner table?

Even though many people feel they need to make some changes to their lifestyle, they are not sure where or how to start, and as a result end up not making ANY changes. Keep in mind that depending on the type and severity of lifestyle modifications you want to make, some changes might be easy and can be made overnight, while other lifestyle modifications could be more challenging and therefore take more time to incorporate.

Here are some simple tips to help you get started on modifying your lifestyle:

• Plan healthy meals and snacks ahead of time, and make a shopping list. When shopping from a list, your home will be stocked with healthier food choices and less junk food. Plus, there is less chance you will forget to buy something and have to make another trip to the grocery store. Need some help with your meal planning? Try out my meal plans for free!
• Go grocery shopping on a full stomach. Do not go grocery shopping when you are hungry. When your stomach is full, you will less likely experience food cravings while grocery shopping, and in turn you will have a lower tendency to make any spontaneous junk food purchases.
• Do not put bowls of food on the table. Instead, place the bowls of food on a counter or buffet table so everybody will have to get up from their seat to get another helping. This extra effort might make another serving less enticing.
• Leave the table as soon as everybody is done eating. Sitting around the meal table conversing with others gives you more opportunity to have another helping of food, thereby increasing your calorie consumption. Instead, when the meal is finished, suggest that everybody move to another room, away from the food and dishes.
• Immediately put leftovers in storage containers, and refrigerate or freeze them for another meal. In doing so, the food will not be visible and the aroma of the food will be less noticeable, making it easier to skip that next serving. Plus, you will have another delicious, healthy meal to look forward to! I love these storage containers from Rubbermaid for leftovers – they are very air-tight and they stack very easily in my cupboards and refrigerator!

When making modifications to your lifestyle, be sure to start small – making too many drastic changes in a short time period might make it more challenging for you to be successful long-term.