Replacing Old Habits with New Ones

The January "Today's Christian Woman" magazine featured an article by Karen Linamen, entitled "Put Down That Candy", which described how we form habits and how we can replace bad habits with good habits. Here are the author's recommendations:

(1) KNOW YOUR BRAIN: "Every time we repeat that action, thought or feeling, that pattern becomes more entrenched in our brains. Pretty soon all we have to do is start down the path of that familiar feeling, thought, or action, and our brains go on autopilot and attempt to complete the thought or action the same way we've done it tens of thousands of times before." That tendency facilitates learning. However it also makes us feel "'triggered' to repond the same way we've responded a hundred times before, even if we meant to respond diffently". So learning new habits requires powerfully opposing well established brain grooves.

That explains why just walking into the kitchen, where I previously binged, can make me want to snack, if I feel even close to hungry. I try to avoid time consuming food preparation projects when I'm hungry. So I often do chopping and slicing for stir fries or soups an hour or 2 after a meal or before the next meal. If I must prepare food (rather than reheat frozen dinners) just before a meal, I keep my tummy happy with warm herbal tea.

(2) KEEP TAKING THE NEW PATH: "When you're creating a new habit, half the battle is simply remembering to go down the newly blazed path of your new habit before your brain sends you down the well-trodden path of your old one ... It doesn't take much for your brain to fall back into the rut of a well-established habit. Look for 'cues' in your environment that direct your brain onto the path of a bad habit. When you identify a cue, change your environment. Either remove the cue or make it hard for your brain to follow through ... Disrupting an old pattern can make it harder for your brain to go on autopilot."

That explains why I so easily fall back into overeating at meals. I PRACTICED overeating for sooo many years. Now I need to mindfully acknowledge my stomach cues as I eat, stay aware of satisfaction symptoms (like boredom with eating) and convince myself that I will feel better in the long run if I stop at 'just enough', rather than eating until I feel full (or uncomfortably full). A few reminder cue cards might also help.

(3) CONCENTRATE YOUR EFFORTS: "The more practice you get in a short time frame, the more impression it'll make on your brain. It's kind of like training a dog ... And if you CAN'T practice more often in real life, practice in your head. Three or four times a day, close your eyes and picture yourself having mastered the habit you want to ingrain in your brain."

Maybe that explains why 'nothing succeeds like success'. The more consistently I practice a new habit within the first week or so, the more likely I will continue using that habit and replace the old habit with the new one. I haven't used visualization as much as just thoughtfully considering HOW I will implement a new habit.

(4) USE STOMACH-TURNING ASSOCIATIONS: "Associate (a troublesome habit) iwth something gross. Make it as disgusting as you can ... The same principle works in reverse. Is there a habit you'd love to embrace? Start associating it with stuff you enjoy."

Not exactly 'stomach-turning', but my fear of excruciating PAIN keeps me from eating any foods to which I have allergies. Maybe I could imagine what 'painfully full' feels like when I'm torn between stopping at 'just enough' and risking one more bite, which could send me into 'uncomfortably full'.

This article helped me better understand my difficulties with replacing disordered eating habits with 'normal' eating habits. That's a difficult process, but very doable when I understand how my brain works. I will put a cue card which says "Save hunger for the meal" on my refrigerator. Maybe I could place another card which says "Why am I eating? How do I want to feel when I finish?" beside my plate. I like the idea of reinforcing new habits with environmental cues. I need all the help I can get. LOL