When trying to lose weight with medical weight loss, there are certain dietary lifestyle habits that you can form in order to optimize your weight loss efforts. Additionally, it’s important to recognize if you have any unhealthy habits, as they may hinder your weight loss efforts.

Healthy Dietary Habits

• Don’t skip meals. Breakfast helps kick start your metabolism in the morning, but skipping a meal can often lead to overeating or excess snacking.
• Have a plan. When going grocery shopping, make a list beforehand and stick to it. Also, try not to go shopping when you’re hungry, as that can lead to unhealthy impulse purchases.
• Mindful eating. This is the practice of being aware of what you eat, how you eat it and why you eat it. It can help you develop a healthy mindset about food.
• Keeping a food journal. Studies suggest that people who keep a food journal are not only more aware of what they’re eating, but also have better weight loss success. Use this to track what you eat, when you eat it and why you eat it. There are many free applications for smart phones that help you do this, but keeping a pen and paper journal can be just as effective.

Unhealthy Dietary Habits

• Emotional eating. Emotional eating is eating for any reason other than hunger, such as stress, boredom, anger or anxiety. If you often find yourself “emotionally hungry,” try keeping a food journal to pick up on what may be triggering your emotional eating.
• Late-night snacking. Eating late at night is likely the result of “emotional hunger.” However, if it’s not and you regularly wait until later to eat, try eating earlier in the evening. This both improves digestion and reduces symptoms of obesity related diseases, such as acid reflux.
• Eating while distracted. If you tend to eat dinner on the couch in front of the tv or a computer, you may end up overeating without realizing it. Try keeping meal time free from distractions to reduce the risk of overeating or eating too quickly.

Once you’ve begun developing your healthy eating habits, you’ll be on your way to reaching your weight loss goals. Long-term weight loss success requires a lifetime commitment to wellness and a healthy lifestyle. As you continue with your medical weight loss program, remember that Dr. Sitapara is there to help along the way.