Page 154 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

dishes, crystal, and so forth to make dining a pleasant event.
5. Set up shopping trips based on the following suggestions:

a. Shop for food only after eating.
b. Use a shopping list.
c. Avoid ready-to-eat foods.
d. Do not carry more money than needed for shopping list.
6. Set up specific plans and activities:
a. Substitute exercise for snacking.
b. Eat meals and snacks at scheduled times.
c. Do not accept food offered by others.
d. Store food out of sight.
e. Remove food from inappropriate storage areas in the house.
f. Use smaller dishes.
g. Avoid being the food server.
h. Leave the table immediately after eating.
i. Discard leftovers.
7. Regarding special events and holidays:
a. Drink fewer alcoholic beverages.
b. Plan eating before parties.
c. Eat a low-calorie snack before parties.
d. Practice polite ways to decline food.
e. Do not get discouraged by occasional setbacks.
B. Social environment
1. Have the person identify the types of social situations that contribute to poor eating habits.
Examples of stimuli in the social environment that might contribute to difficulty for the person
would be negative statements from family members or friends and social situations in which
there are expectations for eating inappropriate or disallowed foods.
2. Have the person identify the kinds of social interactions that would support good eating habits
and following the nutrition plan. Role-playing, in which the person practices how he or she
will ask others to help change his or her eating habits, can be useful.
C. Cognitive or mental environment
1. Have the person identify the thoughts and feelings that are likely to make attempts to change
eating habits unsuccessful.
2. After the person has identified possible negative thoughts that could lead to discouragement,
help him or her develop some positive thoughts that can be used to counteract the negative
ones.
3. Avoid setting unreasonable goals.
IV. Change Actual Eating Behavior
A. Slow down.
1. Take one small bite at a time.

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