There is a lot more going on in our country than people just eating too much fast food. Sure, that is an easy behavior to target but do you think that is the end of the story?

Why do we eat too much fast food?
Why do we like to eat in our cars?
Why are we too busy to enjoy the process of cooking?
Why do we gobble our food and then rush off to the TV room (or gobble our food in front of the TV)?

Don’t get me wrong --
I sometimes eat fast food. (I forget or am too lazy to pack my lunch)
I love to eat in my car. (Because I don’t think people can see me eating McDonald’s cookies and a Coke the size of my head)
I like to cook but sometimes just don’t feel like it or haven’t shopped or don’t want to have to do the dishes.
Sometimes, sitting at the dinner table and making conversation seems like a lot of work – it is easier to sit in front of the TV and veg.

The goal would be to understand why I chose to do the unproductive behaviors and recognize them as a legitimate choices but to cultivate the habits of

Packing my lunch
Not eating in my car
Cooking dinner for my family
Dining (as opposed to just eating) at the table and enjoying the time I spend there.

If these are my habits – these will be the new path of least resistance –requiring less thought and helping me manage my weight more effectively.

How do you create these new habits? Make yourself do them. Make yourself do them. Make yourself do them. That is how habits (positive and negative happen -- repetition).

Pick any one of these things. Pick a schedule you can commit to (if it is cooking dinner -- pick a number of days that is realistic for you -- you can always increase the number of days when you master the current goal). Make a schedule of when this will happen (pick specific days you are going to cook dinner) and then do not let yourself off the hook.

While you are going the activity, make a conscious effort to feel good about what you are doing. Make the conversation in your head surrounding the activity a positive one. (If you are cooking -- take time to appreciate the smell of the kitchen, make the decision to enjoy chopping the vegetables, appreciate how the table looks with the food you prepared on it)

If you are not feeling enthralled with the new habit -- fake it 'til you feel it. Keep up the positive talk until it feels natural.

Give it a try -- see what you can do. Start anywhere that seems logical to you -- just start.