• Never grocery shop on an empty stomach!

• Stay on the perimeter of the store – the inside isles are filled
with processed foods you don’t need! dairy, meat, fresh fruit, fresh
vegetables and good whole grain breads are on the perimeter.

• Use a white board on your fridge – when my kids lived at home I
posted daily what was for dinner and what was available in the fridge for snacks. If you know what is in there and have a variety of healthy snacks – you won’t be as tempted to fall off the wagon.

• 5- P’s – Poor Planning Predicts Poor Performance – translated -
plan your menus a week ahead- buy what you need to complete those menus. Be flexible enough to be able to switch Thursdays 10 min grilled chicken and veggies to Wednesday if you run short of time on a particular day. Start your meal preparation in the morning when you are rested and have eaten your breakfast. We live in a world where time gets away from us too easily – if the salad is made, the veggies prepped and a meat or protein dish prepped – your odds of sticking to your plan are significantly increased than if you walk in the door after a day from hell with hungry kids, a crabby husband and the pizza fridge magnet screaming your name.

• Don’t allow trigger foods into your home! You don’t keep alcohol
or drugs in front of an addict – don’t put pizza, chips, ice cream in your
home – this will actually help your children have healthier relationships
with food!

• Make sure you are well rested by setting boundaries on your
evening time. Don’t allow other people or events to intrude on your down time. Boundaries are important and successful people establish boundaries and guard them.

• Give yourself adequate time to eat with your family in a
stress-free environment. When you slam down food in a car with cranky kids is when you will PB or eat beyond full and be in pain.

• Get adequate exercise, walking the dog, cleaning your yard,
gardening, biking, hiking, – time doing any activity with children or
friends outside of your home.

• Don’t be afraid to ask loved ones for what you need – you don’t
have to be in this alone, your children/husband can help by peeling veggies, helping with chores if you explain to them that being overwhelmed is a trigger for heading off your path.

• Be kind to yourself – keep the voices in your head gentle and kind
- change is the result of being kind to yourself, self criticism defeats
you.

• Write up a disaster recovery plan – what you can do to put
yourself back on track – mine is a long list of small daily goals that are
achievable – results are cumulative.