Eating Behaviour Questionnaire Tips
How can the Ten Top Tips help you control your weight?
The Ten Top Tips programme helps you incorporate lifestyle changes into your daily routine so that they become automatic and easy to maintain. To develop new healthy habits you need to:
- Plan ahead: In the first week or two, spend a little time working out in advance how
you are going to do the tips. For example work out how to fit five servings of fruit and vegetables and the extra walking into your day.
- Tracking your progress: Use tick sheets each day to record if you do each of the tips.
Keep this up until the tips have become automatic. Record-keeping increases success in developing healthy habits.
Top ten tips
1,Keep to your meal routine
Try to eat at roughly the same times each day, whether this is two or five times a day.
Handy Hints:
- Pick a pattern that fits in with your own daily routine and stick to it.
- If you are someone who needs snacks, try to snack around the same time each day.
- Try planning when you intend to eat and check at the end
2, Go reduced fat
Choose reduced fat versions of foods such as dairy products, spreads and salad dressings where you can. Use them sparingly as some can still be high in fat.
Handy Hint:
- Change to semi-skimmed milk and save 60 calories/day, amounting to 420 calories.
over a week (based on consuming 300mls milk/day)
Keeping a record has been shown to increase people’s success in developing healthy habits
3, Walk off the weight
Walk 10,000 steps (equivalent to 60-90 minutes moderate activity) each day. You can use a pedometer to help count the steps. You can break up your walking throughout the day.
Handy Hints:
- 5000 steps a day extra (40mins walking at a brisk pace), will burn 1240 calories over a week.
- Take the stairs rather than the lift
4,Pack a healthy snack
If you snack, choose a healthy option such as fresh fruit or low calorie yogurts instead of chocolate or crisps.
Handy Hints:
- Have a banana instead of a snack-size chocolate bar and save 225 calories.
- Take a piece of fruit to work in your bag so that you have it with you for a snack.
- Choose yogurts with less than 100 calories per pot. The calcium will also keep your bones healthy
5, Look at the labels
Be careful about food claims. Check the fat and sugar content on food labels when shopping and preparing food.
Handy Hints:
- A low fat digestive biscuit has the same number of calories as the standard digestive biscuit at 70 calories. Check the fat and sugar content.
- Order our shopping guide from the Reduce the Risk website: www.reducetherisk.org.uk
Creating a daily routine, keeping track of your progress and planning ahead are key to developing healthier habits to last a lifetime.
6, Caution with your portions
Don’t heap food on your plate (except vegetables). Think twice before having second helpings.
Handy Hint:
- Fill your plate up with lots of vegetables.They are low in calories and will help satisfy your hunger
7, Up on your feet
Break up your sitting time. Stand up for ten minutes out of every hour.
Handy Hints:
- Standing up on the bus or train burns an extra 70 calories an hour.
- When watching TV try to stand up during the ad breaks and do a few chores (e.g wash the dishes or put the rubbish out).
8, Think about your drinks
Choose water or sugar-free squashes. Unsweetened fruit juice is high in natural sugar so limit it to 1 glass per day (200ml / 1/3 pint). Alcohol is high in calories so try to limit the amount you drink.
Handy Hint:
- A pint of standard beer has 2 units of alcohol and 182 calories
9, Focus on your food
Slow down. Don’t eat on the go or while watching TV. Eat at a table if possible.
Handy Hints:
- Eating meals at the table will help you to focus on the amount of food you eat.
- Don’t eat while walking, wait until you get there and take time to concentrate on what you are eating.
10, Don’t forget your 5 a day
Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day (400g in total).
Handy Hints:
- A medium sized apple or banana or 3 serving spoonfuls of peas is 1 portion.
- Try having fruit or vegetables with every meal. This makes it easier to reach the five a day
