Good morning, bloggies! š
Marie and I decided to take a yoga class bright and early this morning at Healing Tree Yoga, so I set up a blog post ahead of time to publish this morning. And what better thing to post than a giveaway, right!?! š
I love giveaways! It’s fun to give readers free stuff! 
Here’s your chance to win a copy of theĀ Eating Well Diet Cookbook! š
I like this cookbook a lot! It’s full of beautiful, colorful photos and has tons of nutritious, delicious, and easy recipes inside. Here’s a sample recipe: Grilled Rosemary-Salmon Spedini. Yum!
The cookbook is an extension of a diet created by researchers at the University of Vermont (Mal’s alma mater) called Vtrim. Basically, Vtrim’s philosophy is to make a lifestyle change for the better of your diet. They focus on behavior changeāāpermanent behavior change. They explain it like this on their website: āit’s a systematic shaping of everyday common behaviors that you will be able to break old habits and learn new ones. Drinking grapefruit juice until you scream is a behavior change, of course, but not the kind that you will sustain for very long.āĀ Additional info: VTrim Fact Sheet
To enter: Leave a comment on this post about how you’ve used behavior modification to lead a healthier lifestyle.
I’ll randomly pick a winner at tonight’s dinner post.
Good luck! š
424 Comments
Great comments, and the book looks great!
The biggest behavior change was realizing that “Anything is possible.” Lots of issues are all in your mind.
A goal you make may take you longer to reach than someone else or you may have to go about things in a different way but you can do it. The power of your mind is incredible!
When I first started running I could not even imagine running 26.2 miles so I opted to just “try” for a 1/2 marathon. As I continued to train I realized that I could do a full marathon and completed my 1st marathon in 4 hrs 35 mins. It was such a great feeling.
This fall I am going to start training for a “fitness competition” which is going to be a tough goal to reach. I look at some of these competitors and think “Will I ever look like that? Is is possible?”. I am going to prepare for 5 months instead of the usual 3 months. I will be ready by March and I can’t wait to see the results!
So that’s my behavior change š
I retrained myself to crave healthy foods! I rarely ever crave junk these days… but I often crave veggies!
I have cut way back on coffee, down from 7-8 cups a day (um yeah) to never more than 2, but usually just the one. I have replaced it with non-caffeinated teas and such. Having one of my adrenal glands taken out due to a tumor motivated me, as I don’t need to overly stress my remaining gland. Yay for cookbooks!:)
This past Spring, instead of giving something up for Lent, I decided to “take something on”. There are 2 flights of stairs between my parking garage and my office. I walk up them every morning, no matter how tired my legs are after a morning workout. It’s a daily reminder to keep myself on track.
Stopping the binging and purging cycle altogher that I used to have, along with an eating disorder. It’s amazing how much better I feel once I “normalized” my eating.
Permanent Change: No more pop (soda!)
I’ve started making exercise and activity a part of my life at least 5 times a week.
I’ve started drinking smoothies (milk and blueberries/strawberries usually) and putting tomatoes in nearly everything I eat to easily and deliciously incorporate more fiber and other nutrition in my diet =)
At every meal I have been paying more attention to my fullness level.
I love Eating Well magazine!
I have made it a permanent behavior to have a smoothie/healthy shake every night as my “treat.” It provides a protein boost, along with extra servings of fruit and calcium.
I went from cooking maybe once a week to making 99% of my meals at home. Just knowing what ingredients are in the food I’m eating and trying to eat whole, fresh foods as often as possible have made a HUGE difference.
This book looks amazing! I’m always looking for new recipes to try! Thanks!
I make it a habit to park as far as I can when I go to stores, the gym etc. even in the rain (a little water can’t hurt). I recently got a wagon so I can walk to the grocery. I also always take the stairs, which does not always make my husband happy…but it keeps him healthy too!
I have adapted mindful eating skills where I try to stop and actually think about what I’m eating. Taste it. Appreciate. And make sure I’m honorinmg my hunger and fulness. It has helped me a lot to slow down and juat appreciate things in general!
I avoid snacking on sweets, opting for “real food” when I feel snacky & reserving sweets as a true treat!
I sometimes have a hard time being mindful about my hunger/fullness cues, espcially while at work (boredom or stress snacking). If I am not sure why I want to snack on something during the afternoon, I take a 5-10 minutes walk around the parking lot to curb the initial craving and distract my mind from what may be lurking in the breakroom. If I am still hungry after the walk, then more times than not that means I am legitimately hungry, and I will opt for a healty snack.
I avoid eating hard candy when I’m bored. Hard on my teeth and my body, I now sip on lemon water.
I am trying to use a smaller plate and not refill it.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com
I am much more mindful about my water intake. I try to drink 32 oz in the morning before breakfast. This seems to start me on the right track for the day.
I take the stairs everyday up to my apartment and I choose to study while walking around campus in between classes. It keeps me active AND helps brighten my mood all day long š
awesome cookbook!
i love walking everywhere and taking stairs instead of elevator. i also stay on my feet all the time to stay active. i just can’t sit still even for a minute!
Packing lunches and snacks for work. Just knowing I have nutritious goodies from home keeps me from hitting the vending machine and candy dishes throughout the office.
I try to plan our meals and bring lunches to work instead of going out.
Blogging! I started a blog last month with hopes that it will hold me accountable to healthy(ier) eating and exercising.
I try to make my breakfast at least 400-500 cals everyday so I’m not starving in the late afternoon. I’m also trying to drink more water and bring my sigg everywhere with me!
I chew gum when I feel my sweet tooth kicking when I’m at my desk at work. Other times I will chug a glass of water with crystal light. If I’m still hungry, I’ll go for a snack-maybe a bar or some fruit!
My behavior change would be taking the stairs versus the elevator/escalator everywhere I go. I used to hate taking the stairs because it would be inconvenient and I would be out of breath by the time I reached the top. Now, I welcome the challenge and ‘want’ to take the stairs! And, I’m no longer out of breath when I reach the top š
I look at eating my meals as an experience; I try to slow down and savor the taste and smell of the food. When I’ve finished eating i’m more satisfied than if I rushed through.
I make exercise a priority in my life. I try to eat very healthy 80% of the time so that way I can splurge a little for the rest. I find that it keeps a healthy balance for me.
One behavior change I’ve made is to add at least one fruit or vegetable to every meal. Now I like choosing each fruit and/or vegetable to eat with each meal. This weekend I really went overboard and it seemed like my husband and I were eating out almost every meal, and by Sunday, I was craving some sort of fruit or vegetable!
Having a larger breakfast helps with cravings!
A major change not only in my mindset but that of my friends as well – If I would order a salad when I went out, I would feel guilty as if I were doing something wrong and also get ribbed by my friends.. It took me sometime to ignore these comments and when my friends saw how healthy I looked, they just followed suit.
Oh I hope I’m not too late; this cookbook looks great! I get up every morning to run, that way I won’t be tempted to put it off for something else. I also eat 3 meals a day, and snack when I’m hungry, and not deny myself too much (but keep everything in moderation!)
A behavior change I’ve made is just to educate myself! I grew up in a Southern family that considered “good food” to be fried chicken, mac and cheese, and vegetables that had been cooked in pork, I didn’t know anything about calories or realize these foods were horrible for me until I was a sophomore in high school and saw I needed to do something about my weight. Now I love learning about nutrition and reading articles, and teaching my family as well.
A behavior change I made to make me happier and healthier is to unwind early and get to bed before 10:30 every single school night! Thanks for the opportunity.
I have given up soda and now I am a big water drinker. I also try to have veggies with every meal.
Packing my lunch every day has been a huge change for me, I’m proud to say in the last year and a half I’ve only bought lunch once!
A behavior modification I recently made was to sign up for a half-marathon. It makes me think twice about what I’m putting in my body if I’m also training for an endurance sport.
I am recovering from ED so the changes I have made have been life changing! Instead of counting calories on everything I eat and never exceeding 600 calories a day, I focus on eating whole foods, drinking lots of water and trying to love myself!
Thanks for another giveaway!
My greatest lifestyle change is actually not at all time consuming– packing a gym bag the night before and leaving it in my car. This gives me NO excuse to miss hitting the gym on the way home from work everyday. It’s worked wonders!!
The behavioral modification that I am most proud of is introducing milk back into my life! I went 7-10 years without drinking it, and I believe this is going to help my bones a lot!!
I have strated eating breakfast!
I think the biggest change I’ve made is telling myself that there is no reason to stuff myself, I can always have more if I’m truly hungry. I’m listening to my body more and trying to be a more intuitive eater.
The biggest behavioral modification I have made is cutting out traditional fast food joints. I used to eat at them all the time (I looked at my checking account statement from a year ago and was shocked by not only how often but WHERE I was eating). I’m sure this is an obvious behavioral modification but it’s such an easy and effective one!
My greatest behavioral change was setting a set eating ritual for the week (making my lunch) and trying to listen to my body when it’s truly hungry.
I think one of my biggest/most helpful behavior changes has been starting to measure my portion sizes. I think I used to eat a lot more just because it was in front of me and now I measure an accurate portion (with a measuring cup, spoon or scale) and will often be satisfied after and not have to go back for more š
Every day I get inspiration from all these healthy blogs and that has really helped me!
The best modification I have made is saving my “Treat” for after dinner. That way I have something to look forward to all day long….cookies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc. It’s nice to end the day on a sweet note!
I try to drink a bottle full of water before eating breakfast. This kicks of the day in the right way.