Your Eating Patterns Inventory—Your Eating Behaviors Revealed!
You can change what you can acknowledge. The key is doing the Food and Physical Activity Diary.
What are your daily patterns? What factors influence you?
Patterns, patterns, everywhere. not a moment's peace!
What you plant is what you get!
I tend to eat more when/where? Why?
I tend to eat less when/Where? Why?
Explore Different Behaviors
Almost
Never
Occasionally
Frequently
Almost
Always
Explore Meal and Snack Patterns
Investigate: How to Fuel-Up Your Body Throughout the Day, 13 Ways To Eat More Fruits and Vegetables, and Nutritious and Yummy Snacks
1. I skip breakfast.
2. I skip lunch.
3. I eat 3 square meals each day.
4. I go many hours between my meals.
5. I typically just eat one or two large meals a day.
6. The largest part of the food I eat in a day is consumed between late afternoon and bedtime.
7. I frequently don’t eat breakfast because I still feel full from my meals the day before.
8. I snack all during the day.
My usual number of snacks is_____.
9. The snacks I usually choose are chips and dip, candy, and other sweets.
10. The snacks I usually choose are fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthier options.
11. I tend to snack late at night.
12. My snack choices tend to be unhealthy choices at work?
13. My snack choices tend to be unhealthy choices at home?
Explore Different Environments—How Do Different Places Influence You?
Investigate: Bob's Healthy Kitchen, What's In It?, What Does Bob Typically Eat In Any Given Day?, Bob's Strength -Training Food Bag!, Quick Menu Ideas for Home and On the Go and Discover Creative Holiday Garnishing FUN: Make a Sandwich Birthday Cake and More!
14. I mainly overeat at home.
15. I mainly overeat at work.
16. I eat in the car.
17. I overeat when I’m with friends or at social events, even though I’m not hungry.
18. I overeat when I’m running errands and just grab whatever is available. I don’t bring along foods to eat.
19. I mainly overeat at restaurants.
20. I typically overeat during holidays, vacations, or special occasions.
What Influences (Triggers) You to Eat More?
Investigate: Listen to Your Body. It Will Talk to You: Hunger Scale, Daily Personal 5-Minute Check-In, and Eating Awareness Training , How to Work With Food Cravings, and If All Else Fails: A Refrigerator Air Bag!
21. I tend to nibble when I’m around the house even though I’m not hungry.
22. I nibble on food while I watch TV, work at the computer, or work at my desk.
23. If a food is in sight, just the reminder that the food is there is enough to make me eat it, whether I’m hungry or not.
24. I’m triggered to eat by delicious smells.
25. I’m tempted to eat after watching TV commercials.
26. I’m easily influenced by delicious recipes in food magazines or books.
27. I’m tempted to grab whatever to eat when I don’t take time to plan meals or snacks.
28. I eat more when I buy LARGE containers or bags of foods.
29. I eat foods that are offered so that the cook will not be offended.
30. I keep lots of junk foods (candy, chips, cookies, ice cream) in the house. Other people need them!
31. I eat healthier during weekdays. Why?
32. I get off track more often during weekends. Why?
How Do Emotional/Physical States Influence You?
Investigate: Do You Experience a RAIN of Feelings?, Overcoming Emotional Eating, Ideas for Self-Nurturing, Managing Emotional Pain of Chronic Illness, and How to Deal With Crisis: Oh No, the Computer or Car Crashes, or Basement Floods, OR...!
33. I eat more when I’m under pressure and feel stressed out.
34. I eat more when I get bored.
35. I eat more when I’m lonely.
36. I eat more when I’m nervous or anxious
37. I eat more when I’m angry or frustrated.
38. I eat when I’m feeling tired and have things to do.
39. I eat more when I’m feeling good and want to celebrate.
40. Eating is one of the main ways I pleasure myself.
41. I eat during times of crisis (during illness, loss of job, household or car breakdowns).
How Does Your Proximity to Food Influence You?
Investigate: Factors That Influence How Much We Eat, Confused About Carbohydrates?, and The Ovals--Developing and Maintaining a "Personal Plan of Eating"
42. If there’s a little left over, I’ll eat it rather than throw it out.
43. I’ll “clean my plate” even if I’m not hungry any more
44. I spend considerable amount of time cooking (I’m in the kitchen a lot).
45. I do quite a lot of baking (desserts, breads, cookies)
46. I have a piece of my baked food soon after it is out of the oven.
47. I taste foods as I’m preparing them in the kitchen.
48. I keep a dish of candy or nuts out where people can help themselves, if they wish.
49. I eat extra food at work when people bring snacks or at potlucks.
Which Food Choices/Patterns Contribute to Extra Calories?
Investigate: Plan a Better Menu and a Healthier Way of Eating: Where & How to Start, Planning and Preparing Delicious Recipes, Meals, and Snacks, Confused About Carbohydrates?, and Healthy Fats and Risky Fats
50. I fry foods in oil or fats (such as meats, potatoes, French toast).
51. I add sauces and gravies to meats, vegetables, and desserts.
52. I add a generous amount of butter to vegetables, toast, and other foods.
53. I prepare foods that contain cream soup, sauces, cream or half n’ half, butter, margarine, or sour cream.
54. I put lots of salad dressing (or meats, nuts, avocado, or croutons) on my tossed salads.
55. I eat fairly rich desserts (cake, pie, other foods high in sugar and fat).
56. I drink coffee with cream and sugar.
How many cups of coffee a day? ____
57. I drink regular-sugar soda pop or juice drinks.
58. I eat my dessert, even on a full stomach.
59. I cook large meals for a family of hearty eaters.
Explore Out-Of-Home Meals
Investigate: Going Out to Eat, How to Manage Special Occasions, Holidays, Travel, and Vacations, Learn How to Effectively Manage Social Gatherings
60. I dine out frequently. How often?
Which meals most often? Breakfast, lunches, or dinners?
Why? When did that pattern start?
61. I choose restaurants with buffets or HUGE portions. I want to get my monies worth!
62. I regularly eat fast foods or use drive-troughs.
Do You Experience Overwhelming Circumstances and Can't Achieve a Healthier Weight?
You may find that your life at present is touched by many challenging circumstances that make achieving a healthier weight seem impossible. You might feel helpless and hopeless about changing. Is this how you are feeling? I have felt that same way before. Things CAN change for the better.
Investigate:
For a printable PDF version of this inventory: Your Eating Patterns Inventory WEBSITE.pdf
Explore other sections about usual habits and how to explore making new choices:
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Write Away Weight: Keeping a Food and Lifestyle-Choice Journal
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The Ovals--Developing and Maintaining a "Personal Plan of Eating"