I swore I would NEVER become like my mom. She insisted that sweets were never kept in the house. Now, here I am struggling with my diet. And I'm telling my kids they can't keep sweets in the house. I'm afraid I'll turn them into sneak eaters like I became as a kid and now can't seem to stop as an adult.

Before you can make a change in your current behaviors with food, it will be important for you to understand all that you can about your family's food habits when you were growing up. Take a minute and describe your family's meal patterns, your parent's rules around certain foods in the house, and your behavior regarding these rules. Next, ask yourself what aspects of your childhood meal patterns you see yourself carrying over into your adult patterns.

Now comes the tough part. Write the story as you wish it existed. As an adult, you now have the ability to write the story of your life with food as you want it to be. In doing this activity, you will undoubtedly run up against some tough emotions. You may be angry with your family for establishing the rules they did and the resulting behaviors you have today. Talk with a counselor or friend to help you deal with these emotions. Staying stuck in this phase will prevent you from being able to write a new story for your family and live this out.

As you write your new story, get specific. What will you do when the kids want a snack after school? What will you do when the family stops for ice cream after shopping? You may need the help of a counselor or support group to "vent" the emotions that will come up in these situations. Contact your Optifast Program for Sustaining Classes. This is where the work of the Program can help you not only rewrite your story, but live it. For some initial ideas, look at "The Personal History" module.

Personal History © 2001, Novartis Nutrition Corporation