“Find Your Path” Self-Assessment Answer each question with the answer that most closely represents you. Sometimes two answers will fit well or it may be harder to select the best fit, but try to go with your strongest instinct and be honest in your answers. After completion, calculate your scores to find your eating type and comfort level. Then get started with your FitChoice pack and support tools!
1.
It’s a typical night at home. You’ve finished eating your usual dinner and are considering having a second helping. You’re most likely to do so if: A Everyone else is eating another serving too. B You’re preoccupied or feeling stressed by things that happened earlier in the day. A C B C You ate something light earlier in the day and are still a bit hungry.
2.
Cakes and other sweet foods taste best: A Whenever you see them. Why pass up the chance to have something tasty? B When you’re feeling lonely. A food companion is better than no companion. C When eaten slowly and savoured.
3.
It’s getting close to dinner, and a friend calls with a last-minute invitation. You accept because: A Their description of the food sounds mouth-watering. B It’s been a crazy day, and you can’t wait to dive into a plate of comfort food. C You checked the menu ahead online and found a few healthy options from which to choose.
4.
You’re most likely to have a lapse in healthy eating: A When you pass your favourite lunch spot. B After getting into a heated argument or having a stressful day at work or home. C When you’ve had to wait too long to eat and are especially hungry.
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5. You’re stuck at the office for the evening, with hours still to go. You’re getting a little bit hungry, and you remember you have a snack in the office refrigerator. A As you pass by the vending machine, you decide that choice D-7 looks more tempting than what’s in the fridge, A B and you get that instead. B Time for pizza! You’re stressed and tired, and if you have to dig into work, you may as well dig into pizza too. C You mindfully enjoy the textures and flavours of the snack you brought from home. 6.
You’re relaxing on a cruise ship. You find yourself: A Spending the day sampling food from all 12 restaurants on the ship . . . and it’s only day one of the trip! B Treating yourself to your favourite “forbidden” foods. C In the ship’s daily yoga class. What better time to get in touch with your mind-body connection?
7. You go to a party where the host(ess) is the only person you know. A You head towards the buffet, where there are a lot of people. You want to make sure you get enough food before it runs out. B You feel self-conscious, like you don’t measure up. You wish you could disappear, but instead you linger near the snack table and indulge in several sweet treats. C You chat with the host(ess) and have them introduce you to a friend or two. You scan other people’s plates for healthy options and decide if you’re hungry yet. 8.
You’re most likely to snack after dinner if: A You’re watching television and see a food commercial. B You’re anxiously avoiding something you don’t feel like doing. C You’re still hungry.
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For easier tallying, mark your answers in these circles:
Your Eating Type
9.
It’s time to stop eating when: A The food on your plate is gone. B You feel overly full, like you have eaten too much. C You feel slightly full and satisfied.
10. You often start to eat when: A You walk past the refrigerator. B You feel a little down. C Your stomach feels empty or begins to growl. 11. You’re hosting a successful barbecue. A You’re already full, but the guest with whom you’re talking is a big eater, and before you know it, you’re eating right alongside them. B After everyone’s left, you finally unwind from the pressure of entertaining and raid the leftovers. C As you’re cleaning up later, you take a bite of pie but realize you’re not that hungry, so you wrap it up and put it away for tomorrow.
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Tally your Eating Type results here:
In the case of a two-way tie, go back to question 9 and count your answer there as two. If that does not break the tie, go to question 8 and count that answer as two.
Eating Type Score
Mostly A’s: Environmental eater
Mostly B’s: Emotional eater
Mostly C’s: Mindful eater
Your Comfort Level 1. If you’re instructed to follow an easy-to-make breakfast menu every day for two weeks, how confident are you that you’d be able to follow it? A I’m confident that I could follow it some or even most of the time. However, other things would probably get in the way, such as running late, not being used to eating breakfast, or wanting something else. A C B B I’m confident that I could follow it very closely. Realistically, there’d probably be at least two or three days when I’d either skip breakfast or eat something other than or in addition to what’s on the menu. C I’m confident that I could follow the menu every day. I might make an exception once, at most. 2.
The last time you tried to lose weight, how long did you follow the plan? A 0–3 months B 4–5 months C More than five months, or I’ve never tried to lose weight before.
3.
Imagine you’ve been given a free pass to a gym / fitness centre. During a busy week, how often would you actually go? A Up to three times B Four times C Five times or more
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4. You lapsed from your previous weight-loss programme efforts. A You think, “I blew it again! Am I wasting my time with this? Maybe this isn’t the right programme for me.” You take a few weeks or longer before you’re ready to start trying again. B You feel disappointed and take a break for a few days. After getting a pep talk, you decide to give it another try. C You treat it like a small mistake. You immediately restart your weight-loss strategies and set new goals for yourself. 5.
How important is it for you to manage your weight? A Important. I’m making this a priority in my life. B Very important. This is a big priority in my life. C Extremely important. This is a top priority in my life.
6. Earlier this week, a diet adviser suggested you to buy a food scale. A You haven’t looked at any scales yet. Weighing food seems really impractical right now, so you plan to wait a little while to buy one. B You’ve already purchased one and have used it a couple of times so far. C You brought one home that same day and have used it at every meal. 7.
Your commitment to manage your weight is so strong that if there were a “Starters Club”: A You’d be a member. B You’d be on the executive board. C You’d be the founder and president.
8. When it comes to making long-term, permanent changes to the way you eat: A You’re generally okay with your eating habits. You intend to follow the plan to progress quickly, and then you won’t need the plan anymore. B You want to make long-term changes, but knowing yourself, you’ll probably get frustrated if your progress slows too soon, and you’ll be tempted to give up. C You’re in this for the long haul. You’re following the programme day in and day out for the rest of your life. 9.
How often do you diet? A Often or frequently. B Sometimes. C Never or rarely.
10. High-stress situations can derail people from their weight-management plans. A Everyday is a hectic day, let alone unusually stressful ones. B You’re afraid of getting off track. It’s easy to relax your goals when in high-stress situations, and it’s a slippery slope down from there. C High-stress situations are for other people. You see them coming and plan accordingly to prevent them.
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Tally your Comfort Level results here: Each A = 1 point:
Comfort Level Score
Each B = 2 points:
10–18 points Uncomfortable
Each C = 3 points:
19–25 points Comfort based on benefit
Total points:
26–30 points Comfortable
What Does It All Mean? Now that you know your FitChoice eating type and comfort level, here are some details on what these categories mean:
EATING TYPES
Your eating type determines which FitChoice Foundation product pack suits you best. Environmental Eater
Environmental Eater If you’re an environmental eater, you have a tendency to overeat in social situations or whenever you encounter delicious food that you simply can’t resist. You are extremely sensitive to the overall eating environment, and you’re most often triggered to overeat by external cues.
Emotional
Emotional Eater If you’re an emotional eater, you use food on a regular basis to address your emotional needs, instead of turning to other coping or soothing methods. These emotional needs can range from stress, disappointment, and boredom to a desire to celebrate something or reward yourself. You’re most often triggered to overeat by internal cues.
Mindful Eater If you’re a mindful eater, you already do a good job of instinctively eating when you’re biologically hungry and stopping when your body has received enough fuel. However, you may occasionally indulge in emotional or environmental eating. Or you may have weight issues due to a slowing metabolism from ageing or a health challenge. Your eating is motivated by physiological cues.
Eater
Mindful Eater
COMFORT LEVELS
Your comfort level connects you with the FitChoice tools that are just right for you, not too hard or too easy. These tools include a progress journal, customizable goals, diet and nutrition tips (including menus and recipes), tips on physical activity (including exercise routines), and tips on mindful and instinctive eating. Uncomfortable Change can be more difficult for those who are identified as uncomfortable. You may have habits that you feel will be hard to part with. Our goal Uncomfortable is to build your confidence by implementing highly achievable goals. Your diet, exercise, and other FitChoice tools are less strict and generally offer more flexibility, which encourages gradual lifestyle change rather than more drastic, rapid change. Comfort Based on Benefit
Comfort Based on Benefit If you’re in this category, you’re willing to put consistent work and discipline into a programme as long as it shows results. We’ve designed your FitChoice tools to be more challenging and rigorous, so you can make faster, more aggressive changes to your weight-management lifestyle, as opposed to more gradual change.
Comfortable Comfortable If you’re in this category, you have a positive attitude about fitness and weight consciousness, and you generally stick to your chosen programme. Your FitChoice tools will help you meet your goals, build sustainable habits, and achieve lifelong weight consciousness, while avoiding burnout. FitChoice is pioneering a mind and body approach to a sustainable fitness and weight consciousness, customised for your individual goals.