Fatty liver disease often develops gradually over time through a combination of lifestyle, environmental and health factors.

The good news is that small changes to your everyday habits can make a real difference to your liver health over time.

The Fatty Liver Diet is not about being perfect. It’s about noticing the habits and routines that may not be supporting your health and gradually replacing them with new ones that do.

We know change can be difficult, especially when habits are automatic or tied to stress, boredom, tiredness or routine. But small changes really do add up.

Identify habits you’d like to change

If you’ve used our Food Diary, you probably have a better understanding of your routines, eating patterns and the situations that influence your choices.

This isn’t about blame or perfection — everyone has habits they’d like to improve.

Start small. Write down just one thing you’d like to change that could better support your liver health.

For example:

• Swap the packet of chips before dinner for a less processed snack. You can find some inspiration here.
• Cut down on alcohol during the week
• Spend less time scrolling on your phone
• Walk instead of driving to the corner store

Think about what you could do differently

It’s often easier to replace a habit than simply trying to stop it.

For example, if you usually eat a chocolate bar at 4pm, perhaps try some yoghurt and berries instead. If you automatically pour yourself a glass of wine while cooking dinner, you might try sparkling water with fruit or a non-alcoholic alternative instead.

Here are some examples of small habit changes you could consider:

Current habit	New habit
Eating chocolate during the 4pm slump	Have a prepared snack ready, like nuts, yoghurt or hummus
Drinking alcohol while stressed	Go for a walk, stretch, have a shower or call someone
Snacking out of boredom	Find another activity to occupy your mind, like a puzzle, hobby or chewing gum
Snacking while watching TV	Serve a small snack on a plate instead of eating from the packet
Eating while cooking dinner	Have sparkling water with lemon, lime or mint; eat a small afternoon snack so you’re less hungry
Eating too fast	Chew slowly, pause between bites and drink water with your meal

Retrain yourself

Once you’ve identified a habit you’d like to change, the next step is to think about what triggers it.

Many habits happen automatically. The good news is that you can slowly retrain these habits by practising a different response.

For example, let’s say you automatically reach for a chocolate bar every day at 4pm.

• Step 1: Notice the trigger
  Think about what’s happening before the habit. Are you tired? Hungry? Bored? Stressed? Have you gone too long without eating?
• Step 2: Decide what you want to do differently
  Think of a small change that could replace the old habit. For example, you might have a prepared snack like yoghurt and berries, nuts, or hummus and crackers instead. You could also make a cup of tea or go for a short walk.
• Step 3: Make a simple plan
  Write down your new habit. For example:
  “When I feel hungry at 4pm, I will eat the snack I prepared earlier.”
  “When I feel like eating chocolate in the afternoon, I will make a cup of tea first.”
• Step 4: Make the new habit easy
  Keep healthy snacks prepared and easy to reach. Make the habits you’re trying to build simple and convenient.
• Step 5: Reward yourself as you repeat the new habit regularly
  The more often you practise the new habit, the more automatic it will start to feel. Use our Habit Tracker to keep track of your progress and celebrate the small wins along the way.

back to plan for success Next in the Series: Move More, Sit Less