Mindless Eating

Do you walk into the kitchen a couple times every night searching the cupboards for cookies, salty snacks, ice cream, candy, soda or alcohol? Do you ever find yourself eating during the day for no reason?

Eat donuts at work "just because they are there"? Do you find yourself eating drive-thru food on the way to the office? Snacking at your desk while searching the internet or reading? Or maybe you eat because it is 10:00 am and 2:00 pm? Do you finish your child's meal at suppertime before you go out for dinner?

Many people tend to eat without even thinking about it. Often times, it is out of boredom, stress, loneliness or just trying to survive difficult situations. Mindless eating is a habit that can be difficult to overcome. The first step is being aware of the problem and recognizing triggers that set off mindless snacking or eating. The second step is to just stop and ask yourself if you are actually hungry, bored, tired, frustrated or sad.

Don't let mindless eating disrupt your efforts to live a healthier life.

Some easy ways to eat more mindfully:

Record what you eat for a week and see if there are any behavioral patterns.

Don't eat at your desk or in front of the TV. Instead prepare a plate and eat at the kitchen table.

Take an inventory of your refrigerator and cupboards and eliminate high calorie items that you tend to binge on.

Stock up on fruit, vegetables and healthier snacks so that you have easy-to-grab options.

Keep the candy dish out of view and move healthier foods to eye level in the pantry and refrigerator.

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day and you will look better and feel fuller.

Don't grocery shop when you are hungry. The cart gets overloaded with items your waistline doesn't need.

Don't taste test when cooking meals.

Eat only when hungry and give yourself permission to have an occasional treat that you really enjoy. You do not have to clean your plate.

Replace eating with an activity. For example, instead of eating a candy bar or a bag of potato chips, go for a 15-minute walk or do 20 push-ups and sit-ups.