Mindless eating is when you mindlessly stuff food in your mouth.
Sometimes you’re at least partially aware you’re doing it, but other times, it’s so automatic that you don’t realize you’re doing it.
A few examples of what mindless eating looks like:
- You pick meat off a rotisserie chicken to put in a Tupperware dish, and eat bites of chicken while pulling it off the bone.
- You bake cupcakes for your grandkid’s birthday party and absently lick the spoon.
- You and your husband are sitting in front of the TV watching Netflix, and you reach over and grab popcorn from the big bowl of it he’s got on the couch between you.
Mindless eating is a sure way to derail your weight loss, because all those extra calories add up. At best, it leads to a stall. At worst, it leads to gaining weight and feeling like crap.
The tricky part about mindless eating is that it’s such a habit, you may do it on autopilot, and not catch yourself until the food’s already in your mouth!
If mindless eating is something you’re worried about, here are 3 ways to outsmart it.
- If you DO catch yourself mindlessly eating, spit the food out and throw it away. You may not catch yourself before you put the food in your mouth, but a lot of times people catch themselves once the food’s IN their mouth. If you take a bite THEN catch yourself, spit the bite out!
- In situations where you’re likely to mindlessly eat, chew gum, gnaw on a toothpick, or put in teeth whitening strips. Keeping your mouth busy disrupts that pattern of absently sneaking in bites of food without even realizing it.
- If your hands will be free – like when you’re watching TV – keep them busy with something that takes a little concentration. I have Rebels who knit or crochet to help them stay busy and out of the food. If you don’t know how to knit or crochet, now’s a great time to start! Or, maybe fiddling with string, rubber bands, a stress ball, or something else will work for you. What can YOU do with your hands that takes a little concentration, and kicks you out of that autopilot mode where you’ll absently grab for the food?
Another thing I strongly recommend you do is just say out loud to yourself, “I am a mindful eater.”
Saying it out loud over and over sends a message to your brain that you want to eat mindfully, so you’re more likely to catch yourself before you mindlessly eat.
With practice, you’ll stop mindlessly eating.
If you’re serious about getting the weight off, give these tips a try. They’ve worked for lots of my clients, and they can work for you, too!
Want more tips to help you get and keep the weight off? Sign up for daily Code Red Quick Tips at www.coderedlifestyle.com/quicktips.