Mindless Eating & How To Stop It
Are you eating on autopilot?
What Is Mindless Eating?
Mindless eating is a term that describes when you are not paying attention to what you are eating. It can happen in any environment, but it typically happens in front of the television.
Mindless eating is often due to the content of advertising that is shown on TV versus food ads. Mindless eating is a common problem for many people, and it’s a real struggle to get a grip on it.
Examples Of Mindless Eating:
If you’ve ever sat down in front of the TV with some kind of a snack — such as a bag of chips. Before you know it — your bag is empty! What happened? It’s called mindless eating. You’re eating on autopilot!
When you walk by a candy jar — Do you grab some every time you walk by? Are you going out of your way to get some?
What happens when you go out to eat at a buffet? Do you keep grabbing food because it’s there? Do you eat until you’re over stuffed?
Most people can answer YES to most of these questions
What Is Emotional Eating?
Emotional eating is when you use food to cope with the things that are currently happening in your life.
This type of eating is often caused by an emotional experience that the person has had.
Some people use it as a form of self-sabotage and others use it as comfort when they are feeling down.
Track What You Eat:
Keep yourself busy while you’re waiting for your food to arrive so that you don’t have time to look at what’s on the menu
Sit away from the buffet so that you don’t get tempted by what other people are eating
Eat before or after going grocery shopping, and stay in the store for as short a time as possible
Don’t shop while hungry
Stop Emotional Overeating — With Food Changes:
1. Get your protein from food, not supplements.
2. Start your day off with a healthy breakfast to help curb emotional eating.
3. Eat more foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and walnuts, to manage cravings and emotional eating.
4. Avoid consuming processed foods.
Final Thoughts: Healthy Mindful Eating:
1. Eat slowly and enjoy your food
2. Understand what you are eating
3. Practice gratitude for your food
Mindful eating involves becoming aware of what you are feeling when you eat food. Eating slower and enjoying your food is important for your digestion and health. By slowing down, you can feel satisfied with less food. This can help maintain weight loss goals or prevent excessive weight gain.
