Are you a mindless eater? Do you find yourself eating when you are really not hungry? Do you find yourself grazing or needing to snack while watching TV or at the movies? What about when you are attending your kids’ sporting events—do you find yourself eating just because?
Mindless is defined as acting or something done without justification or concern for the consequences. Mindless behavior does not require any thought nor is any consideration given to any of the consequences.
Now, add “eating” to the term. Mindless eating is simply eating without any thought or consideration of the consequence of what you are consuming.
How often do you find yourself eating without thinking?
This behavior can lead to you consuming unneeded, unwanted calories and weight gain. Mindless eating is mindless for a reason–we forget we ate it! Why? Because we were not thinking about it.
Take it from two people who were Olympic Champions of Overeating, Mindless Eating, & Sitting on the couch–those calories add up quickly & so do the pounds!
Remember, this journey of making BetterChoices is about knowledge, understanding, and AWARENESS. When you are not fully aware about what you are consuming and the choices you are making, it makes it easy to graze, overeat, and make unhealthy food choices.
Can you overcome this bad habit? You sure can!
1. Stay properly fueled.
Eating 5-6 times a day is key. When you miss meals or you choose to skip meals, you will find yourself doing more mindless eating & overeating to ease the hunger pains. If you are feeling hunger pains, that is your body’s way of letting you know you have waited too long to eat.
Eating 5-6 times a day (3 meals & 2 snacks) will keep you in control of your food consumption–keeping you properly fueled & full throughout the day.
2. Stay properly hydrated.
Many times when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty. In some cases, you may be dehydrated. Making sure to consume the proper amount of water is key to your overall health and wellness. Drinking water before you eat is a great habit that will help to keep you properly hydrated and because you will be full, keep you from mindless food consumption &/or overeating.
3. Get proper rest.
Remember, the body needs fuel to properly function. When you are not getting enough rest or you find yourself staying up late, your body is going to look for fuel so it can respond accordingly. Insert mindless eating. You will find yourself overeating & making bad food choices because you are fatigued and your brain is unable to focus. So–go to bed!
Get your proper rest. If you must stay up late, be sure to have healthier snacks available so you don’t find yourself indulging in bad food options.
4. Stay aware! Read food labels.
Stop! Read the labels. This one action will require you to slow down and be more mindful about what you are thinking about consuming. When you consider the facts — look at the calories, serving sizes, ingredients, etc–you remove the guessing about your consumption. This simple change will put you in a better position to make a betterchoice.
Don’t be so nonchalant about what and how you fuel your body. Remember, you are on this journey of better health, wellness, and weight loss. Taking the time to READ food labels will keep you more aware therefore keeping in control.
5. Control your environment.
This one is a favorite because many of you are always telling us about all these events you must attend and how you HAVE to eat when you go out! We are here to tell you that is HOGWASH! lol!
STOP accepting your excuses about the environments you enter.
There is nothing that mandates you have to eat when you visit a friend, go to the movies, or are attending a business function. Stay in control of your environment. We recommend that you always eat before you go out.
Eating at home keeps you in control of what you consume.
Eating before you go keeps you from going somewhere HUNGRY. The worse thing you can do for yourself is go out ANYWHERE and you are starving. That is a setup for a mindless eating apocalypse!!!! Eating before you go will keep you in control of your choices where you will not fall victim to those hunger creatures that reside in an empty belly.
Do not be afraid to bring your own snacks. It doesn’t matter what it looks like or who might be offended because you didn’t eat their food, this is about you. This is about your healthy lifestyle change & journey. Remember, nobody hits the gym or the scale with you but you.
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