I
generally eat well most of the day. With work and other commitments I’m usually
too busy to think about snacking. Where things really come off the rails is in
the evening when I’m chilling out after my busy day.
That’s
when the TV comes on and I can get into full couch potato mode. If movies are
better with popcorn than surely TV is better with snacks! Even though I
generally don’t keep junk food or trigger foods in the house, it’s amazing what
I’ll find to snack on – almonds, raisins, cereal, crackers… Even healthy foods
aren’t good for me if I’m eating them out of habit rather than hunger.
So
my new habit was this simple: no eating if the TV was on. I expected to do less
evening eating. What surprised me was how much less TV I watched! Instead I caught
up on my local newspapers at mealtime and eliminated most of my evening
snacking. Even my living room stayed tidier. I found if I was hungry enough I
would go to the kitchen and have a proper snack but 90% of the time I didn’t
bother, telling me that my evening snacking has been driven by needs other than
hunger.
Being mindful when you eat is key. Really pay attention to why you feel drawn to eat something. Is it because you are hungry, out of habit or is it emotional. Have a glass of water before you eat something. Tune into yourself with some deep breathing for a quick body, mind scan and see if you really want that item still. There are lots of great resources from The Psychology of Eating.com
ReplyDeleteCathy, thank you very much for your suggestions. Like most people, I think if I could eliminate the emotional eating I would get to where I want to be with my health. It's an ongoing journey for sure.
ReplyDelete