Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

In a world where multi-tasking is part of our everyday lives, many of us find ourselves eating in a mindless way, seldom taking the time to enjoy our food or even knowing how much we eat.  I know I am guilty of mindless eating during my work day, and lately I’ve been working hard to break this bad habit.

Do you read, watch TV, surf the net, or perform other tasks, as you gobble down your lunch or a snack food?  Do you have tempting foods or snacks nearby, where it’s just too easy to get at them?  How about serving dinner family style, and then reloading your plate with second helpings? When you eat mindlessly, you run the risk of eating more food than you ever intended.  That can mean more calories, and over time, that adds up to unwanted weight gain.

Here’s a few simple ways to stop the mindless eating:

1. Take time out for your lunch or snack, and focus just on eating and enjoying the food you have.  Don’t park yourself in front of the computer, read or watch TV while you are eating.  Other activities that preoccupy you make it hard to realize when you’ve had enough to eat, and you could end up eating much more.
2. There’s no need to deny yourself of a special treat from time to time, but if the treat is readily accessible, odds are you will eat it whether you really want it or not.  For example, bring home a half gallon of ice cream, and you may find yourself scooping out a hefty portion every night.  Instead, allow yourself ice cream only if you get in your car and go to the ice cream stand to purchase a single serving.  The prospect of having to “go get it” is likely to dissuade you from having ice cream every night.
3. Plate up your dinner meal at the kitchen counter, before you sit down to eat.  Studies have proven this method works far better for eating less, than having family style platters of food at the table.

In small ways we need to slow down and think about what we eat and when we are eating it.  Calories add up in surprising, unanticipated ways when we eat mindlessly.  Instead, take the time to think about what you are eating, where you eat, and how you eat meals and snacks.  Make small steps to change your behavior, and you will see the payoff…no extra calories!

Tags: mindless eating, over eating