Mindless eating..how to stop it?
l1h2s3
Posts: 9
I could always have a healthy breakfast...a healthy lunch (at work that I made at home) BUT...when I go back home after work..it is like I forgot to eat healthy. I want to sit in the couch, relax, but I grab anything that is in the kitchen to eat. Sometime, I pick chocolates, make a sandwich with lots of cheese, drink tea with sugar and lots of cookies, etc. Then, I feel bloated and guilty and I say "tomorrow I shouldn't do this" "I will be more careful" etc.
What can I do to stop doing these.....I have gained weight doing that for the last 5 months....
Please, any help will be very appreciated. Thnks.
What can I do to stop doing these.....I have gained weight doing that for the last 5 months....
Please, any help will be very appreciated. Thnks.
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Replies
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Snack on healthier things that are really low calorie, like cucumbers and celery. Lower calorie things that are more time consuming to eat, like edemame or snow peas.0
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Drink tons of water and coffee0
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This was a big problem for me! Also, I live with others and can't control 100% of what gets brought into the house. So "don't buy cookies" isn't good advice for me. I just had to work on not eating mindlessly. Self-control is like a muscle, you have to exercise it. So if I'm thinking about snacking out of boredom, I do this:
1) Make myself drink 20oz of water before grabbing ANY snack.
2) Complete a chore or task before eating a snack
3) Log the thing I'm thinking about eating BEFORE I eat it. So many times, I decide the calories just aren't worth it.
An important thing to do, is allow yourself a treat every once in a while, even every day, but only if it fits into your calorie limit.0 -
Use your mind.0
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Thanks a lot for the advice...
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Distract yourself, I find walking, reading, painting my nails (can't eat after either because you can't do anything with wet nails, and also, nail polish remover tastes nasty and is all over your fingers.) cleaning, looking at gross pictures can make you lose your appetite, studying, and doing sit ups really quickly especially after drinking a glass of water can make you feel sick just thinking about food, and spinning around, you don't want a cookie when you're dizzy. Lol Just a few things I do.0
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successgal1 wrote: »Use your mind.
I guess after work I am tired and my mind doesn't function properly.
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Pre log your food and stick to it! Ask yourself why you're eating and/or stay out of the kitchen It's hard for a while but you can do it!0
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X0X0NikkiX0X0 wrote: »spinning around, you don't want a cookie when you're dizzy. Lol Just a few things I do.
Picturing this made me laugh really loudly.0 -
Cortneyrenee04 wrote: »Pre log your food and stick to it! Ask yourself why you're eating and/or stay out of the kitchen It's hard for a while but you can do it!
Thank you...I will try to pre-log everything.
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X0X0NikkiX0X0 wrote: »Distract yourself, I find walking, reading, painting my nails (can't eat after either because you can't do anything with wet nails, and also, nail polish remover tastes nasty and is all over your fingers.) cleaning, looking at gross pictures can make you lose your appetite, studying, and doing sit ups really quickly especially after drinking a glass of water can make you feel sick just thinking about food, and spinning around, you don't want a cookie when you're dizzy. Lol Just a few things I do.
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X0X0NikkiX0X0 wrote: »spinning around, you don't want a cookie when you're dizzy. Lol Just a few things I do.
Picturing this made me laugh really loudly.
True!!
haha
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In your home, create some traditions around meals --
You eat at the table.
You set a place.
You have fresh flowers there.
There is a candle that you light before being seated.
You play soft music, but neither TV or other devices are involved.
You serve your meal. You focus on the foods' tastes and textures and smells.
You take at least 20 minutes to finish.
You clear your place, extinguish the candle, and go about the next part of your day.
This is for food in the home. It's a tradition, a little lighter than a rule but generally something you observe.
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X0X0NikkiX0X0 wrote: »Distract yourself, I find walking, reading, painting my nails (can't eat after either because you can't do anything with wet nails, and also, nail polish remover tastes nasty and is all over your fingers.) cleaning, looking at gross pictures can make you lose your appetite, studying, and doing sit ups really quickly especially after drinking a glass of water can make you feel sick just thinking about food, and spinning around, you don't want a cookie when you're dizzy. Lol Just a few things I do.
You could think about how much time you'd have to spend dancing to burn off whatever you were gonna snack on. 45min of dancing for 3 cookies?!! No thanks.0 -
Get a kitty. Playing with kitty, you'll have so much fun & forget about snacking. Throw the kitty toys and watch him/her pounce. Also, you'll have to pet kitty & get snuggles. Kitty fur & chip-eating fingers don't jive. And with kitty, you'll have to clean the box. Kitty likes a prestine litter box. Scooping out kitty poo poos and washing out the box change the litter all the time makes for a busy evening. But mostly, just chasing kitty around your home is lotsa fun and your mind won't be on the snacks.0
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dont keep food like that in the house?
and i second the get a kitty post!0 -
I have that problem as well. I get off of work at 4pm, and I have dinner at 7pm when my bf gets home. I will snack if I just go home after work, so I've started going to the gym for some extra cardio before I make dinner. It helps kill the cravings and time.0
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Perhaps start using your mind and get some mental discipline or common sense.
For goodness sake invest some time in understanding a looking at what you are trying to achieve, how and look at the things that set you off course.
Preplan and sometimes pre prepare your meals if you cant trust yourself. Maybe start shopping so you have on site all the ingredients you need.0 -
Just like many others have said, pre plan your meals and stick to your plan. If you are hungry, eat....if you are not- then why are you looking twords food. Are you thirsty? Are you bored? Eating mindlessly is simply a habit that we need to be more aware of and change that behavior.0
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Want it more than you want that snack. It's really that simple.0
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I'm exactly the same way, very mindful and healthy about eating at work and MUCH less so at home. What's working for me is what has been mentioned i.e. keeping a lot of those types of foods out of the house, distracting myself and planning ahead. I try to leave a lot of calories spare for my evening so I can have a big meal followed by a sweet treat. This usually leaves me feeling too full to pick at things later even if they are about.0
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A good place to start is replacing the foods you mentioned with better alternatives. Snack mindlessly on those instead. The issue is not necessarily solved but at least you are now moving in the right direction.0
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Get in the habit of checking your food log before you decide what you are going to snack on. I used to be a mindless night-time snacker. Now I check my log to see how many calories left. If I am already at goal or a little over, I can have a cup of mint tea and one Dove promise (40 cals). Otherwise I pick my snack based on what I have left. So I still snack, but it's thoughtfully, not mindlessly. And most of the time, it works
Edited to add: I just reread your OP and maybe you are talking about eating an unhealthy dinner! For that, you really just need to plan ahead. Keep precooked options in the fridge that just need to be reheated so you don't have to "cook".0 -
On the weekends cook up a storm and have the food ready to just be heated up as soon as you get in. You can store excess in the freezer for the future. Cook lots of yummy vegetables dishes, beans and lentil dishes. Cook enough rice to last a couple of days. Keeping your fridge well stocked with healthy foods and nothing in the house that you usually binge on.
Beyond that, to stop the binging behaviours, it takes a concerted effort with focus and determination. I've written a long post about how i've learnt to minimise my binging behaviours in the food and nutrition forum. Look for the word sweet tooth in the title.
The main advantage i've had over you is that i don't have to go off to work every day. But i certainly have worked full time and know the drill and when i did it i used to find that having food cooked was the best way to deal with the end of day fatigue that prevents you from cooking. Also go to bed early. You may not be getting enough sleep. Its better to go to bed early and get up earlier so that when you are fresh in the mornings, you have more time to and energy to prepare healthy foods.
Adequate sleep is essential to staying healthy and slim if you are a binger type.
These days even though i always have plenty of time to cook, i know i don't always want to do it, so i stay prepared. I always have lots of vegetables in the fridge and a variety of other foods that make it easy to cook a healthy recipe on a whim. If you get stuck for ideas, get hold of some vegetable recipe books from your library or buy one to get started.
I also find lentil and chick pea soups very sustaining.0 -
Don't buy that type of food. If it's in your house, you'll eat it.
You sound like you like lots of sugar. I'm like that too! Instead of eating refined, process sugar, buy fruit so your body can get fructose instead as this is a necessary natural sugar. I use Stevia and honey to put in my coffee or cereal.
It's a mental process too. You have to remind yourself why you're on this journey. Remind yourself where you don't want to be and where you do want to be. I know you want to be healthy and strong. Those are starters!0 -
You said you have no control over what others bring in the house. First, try talking to everyone and explain what this journey means to you. They may not realize what is happening. If not, you can set aside a space for only you and stock it with better choices. For myself, I prepare servings size things like carrot sticks and other vegetables and fruits , put these in veggies ready to eat. This works well for just about any snack. Leave off the dressings and dips and really taste the food you eat. Plan, prepare, and think0
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Resist for 15 minutes and you will forget you were even tempted.0
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Try having some healthy snacks ready for you when you get home - cut up some fruit, veggies in the fridge. Have some fruits handy such as apple, bananas, etc. on the kitchen counter in plain site. Hide or dispose of all sugary snacks. And if you still feel like having some sugar snack or chips, drink a glass of water first.
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In your home, create some traditions around meals --
You eat at the table.
You set a place.
You have fresh flowers there.
There is a candle that you light before being seated.
You play soft music, but neither TV or other devices are involved.
You serve your meal. You focus on the foods' tastes and textures and smells.
You take at least 20 minutes to finish.
You clear your place, extinguish the candle, and go about the next part of your day.
This is for food in the home. It's a tradition, a little lighter than a rule but generally something you observe.
Study and practice mindfulness.
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Like others have said, coffee helps suppress my appetite. Another suggestion is to change your routine around. Maybe start working out after work. At the gym, or jogging/running outside. Or try a cool new fitness class that you can go to after work, bring your gym bag with you. That way, you limit the amount of time you're actually at home with food available.
Another option is to find a hobby/routine that you can't eat during (like doing your nails, giving yourself a facial, etc). Not only will you take up more time you're not able to eat during, but you will feel pretty and not want to ruin your investment by going over your calories!!! It's win win!0
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