Mindless Eating.

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TeachTheGirl
TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was recently participating in a fast (a challenge set to me by my trainer) and while I was making my kids their lunch, I was slicing cheese to place on top of their crackers...one slice fell a little short of the size I was looking for, so I went to put it in my mouth...

...and dropped it, out of disgust.

I didn't actually WANT to eat the cheese. It just seemed to be an automatic reaction.

Has anyone else found themselves eating mindlessly? Not talking about a bag of Cheetos on your desk that you can't stop munching, but other situations where you might eat something for the sake of it even though you're not hungry?

Replies

  • MonicaFlachman
    MonicaFlachman Posts: 64
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    I am victim of this, I think its a natural Parental reaction. If your not counting callories and trying to account for everything you put into your mouth it is really easy to fall into this.
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    I think you're right. I had similar last week when my daughter handed me the bottom of her ice-cream cone. I could have thrown it away, but it was easier to just eat it. I am ashamed. XD
  • dancer1178
    dancer1178 Posts: 50
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    This probably does come up more if you're a parent, but I am not a mom (yet!) and have this same issue. If I am cooking, I'll pop that extra slice of tomato or cheese into my mouth without even thinking about it. Both my boyfriend and I have a habit of giving each other the "little extra" left over or "just a taste". Something I know I need to be more conscious of.
  • epie2098
    epie2098 Posts: 224 Member
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    I just got diagnosed with celiac disease, but am determined to not have my husband or son go gf too. The other day, I reached for some of his pretzel crackers. Thankfully, I remembered in time! Then I got thinking about how many times I snack as I cook. Thankfully, I usually only snack on pieces of veggie as I'm cooking, but it could just as easily be a slice of cheese or extra blob of hummus...
  • nvpixie
    nvpixie Posts: 483 Member
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    Yes. This is one of the reasons I gained weight.

    I'd pick at food as I was preparing a meal or I'd eat some of the cheese or crackers my kids would have left over from their snacks or lunches. All those little calories add up.

    Thing is, I wasn't even hungry most of the time I was "picking" at those leftovers.

    I've broken the habit for the most part, but I did catch myself almost doing it the other day.
  • Bellvillian
    Bellvillian Posts: 20 Member
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    Great post! Yes - guilty! What stuck with me from a Weight Watchers meeting was the leader saying, "you are not a garbage can". I hope that helps :)

    Lisa
  • Sedna_51
    Sedna_51 Posts: 277 Member
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    Yup. Totally. I think it might be the natural reaction of "oh, don't waste that!" I'm trying to train myself out of it, but it takes a while.

    There's a great book by a Cornell food scientist called "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think" that goes into this phenomenon. It's one of my favorite books on any topic- you might find it interesting! Wait until you get to the part about the bottomless soup bowls.
  • dancer1178
    dancer1178 Posts: 50
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    It's definitely the mind set of "Don't Waste That!" I also fall victim to his sister, "Finish your plate, there are starving children out there!"
  • Meamo
    Meamo Posts: 89 Member
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    Great post! Yes - guilty! What stuck with me from a Weight Watchers meeting was the leader saying, "you are not a garbage can". I hope that helps :)

    Lisa

    this is a good one to water your mind with

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