The "open bag" problem - anyone else?

DebSozo

Jruzer wrote: »

One of the gems I took away from the book "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink was the notion of "barriers" between the eater and the food. As a very general rule, the more barriers, the less you eat. You eat more candy if you have a dish out on the counter than if it is somewhere less accessible, you eat less if it's tucked in the cupboard, and you eat even less if it's hidden out of sight. It doesn't have to be difficult to overcome the barrier - it's a psychological phenomenon.

Opening the bag is removing a barrier.

This makes so much sense. It works that way for me. Thanks for the explanation as to why. I use "barriers" with food to my advantage (ex. Single porion sizes). I try to avoid "mindless eating" by planning out meals in advance and avoid just popping something open and munching in front of the TV.

paperpudding

Interesting discussion.

What I find is that if I can't reach it I don't mindlessly eat more - by that I mean if I am comfortable on couch eating chips or something I push them along the coffee table so I can't reach them then I stop.
Or at a work lunch I ask somebody to move the bowl to other end of the table.

But if they are just at hands reach, I keep going.

dragon_girl26

I thought of this post when I opened the large bag of peanut M&Ms in the cabinet the other day. I told myself I'd only have deliberate portions of them. So far I've snagged a small handful every time I've passed the cupboard so, yeah, I'm on track with that. . Open bags of M&Ms are the debil in my house.

elisa123gal

I don't buy "bags" of anything that could get me into trouble. I don't know how you all stay on a diet with chips, cookies...and snacks in the house.

onsickmom

I'm that way with beer kinda....As long as that one can sits in the fridge I don't think about it...If it wasn't I will crave a beer...I'm almost 2 months alcohol free AGAIN!!! We all have our little crave item...Mine is very unhealthy..I made a choice to put it down and get control of my life..Not let things control me...There are good meditations on addiction..ASMR....My personal favorite is Jason Stevenson on YouTube!!!! Maybe if you find one when that thought starts to enter your head run and listen to a quick addiction meditation...Best to you

juliet3455

DebSozo wrote: »

Jruzer wrote: »

One of the gems I took away from the book "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink was the notion of "barriers" between the eater and the food. As a very general rule, the more barriers, the less you eat. You eat more candy if you have a dish out on the counter than if it is somewhere less accessible, you eat less if it's tucked in the cupboard, and you eat even less if it's hidden out of sight. It doesn't have to be difficult to overcome the barrier - it's a psychological phenomenon.

Opening the bag is removing a barrier.

This makes so much sense. It works that way for me. Thanks for the explanation as to why. I use "barriers" with food to my advantage (ex. Single porion sizes). I try to avoid "mindless eating" by planning out meals in advance and avoid just popping something open and munching in front of the TV.

dragon_girl26 wrote: »

I thought of this post when I opened the large bag of peanut M&Ms in the cabinet the other day. I told myself I'd only have deliberate portions of them. So far I've snagged a small handful every time I've passed the cupboard so, yeah, I'm on track with that. . Open bags of M&Ms are the debil in my house.

With any :"Snack" that is freezable I take my weighed/measured portion and then into the freezer it goes. It creates 2 barriers - its out of sight and its frozen so if I really want the snack needs to sit on the counter after getting a portion out before I can eat it.

cosmonew

I put mine into single serving ziplocks, (like little jewelry bags, you find at walmart) then If I am eating it, I know its only the right portion... THEN LOG IT. I do this for my big bag of nuts as well and can keep some in my purse for when I am ravenous.

bethpaige86

I buy the large bags of candy and chips, because of my husband and son. (Just because I am dieting doesn't mean they have too). Once the bag is opened I divide it into snack size Ziploc bags. That way I can eat an "entire" bag

CattOfTheGarage

I have got better with this over time, I can now largely ignore open bags that are just kicking around the house. I used to keep treats above eye level - out of sight, out of mind. It's a great tip although I don't need it as much as I used to.

Interestingly, I still have this problem during parties. For some reason I compulsively eat treats in that setting when I wouldn't otherwise, and struggle for control. I don't know why the context makes such a difference.

Grey_1

The bag doesn't have to be open. Been lifting so now I can tear it open

In seriousness, I promised myself this time around that I wouldn't drive myself insane and obsess over every bit of food. My first month, about 3 weeks in I chose to have a snickers bar. It was sickly sweet, not pleasant at all. Since then I had a chunky ( yum) and some ice cream recently.

Letting myself do that helps a lot, for me anyway..now I'm back to hummus as a snack..

Mavrick_RN

mysticlizard wrote: »

My friend has a seal-a-meal. She takes out a serving of chips and then reseals the bag.

Brilliant. Make your own "unopened bag"

My version is to weigh out a "serving" in snack bags. There is that barrier plus you know exactly how the calories are adding up. It sorta slows you down to have get your azz up off the couch to get yet another bag.

fitoverfortymom

We just bought finger lights to hand out for Halloween instead of candy because keeping candy in the house (chocolatey, ooey gooey, carmelly candy) is just a no-go for me. I do have to stare down a candy jar at work every day, because once I start, I can't stop. I need ALL the candy.

dragon_girl26

bethpaige86 wrote: »

I buy the large bags of candy and chips, because of my husband and son. (Just because I am dieting doesn't mean they have too). Once the bag is opened I divide it into snack size Ziploc bags. That way I can eat an "entire" bag

This is genius, I don't know why I never thought of this before. I just bought some snack bags earlier and divided my open bag of M&Ms, as well as all of my open boxes of cereal. May do this with many of my other snack foods as well.

dragon_girl26

CattOfTheGarage wrote: »

I have got better with this over time, I can now largely ignore open bags that are just kicking around the house. I used to keep treats above eye level - out of sight, out of mind. It's a great tip although I don't need it as much as I used to.

Interestingly, I still have this problem during parties. For some reason I compulsively eat treats in that setting when I wouldn't otherwise, and struggle for control. I don't know why the context makes such a difference.

I can be that way, too, at parties, even if I'm not hungry. I suspect for me it's a couple of things: first, it's something to do other than just sit or look uncomfortable, and second, because it's free and it's there.

DebSozo

Grey_1 wrote: »

The bag doesn't have to be open. Been lifting so now I can tear it open

In seriousness, I promised myself this time around that I wouldn't drive myself insane and obsess over every bit of food. My first month, about 3 weeks in I chose to have a snickers bar. It was sickly sweet, not pleasant at all. Since then I had a chunky ( yum) and some ice cream recently.

Letting myself do that helps a lot, for me anyway..now I'm back to hummus as a snack..

I did that with a Reese peanut butter cup. I had one cup and it was so sweet that I gave away the other one. Did they change or did I change?

Jruzer

DebSozo wrote: »

Jruzer wrote: »

One of the gems I took away from the book "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink was the notion of "barriers" between the eater and the food. As a very general rule, the more barriers, the less you eat. You eat more candy if you have a dish out on the counter than if it is somewhere less accessible, you eat less if it's tucked in the cupboard, and you eat even less if it's hidden out of sight. It doesn't have to be difficult to overcome the barrier - it's a psychological phenomenon.

Opening the bag is removing a barrier.

This makes so much sense. It works that way for me. Thanks for the explanation as to why. I use "barriers" with food to my advantage (ex. Single porion sizes). I try to avoid "mindless eating" by planning out meals in advance and avoid just popping something open and munching in front of the TV.

Glad you've found this helpful. I highly recommend "Mindless Eating." I got it from our local library. It's a quick read but it's full of insight into eating habits and psychology.

Misschuchii

I had so many laughs reading this! I'm the same way ! I will grab a big bag of chips for my night time snack, start the movie and...BAM! They're all gone! Plus I didn't even get the satisfaction of them because I stuff them in my mouth so fast!

Like the Lays slogan...can't have just one!