Mindless Eating

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rubyautumn4
rubyautumn4 Posts: 818 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else have this issue? I am noticing my tendency to mindlessly pop food into my mouth...but of course I only notice after I am already eating it! It's definitely a habit I need to break! Anyone have any ideas as to how to stop doing this?

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  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
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    Instead of being mindless be mindful... The end.
  • BCHP
    BCHP Posts: 2 Member
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    I also have this habit, but it is definitely diminishing as I resolved to record every bite on my food log. After a few times of realizing I wasted 80 calories on a sample of pizza at the grocery store, or 50 calories on a bite of cookie that I didn't even take time to taste, I began to develop a mindfulness regarding the habit. Hope this helps.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Find something else to do - get busy around or your house or work on a craft project. If you are sitting and watching TV, try knitting or crocheting or something like that to keep your hands busy.

    But also, you just have to make your mind up not to do it anymore. That's the biggest hurdle.
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
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    If around the house.... how about you get rid of the junk and replace it with tasty veggies... Then you can mindless eat all you want.
  • jjmnet
    jjmnet Posts: 110
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    Before you eat, update your food journal with the food you are about to eat.......as you add the food you might realize that you are not really hungry (and don't want all of those extra calories)....or start to read othe msg boards online with a full grass of water......you might end up deleting the food in your journal. Habits are sooo hard to change! I do laundry too or call a friend - you can't eat while on the phone. Good luck - you can do it!:smile:
  • kidcole11
    kidcole11 Posts: 98 Member
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    You COULD put a lock on your fridge and cupboards so you have to unlock and therefore give yourself more time to think about what you are doing.
  • rubyautumn4
    rubyautumn4 Posts: 818 Member
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    Good idea on updating before I eat! It's not junk food and I'm not eating in front of the TV...more like I will grab a handful of walnuts when I'm cooking dinner. Calories I don't need!
  • selzam2
    selzam2 Posts: 34
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    But also, you just have to make your mind up not to do it anymore. That's the biggest hurdle.

    Yup. I find all the advice above helpful. I clean and tidy the apartment, spend quality time with my dogs, or go for walks when I get peckish for foods that I know I just want emotionally and not physically. Makes me feel even better when I can pat myself on the back and say that I resisted! Although if you absolutely CANNOT stop yourself from munching on something turn to healthier foods like fruits (strawberries, blueberries, and diced apples are my go-to) and easy veggies like carrot sticks and sliced bell peppers. Low calorie (a whole cup of blueberries is ~80 calories, 15 carrot sticks ~40, etc) and nutritious! Good luck, and I hope to take my own advice as well =)
  • rubyautumn4
    rubyautumn4 Posts: 818 Member
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    You COULD put a lock on your fridge and cupboards so you have to unlock and therefore give yourself more time to think about what you are doing.

    I COULD...but I won't. It's a little extreme for me! :noway:
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
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    I also have this habit, but it is definitely diminishing as I resolved to record every bite on my food log. After a few times of realizing I wasted 80 calories on a sample of pizza at the grocery store, or 50 calories on a bite of cookie that I didn't even take time to taste, I began to develop a mindfulness regarding the habit. Hope this helps.

    THIS!!! :)
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    I've pretty well gotten past this thankfully BUT if I'm feeding my daughter cheerios, a couple come off the try and into my mouth. Thankfully 3 cheerios total a calorie so if I wind up eating 2 or 3 (or 6) of them it's not a big deal calorie wise. It still bugs me because I eat for Nutrition first and enjoyment second and I generally don't even taste/enjoy the cheerios.
  • eryndawn4
    eryndawn4 Posts: 5
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    I definitely used to be this way! But I've also gotten so used to logging I think I'm obsessed (In a good way) lol. I just think That I'll want to save those extra calories for dinner or a bedtime snack when I know I'll be hungry. Or just to say I didn't go over my cals for the day :) good luck!
  • slamina
    slamina Posts: 26 Member
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    I'm terrible for this when I'm cooking so I try and do things like wipe down the sides, load/unload the dishwasher, tidy a cupboard or something whilst I'm standing waiting for something to cook. Anything that means my hands are too busy to be in the fridge....unless they are cleaning it lol
  • stelle91
    stelle91 Posts: 19
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    Before you eat, update your food journal with the food you are about to eat.......as you add the food you might realize that you are not really hungry (and don't want all of those extra calories)....or start to read othe msg boards online with a full grass of water......you might end up deleting the food in your journal. Habits are sooo hard to change! I do laundry too or call a friend - you can't eat while on the phone. Good luck - you can do it!:smile:
    I do this!!
  • alison0511
    alison0511 Posts: 32
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    I also have this habit, but it is definitely diminishing as I resolved to record every bite on my food log. After a few times of realizing I wasted 80 calories on a sample of pizza at the grocery store, or 50 calories on a bite of cookie that I didn't even take time to taste, I began to develop a mindfulness regarding the habit. Hope this helps.

    THIS!!! :)

    Agree! Logging every bite of food on here has totally fixed my bad, mindless snacking habits... you just gotta stick to it to make it work. Most days I start out by trying to plan out my whole day of food, and log it all into my food journal right then in the morning (you can always change/delete it later if something changes during the day). That way, I can have all the numbers calculated for me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (I can tweak these portions a little if I think I need to at this point)... and then I know exactly how many calories I have left over for snacks, and make sure I use them wisely. If I know I'm going to be a little over on calories for the day (going out to dinner, etc...), it gives me that much more insentive to make sure I get a workout in there somewhere.

    For me, MFP has been an awesome tool for making me more knowledgeable and prepared when it comes to eating. Logging food and finding out its Nutrition Facts AFTER I eat it is dangerous... but I can't be feeling surprised and/or guilty if I look it up and log it before I put it in my mouth. That's how I stay in control. Hope this helps you! :smile:
  • bhfood
    bhfood Posts: 77
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    One of the things I've seen in a lot of places is to consciously sit and eat at the table with no distractions, no reading/tv/computer and just enjoy every bite, really taste it. Slow down chew more, stop between bites and sip your drink.Hope this helps you. I have this problem too. working on it.
  • RunningWithoutAWatch
    RunningWithoutAWatch Posts: 31
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    I have this issue as well. I love to eat and snack all day, especially at work. Since I had difficulty in changing this habit, I found a workout. I keep numerous cut fruits and vegetables with me all day. This way when I am mindless eating, its something healthy.

    Jay

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