8 Tips to Help Control Mindless Eating

Do you find yourself eating, without giving eating much thought?

You sit down to watch your favorite T.V. show, but not without grabbing some potato chips, cookies, or that bowl of ice cream.

You finish eating your snack and then you eat more, before you know it you have eaten almost the entire bag of potato chips without even realizing what you have done.

The next day, you notice the bag of family sized potato chips empty.  You ask yourself, “Did I just devour this entire bag of chips by myself?  I do not even remember doing it.” Here are eight tips to help you control mindless eating.

How to Control/Stop Mindless Eating

#1.  Do not skip meals.

Skipping meals will cause you to overeat or binge eat.  It can also make you ravenous, which can result in mindless eating.  Make sure your meals are packed with nutrients that your body needs; doing this keeps you satisfied between your meals.

#2.  Eat healthy snacks.

Between meals eat a nutritious snack instead of eating candy, cookies, or chips.  Consider eating some carrot sticks with humus, celery with nut butter, or a boiled egg.  These snacks are nutrient-dense and will help you avoid the sugary snacks.

Eating sugary snacks makes you want to eat more sugary foods.

#3.  Eat when you are hungry.

If you get hungry and it has been one or two hours since your last meal, eat your nutritious snack instead of eating a piece of candy.  The nutritious snacks are good for your body and it helps you stay mindful with your eating.

When you feel you need to eat; do it.  Listen to your body and give it what it needs.

#4.  Do not eat your emotions.

Eating your emotions is emotional eating.  If you are experiencing emotional issues, do not reach for the food; instead deal with your emotions.  Acknowledge what you are going through, and do not keep your emotions covered.  Deal with your emotions head-on. Do not be afraid or be too prideful to talk with a trusted friend or a counselor. Do what you have to do to set yourself free from emotional bondage.

#5.  Incorporate stress management techniques.

Stress is something that happens in life, but it is up to you to recover from the stressful events that happen in your life.  Stress can cause you to zone out and eat without ever giving it a second thought. Take the time to de-stress by praying, meditating, reading, thinking positive, and having some ‘me’ time.

#6.  Pay attention to how you feel when you eat.

Whenever you put any food in your mouth, notice what you are doing and notice how you feel.  If you pick up a piece of candy or a cookie, stop and assess how you feel at that moment.  Are you disappointed, anxious, upset, mad, angry, scared, etc.?

#7.  Keep a journal.

Journal daily and log how you feel throughout the day.  If someone ticked you off, jot it down and write down if you reached for food.  Consistent writing in your journal, will help you see what triggers you to eat mindlessly.

#8.  Do not eat when you are distracted.

Eating a meal should be a pleasurable time; consider it a sacred time in a  stress-free zone.  Enjoy your meal by tasting the flavors, smelling the aroma, enjoying the food chewing, and eating slowly.  You do not need to discuss topics that are not pleasurable.  Your focus is on eating and nourishing your mind, body and spirit.

Closing

Mindless eating is something that happens to everyone at some point, but you control it by getting to the root of why you are eating mindlessly.

I have shared a few tips with you on how to control mindless eating and I hope these tips are useful and beneficial for you so that you can put an end to mindless eating.

Happy Holidays!

Discussion:  Do you have any tips to share with us on how to control/stop mindless eating?  Please share in the comment section.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreedigitalPhotos.net