Weight Loss - How to Avoid the "Mindless Eating Trap"

 Eating while you are doing something else is never a good idea. For instance, eating in front of the television set in the evening is an excellent way to build up calories that your body does not need nor is able to handle well. Counting calories is not necessary to lose weight but you still need to be aware that mindless eating and stuffing your face without thinking what you are eating adds countless calories before you even know what happened. This is self-sabotage and something that you would never allow your child to do because it is so bad for their health. Why do you?

There is nothing wrong with snacking. In fact, it is a healthy way to eat and you need to eat small meals with two small snacks in between to keep your metabolism level. Sugar spikes happen when you eat too much food at one time or when you go too long between meals. Snacks should be 'healthy' and need to be those foods that will add nutrition and fiber to your diet. Healthy snacks keep you feeling full and it takes very little to satisfy any hunger you may be feeling. They are usually things that require a lot of chewing and take some time to eat so this also helps with the need to be eating "something".

Things like chips, crackers, candy, ice cream, candy, and bread items are all very tasty but loaded with extra calories and lots of bad fats. Like they say, you might as well just apply it directly to your thighs. Healthy snacks like raw veggies with a low calorie dip or dressing or one ounce of nuts are your best choices.

 Whatever you decide to snack on while you are doing something else needs to be pre-measured. If you take the whole bag or box and sit down with it, you will overeat. You will fall into the 'mindless eating' trap.
The best way to avoid these kinds of situations is to plan your meals the day before, including your snacks. Try to eat on a schedule if possible. If you are the type of person who gets so busy you forget to eat, then scheduled meals will remind you it is time to feed your body. If you have a budget, you can avoid impulse buying and if you have an eating plan for the day you can avoid impulse eating.

Mindless Eating This book will literally change the way you think about your next meal. Food psychologist Brian Wansink revolutionizes our awareness of how much, what, and why we're eating often without realizing it. His findings will astound you.   Can the size of your plate really influence your appetite?  Why do you eat more when you dine with friends?  What hidden persuaders are used by restaurants and supermarkets to get us to overeat?  How does music or the color of the room influence how much and how fast we eat?  How can we mindlessly lose instead of gain up to twenty pounds in the coming year?  Starting today, you can make more mindful, enjoyable, and healthy choices at the dinner table, in the supermarket, at the office or wherever you satisfy your appetite.

Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful In Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful , eating disorder specialist and best-selling author Susan Albers, provides a workbook with seventy proven-effective and easy to use psychological and mindfulness techniques for real change, including how to get back on track during setbacks, and how to maintain motivation rather than gravitating back to mindless eating and the familiar patterns that keep you unhappy with your body.

Press Pause Before You Eat For all the times you've said, "Why did I just eat that?" Say good-bye to one of the most overlooked areas of our relationship to food -- mindless eating. This groundbreaking book shines new light on why we eat along with practical, proven strategies to control our eating.  Does your busy schedule translate into eating on the run or skipping meals altogether?  Is your life so filled with multitasking and on-the-go consumption that eating becomes a thing to do while doing other things?  Dr. Linda knows that all too often such eating becomes a source of guilt and distress. The more stressed we feel, the more food becomes a source of gratification and relief -- a numbing agent. Dieting treats only symptoms. "Unless people are coached to be intentional about their eating, they will continue to eat mindlessly and be part of the 90 to 95 percent of failed dieters," writes Dr. Linda.  "A new approach is needed -- one that addresses the emotional, relational, and spiritual side of our relationship to food." Food is not your enemy; it is something you can once again enjoy! Dr. Linda deals with the root causes of unintentional eating and restores your joy of eating. This is your practical guide to cultivating a healthy awareness of eating that attends to your body, soul, and spirit.