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3 Smart Strategies To Stop Cravings So You Can Lose Weight!

7 Ways to Stop Mindless Eating

October 30, 2014

We all have those moments when we find ourselves chowing down on everything and anything in sight. Most of the time I’m not even hungry or aware of what I’m doing. Then I look down and wonder. Did I just eat all that?

mindless_eating

You reach for a snack and 15 minutes later you’re left with nothing but crumbs and a guilty conscious. Sound familiar? Mindless eating is one of the many reasons people struggle with weight loss. The good news is you can take control of your eating habits right now with these seven tips to stop mindless eating.

 7_ways_to_stop_Mindless_eating

Identify Your Triggers

Figure out why you are eating outside regular planned meals. Most people eat out of boredom, stress, sleep deprivation, to be social or fill an emotional void. Ask yourself, “what makes me thoughtlessly chow down?” If you’re truly honest with yourself, you will become more aware of your triggers and willing to change those habits.

mindless_eating

Control Portions

Control how much you are eating before you start eating. Never eat snacks straight from the package. Portion snacks into individual plastic bags or into a bowl. So many snacks can be purchased pre-portioned now & are well worth the investment for the time it saves you.

Portion prepared meals with leftovers into individual containers before eating a meal. This help prevent overeating or going back for seconds. Using smaller plates will also give you the illusion that you are eating enough. A larger plate can stimulate your mind to think it still needs more.

What is a Serving Size?     

8 Portion Control Tips to Stop Eating Out of Control     

Don’t Eat Distracted

Eating distracted i.e. in front of a TV, computer or phone causes you to eat faster and eat more. Eat unwired with your entire focus on your food. This will bring your focus on the meal, slow down your eating and help you feel more fulfilled after.

mindless_eating

Meal Plan 

At the end of each week, plan your meals for the following week. Use a calendar or notebook that it can be placed visibility for everyone to see. Having a plan let’s everyone know what to expect and when and eliminates the pressure of finding something to eat when life gets busy. This is critical to prevent over eating or making unhealthy choices.

Meal planning can save you money too because a meal plan is your grocery list. Having a list in hand, gives you a mission to accomplish and prevents you from wandering astray and buying more than you need.

weekly_meal_plan  

Meal Prep

Every Sunday prep your food for the week. Wash and cut produce. Prepare lunches. Divide dinners into individual containers for easy access every night.

Maintain a Food Journal

Track what you eat every day & be honest with yourself. Sometimes seeing things helps us understand our habits better and identify changes. Many apps are now available to track food and weight loss. I recommend Lose It, My Fitness Pal, Fooducate, Weight Watchers Mobile and Calorie Count.

lose_it_app

Get Active

Get outside for a walk, bike ride or head to the gym for group fitness, a swim or another activity you love. Getting active not only distracts your mind from eating, but also increases endorphins which reduces hunger. 

walking_outside 

What are your tips for stopping mindless eating? What do you usually eat too much of – ice cream, chips, nuts, crackers, cereal, broccoli? Mine is nuts.

 

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About Megan

Megan is a certified nutrition practitioner, author, freelance food photographer and fitness instructor living in Phoenix, Arizona. On her blog, Skinny Fitalicious she shares EASY, gluten free recipes for weight loss. Follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.

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  1. Tina Muir says

    October 30, 2014 at 3:33 am

    Thats funny, we are on the same wavelengths with our posts! You gave the reasons behind why we do, and I gave options how to stop if you can’t help it….like a part 1 part 2 🙂 Great tips, I think eating distracted is HUGE! I also found I gained weight when I was trying to “fill the void” when I cut out candy and cakes completely

    Reply
    • Megan says

      October 30, 2014 at 12:41 pm

      No way! That is too crazy on the same exact day even….

      Reply
      • Linda @ the Fitty says

        October 30, 2014 at 5:05 pm

        Great minds think alike, what can you say? 😉

        Reply
  2. Jen @ Pretty Little Grub says

    October 30, 2014 at 6:46 am

    Great post! Distractions are definitely the number one culprit I think. I even noticed myself doing it last night, blogging while eating. I wasn’t even paying attention to my hunger signals. Luckily I realized this and put my computer away so I could just focus on my meal.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      October 30, 2014 at 4:51 pm

      I’m guilty of doing that with my phone.

      Reply
  3. Shelly says

    October 30, 2014 at 9:47 am

    I am definitely guilty of mindless eating, especially in the evenings. I don’t know if it’s boredom or if my pantry is literally calling my name, but it’s hard to resist that late night snack attack. Great advice!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      October 30, 2014 at 4:49 pm

      I do too. I’m too busy during the day & then am so hungry later.

      Reply
  4. Kaylin @ Enticing Healthy Eating says

    October 30, 2014 at 8:58 pm

    The one thing that always works for me is to make sure the “treat” foods aren’t visible to me 24/7. If I see them or they’re easy to get into in my house, I will snack on them more often. For instance, candy around Halloween? (I have a huge sweet tooth!) I make sure the candy is back in my bedroom closet so I only go into it for occasional treats at night.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      November 1, 2014 at 5:16 am

      In the closet? That’s funny. I wouldn’t even be able to do that. It can’t be in my house. Too tempting!

      Reply
    • Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut says

      November 18, 2014 at 5:19 pm

      We are twins! I do the exact same thing!!

      Reply
  5. Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut says

    November 18, 2014 at 5:17 pm

    I am so so bad at eating while doing something else. I feel like I always have to be multitasking, you know?? The good thing is that I do control portions at least with portioning out a certain amount of something versus sitting with a whole family size bag of chips and eating out of it. 🙂

    Thanks for linking up, girl!

    Reply
  6. Tracy says

    March 2, 2015 at 6:32 am

    I’m definitely guilty of a few of these! Great reminders!

    Reply

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Megan is a nutrition practitioner, author of the Low Calorie Cookbook and podcast host of the Dish On Ditching Diets. Megan helps women over 35 lose weight after losing 80 pounds herself. Here you get low calorie recipes for weight loss that balance hormones. Learn more about my weight loss programs HERE!

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