One of the hardest things we can change is how and what we eat.
Modern day food consumerism has been a billion dollar market. From the colors that we see in the market to the placement on the store shelves, it is all orchestrated for us to purchase and consume more. Most of us never take the time to think about this and go about our days shopping the way that we always have. Find what is on sale, or what we like, or what we have eaten in the past and throw it in the cart, unaware of what is in the products we are purchasing and consuming. We as Americans spend a great deal of money buying foods that satisfy an emotional need vs a physical one. We reach for a specific item when we are bored, or another when we are stressed, or another when we are entertaining. In most cases, our body isn’t hungry, our brain is. So we swallow calories not to satisfy a physical need, but rather a mental one. This took me a LONG time to figure out, and I still fight with it, especially stress eating.
Realizing this or other behaviors (boredom eating, binge, and “hiding” eating) exist is the fist step in finding a solution for it. So what can we do to stop this behavior?
Women’s Health Magazine has several great tips on addressing this behavior. (Yeah dudes, I read this magazine. Trust me, you should too.)
Dr. Michelle May also has some great tips on tools that one can incorporate to redirect attention away from consuming unneeded calories.
Becoming aware of these tips might help you to pause before you engage in these behaviors. Practicing them will increase the odds that you can not only address, but control the behavior.