Journaling is a powerful tool in the Habits of Health Transformational System, and one of the exercises we sometimes ask clients to do is to log everything they eat in a day. If you have done this before, you probably came away with this surprise: You eat much more food than you realize.
But how can this be?
With so much of our daily behaviors running on automatic, we might not notice the hidden moments where we overeat or mindlessly snack. These moments, unfortunately, add up. After a week and a month and eventually a year, those extra batches of calories add up.
Here are five tips for eliminating some of the most common calorie traps from your routine:
- Don’t eat while watching television. If we distract ourselves while we eat, we become less intentional about our fuelings and can easily eat more than we intend to. If you have ever looked down and wondered where all the potato chips went, this is why.
- Don’t eat directly from the container. Speaking of potato chips, never eat foods that haven’t been portioned first. Take out the exact amount you intend to eat, and put the rest away before beginning your meal.
- Don’t eat in the kitchen. Like eating directly from the container, eating in the kitchen puts us too close to other foods and more servings. Separate yourself from your food source so you have more time to make healthy choices when you get a craving for seconds.
- Don’t eat in dim light. Restaurants use mood lighting because it can actually increase your appetite. Turn the lights up to get the opposite effect.
- Don’t casually graze. Leaving snacks out in easy reach, like a candy bowl, encourages us to eat more than we need. Put food away and stick to your fueling schedule.
What other tips and tricks have you found helpful for building Habits of Healthy Fuelings? Share your story with the community!