Friday, January 21, 2011
Dear Everybody:
My question to you guys is this: How do I get out of the habit of, every time I walk into the kitchen, popping something into my mouth? It's ridiculous! Every single time I walk into the kitchen...or through it...or near it...it's like I'm programmed to hunt for food and eat it. Even if it's just one rice cracker. Why?? Help!
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I just saw the title of your blog over in Hollie's blog roll and love, love, loved it. So I clicked. Hope you don't mind a comment from a total stranger.
ReplyDeleteMy answer; make things less accessible. For example, there was a time when I kept hershey kisses in the house so I could have "just one" after dinner. That, of course, didn't work. Then someone suggested keeping them in the freezer so I'd have to let it thaw to eat it. (I suppose this example only works if you dislike frozen chocolate.)
I'm also less likely to mindlessly eat unopened packages, things on a high shelf that I need the stepstool for. The short answer, make everything less accessible. In a ziplock and in tupperware in the back of a cabinet as opposed to on the counter, in the candy dish or in the cookie jar.
Chew gum at all times!
ReplyDeleteWalk around with your tooth brush in your mouth?
ReplyDeleteOr write down each and every morsel you eat. I've been doing that and it pisses me off to write down one cracker and peanut butter and such.
I don't know why it happens but I have days like that too. A couple of suggestions:
ReplyDeletePut all that tempting stuff out of sight.
Leave a moldy piece of something out to gross yourself out.
Leave a glass of water on the counter and take a swig instead of a bite.
Keep a bowl of baby carrots or cut up apples in the fridge and grab one of those instead if you just have to eat.
Snap yourself with a rubber band for each thought about food.
Stop and yell "Drop and give me 20!" before entering the kitchen.
OK, so some of those are meant to be funny. You can choose which ones.
It's so funny that I just walked back in here and started reading blogs. You see I went into the kitchen for something to drink and thought "man some popcorn would be great" this has been my downfall for the past few weeks. Late night eating..something snacky around 9pm. So while I can't tell you how to fix it (I ran out of the kitchen after getting my crystal light) I can sympathize with you.
ReplyDeleteIt's simple.. don't bring junk into your house in the first place. Then if you are snacking it will at least be healthy. Put everything that you can't keep your hands off in a hard to get place. Then make a rule that you can eat whatever you want but you have to climb up and get it and put it on a plate and sit down and eat it. At least that way you can space out your snacks lol.
ReplyDeleteChew gum or suck on sugar free candy... at all times, lol. Seriously, I have the same problem & this is the only thing that saves me.
ReplyDeleteI walk into my kitchen when I get homoe from work and I have planned out what snack I am going to have and then while I'm eating a complete different snack get the other one out of the cupboard. Like prior suggestions....chew gum. lots and lots of gum!
ReplyDeleteYep, just don't keep it in your house. I make a grocery list when I go to the store and I get exactly what's on it, no snacks. I used to feel guilty that I wasn't buying the treats for my son but then I really had to think twice about that. He doesn't need the junk either even though he doesn't have a weight problem. :)
ReplyDeleteThis will sound nuts but get some crappy tasting throat spray or lozenger.. that is enough to kill anyone's appetite. Good luck.. this one is hard.. but anyway you can deter your taste buds from getting activated..
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough one! I do the same thing and I get so mad at myself b/c most of the time I don't even ENJOY it. What I've tried to do is make myself something to drink instead. It takes a minute - getting the cup, the ice, pouring the drink - then I make myself drink it. If I still want it, I'll go get it - but somehow the diversion *sometimes* works. Another thing I tried at night was drinking an instant chai latte (Big train brand). Its got 120 calories in it, protein from the milk - but its sweet and rich and warm and has helped to curb my need for sweet stuff at night.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain, I do this all the time. I try to have a bowl of grapes out on the counter and munch on one of those each time I reach for something.
ReplyDeleteI have no advice because I know that wandering feeling. Although you could just board up the kitchen for a couple of months and let every one starve. Fill again?
ReplyDeleteI try to stay out of the kitchen as best as I can! I know that sounds stupid, but...really...I try to just avoid it. I cook three meals a day (and snacks), but I get in and get out as quickly as possible.
ReplyDeleteI would tackle this like a project... The goal is to not grab something each time you walk in or through that room - so I'd practice doing that. Okay, Read here we go. I'd go into the room for the express purpose of not eating something. I'd go in and wash a glass and leave and then tell myself - good job, see, it can be done. Now do it again. Only this time, go and get a drink of water - or something else - go in for that purpose and then leave.
ReplyDeleteI'd do it over and over again. Probably setting up some kind of tracking system (I'm a bit anal). Today I went in there without putting food in my mouth 3 times. Tomorrow I'm going to shoot for 4.
For me, what would work is making it front and center. This is the goal. Put the rest of the goals in the background - let them work on autopilot to some extent. The goal - the only goal - is to not put something in your mouth each time you walk in - make it very, very conscious.
Good luck!!!
You have received a lot of good advice from everyone here, I am going to have to use some of these, as I find I have the same problem some days :o)
ReplyDeleteI'm a newbie to your blog too. I have a blog that follows another blog that follows your blog and, viola, here I am. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd say if you COULD, avoid the kitchen at all costs. That means somebody else does ALL the cooking, lol.
This IS a tough one because I've been more familiar with people who have problems late at night. In those cases, people can try behavior modification that targets that time of the day. If it's ANY time you go by, then I'd say at least have healthy stuff around. Maybe make a beeline for celery sticks or something.
This one is tough.
There are some great ideas here... I'm a snacker/ grazer... it's what I do... I've still lost weight even if I haven't completely conquered the habit. Hopefully knowing that added with a few of the above great tricks, and you'll be on your way.
ReplyDeleteSame way you get to Carnegie Hall: Practice, practice, practice.
ReplyDeleteHey, I nominated you for an award. Come check it out on my blog.
ReplyDelete