How To Stop Mindless Eating: 13 Proven Tips

January 10. 2022

When we think about sitting at home, watching a TV show or a movie, the first association we get is probably snacks and junk food. We can see ourselves digging into a bag of chips and finishing a whole bag in a blink of an eye. It might seem harmless because it’s “just” on movie nights, but it can quickly become a daily thing. Eventually, it expands on other food, not just snacks.

When a person eats with their mind shut-down, and without paying attention to the food, they start “inhaling” it and consuming more than average. Such behavior is known as mindless eating, bored-eating, or binge-eating. It might seem straightforward, but trying to stop mindless eating is not an easy task.

Without a doubt, you can stop mindless eating as long as you follow proper tips and techniques.

Here’s a list of 13 proven tips on how to stop mindless eating.

Change the pattern of buying food

Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry, sad, or too happy. You’ll end up buying more and then eating way more than usual. There is an acronym known as HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, tired). So don’t go buying food when experiencing HALT.

Make time to eat

Nowadays we live very fast. We’re always busy and don’t have time to stop and eat, so we choose to grab something on the go. And what we grab is mostly unhealthy. To avoid this, you can follow tips for meal prep, and that way, you can always bring a healthy meal with you.
By making enough time to eat, you can build a better relationship with your food. Making time to eat doesn’t just involve planning your meals. It implies stopping what you’re doing and focusing on the meal. This leads us to our next tip.

Avoid distractions

If you do anything in addition to eating, like scrolling on your phone or watching TV, you’ll end up eating more. Try concentrating on what you’re eating and enjoy the moment. Pretend you’re a food critic, and think about the texture, smell, and taste of the food you’re having.

Don’t overthink your last bite

There’s nothing wrong with leaving some food on your plate if you feel full before finishing a whole plate. We mostly don’t think about how we feel, yet if we see an empty plate, we are full.
If leaving food on your plate makes you feel anxious, you can start with placing less food on your plate and adding it if needed.

Think about portion size

This one is related to the previous tip on how to stop mindless eating. If you can’t put less on your plate, try using smaller plates and dishes. That way, you can have the “last bite” if leaving some food on your plate makes you feel anxious.

Try mixing up food

We suggest you take off a certain percentage of your meal and switch it with vegetables by mixing up food. Having more vegetables helps you feel full.
An average adult should have a 2200 calorie intake. You can fulfill that daily goal with a few unhealthy snacks, or you can follow a 2200 calorie meal plan and have a diverse diet full of benefits.

Slow down your eating

The faster you eat, the more you eat. Take longer to chew your food. Try chewing it 32 times. This is known as one of the best methods of how to stop mindless eating.
You can also try using a different dining set, like chopsticks. It can make eating fun and challenging! Also, you can slow your eating by putting down your fork after every bite.

See everything you ate

Some researches show that if you see empty bottles and glasses in front of you, there is less possibility you’ll have another drink—the same goes with food, e.g., chicken wings. If you’re having chicken wings and all the bones from pieces you ate stayed in front of you; you’ll eat less because you would be more aware of how much you ate.

Serve your food nicely

When preparing food, let your imagination do its thing. When food is nicely served, you enjoy it more, take more time to eat it, and feel full easier.
As for snacks, you can give them a try, pour them in smaller bowls; don’t put a bag in front of you, leave it in the kitchen. When you finish a bowl of snacks, you’ll probably be too lazy to get up and get more.

Avoid an all-menu buffet

There are so many different meals at a buffet. The more food you see, the more you tend to eat. You end up tasting all the dishes and desserts out of curiosity. The best solution is to avoid them.

Hydrate your body

Most people easily mistake dehydration with hunger. That explains how it can lead to mindless eating. You can try to have a glass of water 20 to 30 min before your meal. You’ll end up eating less because the water will take up some space in your stomach.

Avoid eating in groups

It is proven that you eat more when eating in groups because everyone has a different pace and habits, so the overall time spent on eating is longer than eating alone. So next time, be careful and think in advance before you go out with friends for dinner.

Find something to do

Most of us give in to mindless eating when feeling bored and have nothing to do. We end up ignoring healthy eating and overdoing our daily calorie intake. Finding something that can draw your attention away from food, such as going for a walk, attending a dance class, or learning a new skill or a language, is how you can stop mindless eating.

Final thoughts

Mindless eating is followed by unwanted excess weight, and learning how to stop it can be highly beneficial for your overall health in numerous ways. Even when you stop those “bad” habits and engage healthy foods in your meals, as well as physical activity, it takes a lot of time to see results. You can speed them up a little bit. At our weight loss clinic, you can find programs and products that can help. Lipo C shot is one of the most popular. Feel free to contact our clinic for more information.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.