When you get home after a long day, what’s the first thing you do? For many people, eating is the first thing they do. Eating is not the problem; eating without knowing when to stop is.
On average, Americans eat nearly double their recommended calorie intake daily. One of the leading causes of unnecessary calories is mindless eating. I, for one, am guilty of mindless eating. I will go to my dorm after class and eat chips, pretzels or something easy like that that has no sizable nutritional values other than empty calories. Here are some tips to help minimize mindless eating and the consumption of empty calories:
1. Get rid of the food
If you are like me, you have way too much junk food. When it is just there, I feel the need to eat it. When you run out of these junk foods, don’t go buy more. That is the simplest way to stop eating the empty calories.
2. Replace the food with healthier options
If you can’t stop mindlessly eating, replace the junk food with healthier options like fruits and vegetables.
3. Find something to distract yourself from eating
If you don’t want to replace the food, find something to distract yourself from mindless eating. If the reason you eat is because the food is just there, put it away so it isn’t in sight. If you still find yourself eating, find something that will distract you. Watch a movie, go out for a walk, hang out with your friends or catch up on your homework to keep yourself distracted.
4. Drink more water
When you consume more water, you tend to feel full which makes you want to eat less. Drinking more water will also make you feel better because you will be more hydrated.
5. Chew gum
If all else fails, chewing gum will keep you distracted and will rid the need to eat.
These are just a few ways to keep yourself from mindlessly eating. By not eating mindlessly and not eating as much junk food, you could reduce your daily calorie intake. If you don’t want to get rid of the food you have, drink more water and chew gum to make you feel less hungry and to keep you distracted.
