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Total Health

I'm Around Food All Day and I Can't Stop Eating -- Help!

By:
Lynn Grieger

Question :

I work from home, so I'm next to my kitchen, and I just wind up eating all the time. I try not to buy bad food, but I'm not eating meals anymore, I'm just constantly grazing. I have to stop doing it, but I can't! --grannysmith2003

Answer :

Easy access to food isn't just a problem for those of us who work at home, because food is available everywhere. We eat while driving our cars, we eat at our kids' sports events, we eat at work -- does anyone care to inventory the snacks available in her break room or workplace? We don't necessarily think about food, or being hungry, before we eat -- we just do it. Here's what I think you should really focus on: 1) Why are you eating? Put a specific name on the reason: hunger, boredom, whatever it is. 2) How hungry are you when you start eating, and how full are you when you finish? Lots of times we're not really hungry when we eat, and even when we are, we often overeat. Learning to eat only when hungry and to stop eating just before becoming full are two skills that go a long way toward helping us control our weight.

I encourage you to set one specific goal for the week, then focus on that each day. After the first week, evaluate your progress. You may decide to add another task, or you may simply stick with your one original goal. Every week, evaluate your progress. Make sure your goals are specific and measurable. For example: "I'll type everything I eat and drink into an online diet tracker as soon as I consume it," or, "I'll keep a journal in the kitchen and write down why I'm eating, my hunger level and my fullness level every time I consume something." Good luck!

 

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