I have to admit that I used to be a compulsive eater. I wanted food all day long and I wanted to taste everything (such is my love for new foods and flavors). Switching to Paleo and eating whole foods has helped considerably. I find myself thinking and wanting food less frequently. Still, there are days of high stress or absolute chaos where I feel like I'm snacking all day long!
Have you every had one of those days, maybe several of them, where you can't even remember: "What did I have for breakfast?" or "What was the last thing I ate?" This is something that really plagues the up and coming generations and do you know why? Distractions! That's right! We are so immensely distracted that we forget that we have eaten!
For those chronic over-eaters, over-snackers, make this your mantra:
I will not multi-task while eating.
You CAN put that phone down for half an hour while you eat your meal. No Facebook, no texting, no CANDY CRUSH. I've never played the game, but I'm convinced everyone else on the planet does. Here is the more difficult part: No television while you're eating. You want your brain to stay engaged on the task at hand which is eating. I would also recommend putting down the magazines and books while you eat ,but now we are getting into personal territory, because I take a book with me everywhere I go. I will say that it is easier to take a break from a book than it is from social media, timed games, and never ending television.
Tip #1: Stop multi-tasking while eating.
The next one is my favorite because it's so simple and tends to stick in my mind longer. It is also something I can refer to a week later.
Tip #2: Write what you eat.
Write it down. On a post-it note, in a notebook, maybe you have a food journal. Write each of your meals, snacks, and beverages down. This will reinforce in your brain what you have eaten and when. It's also a good way to track your water intake if you're bad about that. It has been proven that writing and seeing what you eat will result in a lower food intake in the long run.
#3: Drink more water.
"I know, everybody says that but I hate water." Too bad. Drink it. If you have a compulsive hand to mouth problem, replace those pick up snacks with a bottle of water or unsweet tea. Just note that tea does NOT count as water. Tea is a diuretic! It's better than grazing on high calorie snacks all day, but it does not count as water.
#4: Eat lower carb snacks.
This one is not for everyone. I'm not saying fruit is bad by any means, but if you're eating half a dozen pieces of fruit a day, or Paleo versions of desserts (which are okay in moderation), then it is likely you are having insulin spikes during the day which may be increasing your hunger.
Remember: when your blood sugar increases your body releases insulin. This in turn can cause a "crash" or low blood sugar.
Just think about little kids who eat a bag of candy and then an hour later they are passed out in the back seat of the car. It's just like that. Though keep in mind when our blood sugar gets too low (or drops quickly) our body will send a signal to the brain to request more food (i.e. carbs and energy). So if you eat too many high carb snacks in a day you may be making yourself hungrier by playing hormone-ping pong (yes guys, you too).
It drives me crazy when I see people who tell me they are "Paleo" and then proceed to eat an entire cantaloupe in a sitting as a snack. If you are one of these people, I'm looking for that 13.1 or a 26.2 sticker on the back of your car.
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