When it seems as though you will never lose the weight you want despite your best efforts, it can be hard to determine the problem. In many cases, it is mindless noshing that overloads your calorie intake for the day and prevents those pounds from melting away. Read on to learn some simple ways to prevent yourself from taking those mindless bites that can become roadblocks on your road to weight loss.
- Chew gum while cooking – Even if you make an effort to avoid nibbling on food while cooking, you can still slip bites of unwanted calories in without realizing it. Have you ever licked a spoon after stirring before placing the spoon in the sink? If so, these are unaccounted for calories. Do you taste test to determine the needed changes to the dish or to test for doneness? If so, every one of these bites packs in calories that add up. To avoid doing this, a simple solution is to chew gum while cooking. It forces you to think about it, and it’s much easier to stop yourself from spitting your gum out than it is to stop yourself from taking a quick bite otherwise.
- Brush teeth immediately after eating – If you are often lured into getting seconds of something that tastes great, whether a snack or a meal, the reason is likely because you still have the faint taste of the food in your mouth. This can cause you to give into temptation and go back for more, even when you know you shouldn’t. By brushing teeth immediately after eating any snack or meal, you can prevent the sabotage to your weight loss efforts caused by overeating in this way.
- Serve up your food – Whether eating a healthy snack, an unhealthy indulgence, or a meal, serve up the proper amount and eat the food elsewhere. If you are sitting down to dinner to eat, having all the food setting on the table in front of you can make resisting those extras very difficult. In addition, if you are snacking on chips, put a serving in a small bag or on a plate instead of eating directly out of the container.
- Talk to yourself – When you eat a snack or a meal, speak to yourself out loud about how much you will eat. You have likely had these thoughts, such as “Okay, I’m only going to eat three cookies.”- But then you may ignore those thoughts and go back for more. If you say it out loud, it helps solidify the deal with yourself and can prevent the overeating that prevents weight loss.
- Empty plates after dinner quickly – Often, a big cause of unaccounted-for calories is that moment after eating a meal, when the children of the house have food left. As mom or dad takes the plate away, they grab a bite or two. This may also happen as you are cleaning of the stove after cooking. Don’t let this happen to you – chew gum while you do it for an added boost of willpower to avoid the mindless nibbling.
- Throw it away – When it happens, and if you are a lifetime overeater it will – that moment where you gave in and ignored your better judgement and you grabbed a handful of chips you didn’t need or a second plate of food. As you walk away, when you think about how you shouldn’t be eating what you are about to eat, stop. Then proceed directly to the trash can and toss the food in it. Then go brush your teeth. The victory you will feel over the food will give you even more willpower next time.
To prevent yourself from this type of mindless nibbling, keep healthy snack options on hand that won’t damage your calorie or carb count. Visit us at ThinSlim Foods to stock up today!