Have you ever talked on your cell phone while driving and arrived at your destination, parked, and entered the building without remembering the drive? When you are on the phone your mind is distracted from driving but you are still able to drive and park without focusing on that task. The same goes for eating. If you ever eat while driving, cooking, or watching television you are not focused on eating. You finish your meal or snack and may not even remember eating.
Take time to sit down and focus on your meals and snacks. Make the rule that you can only eat breakfast at the kitchen table (not the kitchen sink), lunch in the cafeteria (not at your desk while reading email), and dinner with your family at the table (not in the car on the way home from basketball practice). When you are distracted while eating, your mind doesn’t even register that you have taken the time to eat. There are a number of reasons to avoid eating while watching television. First, you may be eating due to the commercials cuing you to eat food rather than true hunger. Second, you are not focusing on eating and you won’t notice when you’re getting satisfied. Third, you’re creating a bad habit: a connection between watching television and eating food.
Changing behaviors can result in healthy habits. Make the rule that you have to be seated at the kitchen table to eat a meal or snack. If you have to leave your comfortable couch and blankie to go sit at the table and eat popcorn, you may find that you’re really not that hungry. We live in a world full of distractions (cell phones, computers, television, and video games). Focus on your health, turn off the distractions, and have a seat!