Over the next few days, I want you to keep track of what you put in your mouth. We know what we eat for meals and, usually, that is the only food we think of at the end of the day. But, we also eat between meals – and those bites are often forgotten. I want you to imagine the sound of a cash register going “cha-ching!” every time you put something in your mouth. At the end of the day, add up the calories from each bite because those extra bites may be coming between you and your goal weight.
Let me give you an example of some cha-ching moments in my life…
3 bites of Lily’s left over bagel from breakfast: 50 calories
2 Fun Sized Mr. Goodbars from a candy dish in someone else’s office: 92 calories
Handful of nuts during a meeting: 180 calories
5 saltines with peanut butter after work (standing at the kitchen counter): 190 calories
3 Starburst that Lily gives me during Noah’s baseball game: 60 calories
My total bill for the day (in addition to my meals): 572 calories. Cha-Ching! What does that add up to? Well 500 extra calories each day will cause a pound of weight gain a week. Ouch.
My assignment for you: pause every time you put something in your mouth. Consider what and why you are eating. Decide if the calories are worth it. Remember, if you put the food down then you don’t have to hear that annoying Cha-ching in your mind and you’ll be resisting the urge to eat mindlessly. Practice mindful eating and you’ll have a much lower calorie bill at the end of the day.