Stay Focused on Your Food

Avoid Unhealthy Food Habits

After recently stepping on the scale, you may have wondered "where did all of those extra pounds come from?" More often than not, your extra pounds can be attributed to overeating due to "unconscious or distracted eating." If you have trouble maintaining a healthy weight, you probably practice this unhealthy eating behavior and don't even realize it. Distracted eating is when food is going into your mouth but you are not consciously engaged in the eating process. Instead, you are distracted by something else like work, television or a discussion with friends and not really concentrating on your meal.
Distracted eating not only leads to overeating but it also affects your digestion and fat storage. With a little work, unconscious eating is simple to correct. Here are a few of the more common unhealthy eating habits that lead to overeating and excess weight gain.  

Eating on the Run or in a Hurry

The best time to eat is when you are fully relaxed and not rushing. Eating in a hurry changes your body chemistry as it releases the hormone adrenaline. Adrenaline promotes storing the calories you have just eaten as fat rather than burning them for energy.
Healthy digestion is also disrupted and the chances for heart burn or other digestive
troubles are more common. Constantly eating under these conditions promotes fat production rather than calorie burn; slowly adding extra pounds. "Just grabbing a quick bite" promotes less satiation and more frequent hunger from your meals. Eating on the run also discourages full food enjoyment and thus promotes overeating.

Eating and Working at Your Desk
This is a common unhealthy eating habit practiced by many people who think they are doing something good by being time efficient. Unfortunately, this unhealthy eating strategy is becoming more and more prevalent as people let their work take over their lives. Eating and working at the same time distracts you from the amount and the enjoyment of the food you just ate. Again, your brain wants to be engaged in the food you are eating to maximize satiation, healthy digestion and efficient calorie burn rather than fat storage. Putting a stop to this type of eating will improve your food satisfaction, reduce distracted eating and promote healthy digestion and calorie burning. 

Eating While Watching the Television
Here is a similarly unhealthy eating habit to the one above but now you are distracted by recreational pursuits. The same distracted eating principles apply here. Let's take the example of grazing during a football game or sitting with the bag of potato chips in hand while watching your favorite reality show. In both examples, you really don't have any good idea of how much food you just consumed because your concentration is on going to be on the big game or show. You can see how overeating could be a big possibility.

Putting a Stop to Distracted Eating
Set a specific meal time and stick to it. When you eat, find a quiet place to sit for a few moments before your meal. You may have some relaxing music playing in the background but no dialogue that requires your attention. If you must eat at a Super Bowl party or other event, find a small plate and put all the food you're going to allow yourself on it; no refills. Before eating, visually survey your food looking at the colors and shapes. Take a moment to give thanks for the nice meal you are about to eat. Remove as many distractions (no reading books or magazines) as possible before eating. Eat slowly and really focus on the tastes and smells. When you have finished, sit quietly for s minute or two and enjoy the feeling a good meal offers your senses.