What to Do When Food Finds You

You do this when you’re tired.  You do this when you’re bored.  You even do this when you’re hungry.  Worse of all, you do this just because it’s there.

I’m talking about eating.  As a former fat girl, I can tell you that I ate for many reasons, only one of which involved hunger.  I still eat when I’m not hungry.  When I’m bored, tired, or stressed, I find myself looking for Christmas cookies.  My bad.

Then there is the BIG BAD.  The BIG BAD is eating food just because it’s there.  I have scarfed down 5 cookies in one sitting, even when they were the yucky ones.  If cookies aren’t your kryptonite, there are other caloric pitfalls lurking during the holidays.

It’s hard to say no to food, but nearly impossible when you find food everywhere- at home, at work, at cookie parties, at volunteer events and at holiday functions.  Did you know that the more food you see, the more you will eat?

According to Brian Wansink of Cornell University, “people not only significantly underestimate the calorie content of what they eat, but discount even more the calorie content of food they eat but don’t like” (full article here).  Have you ever eaten food you did not like, just because it was there?

Here are 3 simple strategies for avoiding food overload during the holidays:

1. Hide it
2. Put it in smaller and darker containers
3. Choose one favorite food but pass on the rest

Do you have a strategy that works for you?  Share with us!