Many eating behaviors are reactive responses which you are completely unaware of - a form of mindless eating. Sometimes reactive eating is a response to an uncomfortable feeling such as guilt or stress, or a distorted perception of a situation. And sometimes it’s simply a habit, such as making a bee line to your favorite bag of chips the minute you walk through the door after work.
The following technique is a form of brain training that requires a lot of patience! If you find yourself in the position of a craving, habit, or desire to binge, commit to delaying the eating for 10-15 minutes. Keep in mind the purpose of this activity isn’t to stop you from eating; rather, it’s a practice for not reacting, impulsively, to a craving or habit. It is helpful to keep a food and mood log to write down your thoughts for those excruciating 15 minutes, and then go back and reassess them for triggers. Eventually it will reduce compulsive eating behaviors.
By Rachel Zavala, MS, RD, LDN – Nutritionist at The Body Image Therapy Center. If you would like to get in touch with Rachel please call 443-602-6515 or email[email protected].