I want to stop mindless eating — that’s the exact thought I had last night, standing in my kitchen with a handful of macadamias I don’t even remember picking up.
My Irishman had left the jar out after breakfast. Next thing I know, macadamias are in my mouth. Then I’m going back for more.
And I catch myself thinking, “Whoa, what am I doing?”
This used to be me all the time. Before I learned to listen to my body, I’d spend whole afternoons in the kitchen, picking.
Grabbing random bites here, there, everywhere.
These days it’s rare. But it still creeps back in… which is exactly why I want to talk about it.
What we gain when we stop mindless eating
When we eat mindlessly, our mind isn’t on the food. So we miss the pleasure.
The calories still go in. We just don’t enjoy them.
There are two places we overeat: the size of our meals, and all the random mindless bites we have through the day.
Mindless bites never give you that “I’m properly full” signal.
So you feel like you haven’t eaten much… when actually, you have.
Cut back on the mindless eating (you don’t need to eliminate it completely) and managing your weight gets so much easier.
Better weight. More enjoyment. Feeling good in your clothes. That’s a pretty compelling reason to stop.
How to stop mindless eating: 5 ways
1. Decide
Like any change, the first step is just deciding. Deciding you don’t want this habit in your life anymore.
Deciding you’re willing to do the work. Simple, but powerful.
2. Set boundaries
Little rules, decided ahead of time, make it so much easier in the moment.
Here are some examples to experiment with:
1. Sit down to eat. Every time. Whether it’s a full meal or a handful of nuts.
2. Serve yourself out. Portion it before you start, instead of eating straight from the jar or packet.
3. No screens while eating. If your eyes are on a screen, your mind’s not on the food.
3. Engineer your environment
Put the food away. Don’t leave packets on the counter or bowls of sweets on your desk. Close the pack before you start eating.
Make yourself take an extra step — into the fridge, into the pantry — before you can grab anything.
That little pause point matters more than you’d think.
I know this first hand. Those macadamias were only in my mouth because they were sitting out. Any other night, they wouldn’t have crossed my mind.
4. Use a pattern interrupt
My favourite is bilateral stimulation. Grab the object — the packet, the brownie, whatever it is — and pass it from hand to hand. Count to ten if that helps.
It sounds too simple to work. But it puts a little roadblock in your brain, and gives you a moment to check in and ask: do I actually want this?
That’s exactly what I did with the macadamias. Ten seconds later: “Oh, I’m good. I don’t need these.” Packed them away. No drama.
5. Choose again
You won’t do this perfectly. Nobody does.
When you catch yourself eating mindlessly again, don’t spiral into “I’ve blown it, I’ll start Monday.”
Just choose again. Right there.
Coach yourself by gently reminding “We said we weren’t doing this anymore. Let’s stop now.”
That one small choice, repeated over and over, adds up to real change.
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Want help to stop mindless eating?
Having support around this makes such a difference. If that sounds good to you, come and join us in the Naturally Healthy Club.
It’s my six-month group coaching program, where you learn to listen to your body and build your own simple, doable process to eat more intentionally.
You’ll become a naturally healthy person who eats what you want and feels good in your clothes.
So you reach your ideal weight, with ease and joy. No rules. No counting.
Find out more about the Naturally Healthy Club
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My Best Bite
This week: my Irishman’s Japanese chicken (soy and ginger marinade, always a winner), alongside a broccolini side I made for our Sunday dinner with friends.
Farmers market broccolini, boiled, tossed in a tahini, sesame oil and soy dressing, finished with seaweed. Everyone at the table said the broccolini was the highlight of the meal.
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I’m excited about
Noticing joy. The simple pleasures.
As I get older, it’s easy to let the negativity take over. The antidote is actually noticing the good that’s already there. Flowers on the table. Rain on the tin roof.
This week, I’m inviting you to do the same. Tune in, and notice one simple pleasure.
In your corner,
Jules from Stonesoup xx
(Your favourite Australian Food Scientist)
See my bio
ps. Can I ask a favour?
If you’ve found this helpful please forward the link to a friend who also loves food. Thank you!
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