Peeke Blog

Whens the last time you turned on the news and didnt see a story about obesity in America?

The subject has given reporters an easy way to fill a time slot in the news. They show some footage of teenagers sipping a giant soda, of a couple gobbling down over-sized burgers, or a family at the beach with a bucket load of ketchup-covered fries. Each one ends with a lab-coated doctor wringing his hands about this epidemic, just before the report ends and they go to a McDonalds commercial. 

But they never really get to the source, do they?  

Last time you went to a restaurant, didnt somebody at your table comment on how big the plates were, or about how much food they served you? When you asked for a soda at the movie theater, and asked for a small, did the girl behind the counter roll her eyes and explain to you we dont have small; only regular, large or king size? When you went to your neighborhood block party and sat down at the picnic table next to the large bowl of chips, didnt everyone sit there and munch until the bowl was completely empty?

Here is a one source of Americas obesity epidemic: Mindless Eating.

You just dont think about it! Youre out with friends, and everyone is munching. Youre at the movies, and since they dont offer a small-sized soda, you shrug and agree to take the regular size. And at the restaurant, the portions are so large, and like me, you want to get your moneys worth, so you are determined to finish that plate!

But this is where we make the mistake: we dont think about what is going in us, or how much of that food is going to stick once it is in us. 

We dont get fat by gorging on a couple meals. We gain all that weight a few extra calories at a time. The bowl of chips at the party is just an example of what were doing each day at home. Theres that cookie jar next to the microwave, and sure, its almost an hour to dinner, so maybe just one But since no one is around, maybe youll have one more, till you turn around and realize theres only one left in the jar.

Or its Saturday morning, and you had an early breakfast so you can go out and work in the yard. But at mid-morning youre already hungry, so one donut will do just the trick. But it tastes so good, that just one more will really hit the spot. And then you eat and eat till the box is empty

And how about at the office? Every time you walk by the receptionists desk on your way to accounting, you scoop up a hand-full of M&Ms and pop them into your mouth. At 3:20 in the afternoon, when you still have a couple hours to go plus the commute home before dinner, they sure keep you going, dont they? And you make a special effort to take the same path back to get just a few more down the hatch before your return to your cubicle.

These are all examples of mindless eating. You just dont think about it! Why should you? Youre busy; its a hectic day; your son just called and said the car wont start. You deserve a little pick-me-up.

But this is the mistake we all make. We dont think about it. Our mind is disconnected from our bellies. And your body takes the beating. These little actions each day add up to a lot of weight at the end of the year.  It only seems like a few extra calories in that larger soda, but they add up. And that donut is yummy, but we all know where its going.  And every time we sit down at the restaurant, it can be a psychological battle between you and the chef you never see. Even if you ask for a smaller plate or smaller portions, he  forgets your request because hes cooking a dozen entrees at the same time. Its up to you to push a little to the side of the plate and ask for a doggie-bag. That way you assure yourself that you are only eating what you need. And you get to enjoy the same meal the next day!

And when youre at the picnic, make a decision before you go to stand away from the food table, or to place your chair facing in the opposite direction from the ice chests full of beer. Before every party or picnic, my friend tells her kids to fill one plate and move away from the table. No one wants to see you stand there and graze like a cow. Solid advice to teach good manners, but also healthy advice for us adults too.

Like her, it is our responsibility to think before we show up at these eating events. Keeping away from that extra cookie saves you a couple hundred calories. And when you sit down to pop in a DVD to watch with the kids next Saturday night, decide to put out a large plate of carrots instead of a bowl of chips and salsa.

Although we call it mindless eating, we are merely deflecting the decision about what we eat, and then looking sadly in the mirror at the result. Simple decisions make a large difference at your waistline. Those few extra calories each day at work can add up to 35 pounds at the end of the year!

So ignoring that urge to nibble right before dinner, or making a second trip to the buffet table, or gorging on that buttery appetizer at the restaurant can make a huge difference when you step on the scale. Youll be so proud of the results, and youll be quietly disciplining yourself to say no. Your mindless eating will turn in to mindful mastery of your daily eating habits. And youll feel so much better too.