Are you a secret eater?

Are you a secret eater?

Do you find yourself….

…snacking alone in the pantry after work?

…treating yourself to chocolate and wine after the kids go to bed?

…eating in your car while you enjoy some “me time?”

If any of these snack sessions sound familiar, I want you to simply pause.

What if I told you there’s a really good reason you’ve been snacking — even if it’s not hunger?

These snack habits are just that — habits that you’ve adopted for a reason.

If you’re stressed about making dinner or what the kids need from the moment you walk in the door from work…you might be eating to distract yourself from the stress you’re feeling.

If you’re snacking to give yourself a break after the kids go to bed or snacking alone in the car….you might be eating instead of taking an actual break. 

We’ve developed these coping behaviors for a reason. 

The behavior may be the only way we knew to care for ourselves as kids. 

We may not have had the words to speak up for what we really needed…and instead we stuffed the feelings inside and took a bag of chips along for the ride.

If we want to lose weight, these snack habits can also be an area to start making changes.

Here’s a simple process that can help:

1. Find the pattern. Start to simply notice when you eat at times you’re not hungry. 
2. Acknowledge it’s a habit — you’ve used this snacking habit to care for yourself. It served a purpose. It’s a normal, go-to behavior for you. As you let go of this habit, you could even thank it for getting you this far. 
3. Choose a simple change. What’s a small improvement to your habit? Maybe you choose a smaller serving size or a slightly higher quality of food? Or maybe you agree to have wine three nights a week instead of five.  

Looking at our relationship with food and making doable, intentional changes is a part of mindful eating.