Are you sitting down for this one?

I have a rule for my clients while eating: sit down NO MATTER WHAT. Practicing eating while sitting and using my one bite at a time technique are key mindfulness habits that help my clients develop the skills they need to lose weight AND maintain weight loss.

Once you start paying attention, you will be surprised how often you eat while standing. Here are some examples:

• prepping foods for dinner and throwing some in your mouth as you chop or prep
• prepping dinner for your kids before your own dinner and tasting a little of their meal while standing in the kitchen serving them
• eating your kids leftover dinner while clearing their plates or while scraping leftover food
• starting to eat your dinner while walking to the table
• sampling foods at the grocery store
• grazing in the fridge or the pantry while pulling out ingredients for a meal
• eating foods left out on the counter
• eating “treat” foods like cookies quickly and while standing because you feel guilty eating them

All of these types of eating are a form of mindless eating and I encourage anyone trying to lose weight to observe these behaviors and set a rule for themselves to eat ONLY when sitting down, preferably at the table. If you catch yourself eating while standing gently remind yourself that you have a new rule for yourself to only eat while sitting. Remember, it can take days or weeks to learn a new habit.