Bad habit.

[luckymom]

I have developed the bad habit of eating too much, too fast, and too often.  I am not even necessarily interested in the food; it just feels as if I have to hurry up and load up to keep on going.  Then I feel heavy, grumpy, with an upset stomach.

 

It really is just a bad habit now.  It probably has its roots in not enough sleep, too much running around, latent "mommy-must-finish-meal-before-baby-wakes" ...

 

Now it needs to stop because it's not good for me.

 

Any suggestions on how to change this habit?  Eat less, eat better, eat more slowly.

[AK_Mom4]

Small plates. Seriously. And don't eat with the people who make you feel like you have to rush. That sounds bad and it is because if you are like me, it means sitting at the table with the family, but not eating my dinner until they are all finished. That way I felt like I could eat without being interrupted by some kid needing something

 

Now that my kids are older, it has become less Of a problem.

[Harriet Vane]

Can you read a book or watch a little something while you eat? Force yourself to turn eating into a leisure activity for 20-30 minutes.

[trulycrabby]

Force yourself to chew each bite 30 times before swallowing, and put down the knife and fork between bites.

[VaKim]

I do well with setting certain times of the day when I am going to eat. I know a lot of books and people say to go by your hunger, not the clock, but I cannot do that, or I'd eat all day long. I am a schedule lover and setting 4 times a day to eat works for me. Perhaps you need only 3, or maybe 5, but make sure you don't eat as much at a time if you have more meals (goes without saying, I'm sure).

[nd293]

About 8 months ago I did an online weightloss / exercise programme which included a weekly menu (3 meals per day), recipes and shopping list. (The menu could be altered; there was a range of recipes to choose from.) As well as losing the weight I wanted to lose, I became more conscious of the quantifies of food we should be cooking and eating. I was able to develop a visual benchmark of what 'enough' looked like, which was incredibly helpful. We ended up buying smaller bowls and dinner plates (large side plates, in fact), as the quantity of food that fills the typical dinner plate is simply way more calories than our relatively sedentary lifestyle requires.

 

I also like a steady food routine. For me that is latte, breakfast, latte, small late lunch, dinner, square of chocolate! For the kids who are at school, breakfast, midday large lunch, after school snack, dinner. We're all less inclined to snack if we know that it's not time for the next meal.

 

I also hate being hungry, so have a tendency to eat preventatively if I'm not careful. I now try to keep something easy, filling and healthy around that I know I can eat if I do feel hungry. Apple and cheese is my latest snack of choice.

[wintermom]

If you are still in the baby stage, then it's probably an issue of necessity in some ways. I'd pick protein-rich foods that are easy and quick to eat, like Greek yogurt and sliced meat. Use a small plate so you don't take too much. Avoid empty carbs with lots of sugar and salt. Then wait until the baby and toddler stage is over so you can slow down to eat and enjoy your meals. Or if you have older child to watch the little one, you'll have time for yourself sooner.