No, I didn’t forget about you Clean Eating Boot Campers! After spending a week talking about the problems with processed food, the next step was to pick two places in your daily activity where you will eat. That’s right. Two.
Why two? Simple. If you have a job, then you can’t eat at home for lunch.
Know what this means? No, you cannot eat in your car. No, you cannot eat in your bed. No, you cannot eat on your couch. And no, you most certainly cannot eat while you’re walking en route somewhere.
Sit down. Eat at your table. Enjoy your food.
There is a caveat to this, though: if you are planning to dine somewhere where you actually sit at a table and are being served a dinner, having drinks refilled and paying/tipping a server at the end? That’s an acceptable exclusion. You’re being catered to, and you’re treating yourself. That’s always acceptable.
Other than that? Stick to your two places. McWhopperCastle is not a treat. It’s a tragedy.
Most snacking – especially bored eating and random “cravings” – happens when a person isn’t actually hungry, just “craving” or “bored” and “wants something to do.” You get that feeling? Go pop in a workout DD, go for a walk, go take a hot shower, turn the music up and sing it at the top of your lungs (preferably with the car windows up… because if I hear you in the next car over, I’m gonna laugh. Hard.) go be productive… anything. But this random snacking business isn’t acceptable.
Feel a craving? Go to your designated spot and eat. Think about what you are eating. Is it an apple, or a candy bar? Is it a bag of chips or a bag of grapes? Having designated spots where eating is acceptable not only prevents you from eating in shame and hiding from others, but it also protects you from mindless eating. You have to think about your eating because you’re forcing yourself to eat in a particular location every time you do. It might even help you stop with the incessant snacking, anyway.