|
Help!
I'm a chain-snacker!
Dear
Dr. Dale,
I'm a chain-snacker. I snack all day long at my desk. I
have a lot of pressure at work and usually put in 14 hours
a day. I exercise every day but I'm not losing weight. I
know it's because of all the snacking. Help!
Jay
Dear Jay,
You're
not alone. There are so many people who eat throughout the
day, never giving their bodies a break, a rest, a chance
to process and digest. Their brains never get the message
either that they are full or that they are hungry. Nonstop
eating or what you refer to as chain-snacking (and some
refer to as noshing, nibbling, grazing, nonstop munching,)
is a sure way to put on weight. But more than that, when
we eat nonstop, we are not paying attention; not conscious
of what we are doing. We are not thinking of what and why
we are eating.
What is important here is trying to develop a different
mindset about food. If chain snacking is your way of cruising
through the day, feeling "supported" or taken
care of while working, then perhaps you might want to look
at what is going on at work.
It's healthy to have fluids throughout the day; several
glasses of water and or herbal teas. Having a healthy snack
of fruit, vegetables, yoghurt or a serving of nuts mid morning
and mid-afternoon is important for good health too. But
chain-snacking is often related to something other than
hunger. You may be eating nonstop while working because
you're bored or anxious or in need of comfort. Even if you
are snacking on "healthy foods" your digestive
system needs to have a rest. Becoming aware of why we eat
and making conscious choices about what we eat and when
we eat is as important as what we eat.
Try to have bottles of water at your desk and drink fluids.
When you want to snack, jot down what you're thinking
and feeling and see if the urge to eat at that time is more
about filling a void within you than about hunger.
Breaking a habit of any kind takes time but before we're
able to do it we must be aware of why we do it, otherwise
we're likely to replace it with something else.
I wish you all the best in becoming more conscious about
your choices, Jay.
Dale
dratkins@kathleendaelemans.com
Dr. Dale Atkins' latest book, I'm
OK, You're My Parents: How to Overcome Guilt, Let Go of
Anger, and Create a Relationship That Works,
draws on twenty-five years of experience as a relationship
expert to present a comprehensive guide to repairing difficult
relationships, gaining control, and building a life that
you and your parents can live with for years to come.
Click
here for more info on I'm OK, You're My Parents
(Requires the free Acrobat
Reader; click the button below to download the Reader)
Other
books by Dr. Dale Atkins:
Sisters
From
the Heart: Men and Women Write Their Private Thoughts About
Their Married Lives
|
