Written by: Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Kim Feinstein, RedMountain Weight Loss’s Behavioral Weight Loss Specialist
Food Zombie (noun): The danger zone; turn back now! Your state of being while eating something so good (or long-anticipated) that one loose all awareness and slips into a food trance.
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. That steak made me a food zombie.”
———————————————————————————————————-
Have you ever found yourself mindlessly munching on popcorn at the movies or in front of the television and then, eventually, your hand reaches the bottom of the bag only to find that the popcorn is all gone; Or, you buy a pizza and think “I am only going to have one slice;” however, you go into the food trance and then realize the entire pizza is almost gone and you don’t remember eating it all; Or when you plan to just grab “a handful” of chips while you work on the computer only to discover you consumed the entire bag.
Beware: You have entered the danger zone, otherwise known as “the food trance.”
If you are like most people in our society, you eat meal after meal, snack after snack, barely aware of what you are eating and how much you are consuming. Now, if you ate mindlessly only once in a while, it may not be such a problem. However, it becomes a destructive habit when you are in a food trance most of the time. As you probably know, over time, this unskilled way of eating can result in unhappiness with food and how your body responds to it. It can also lead to chronic dieting and significant weight gain and obesity.
Waking up from the food trance can help you discover a far more satisfying relationship to food and eating than you ever imagined or experienced before. Below are my 5 S’, which are effective tips to help you wake up from the food trance once and for all.
The 5 S’s for Waking up from the Food Trance
1. STOP participating in other activities while you are eating. This means, no screen time (i.e. television, movie theater, computer, smartphone/tablet, etc.) while you are eating. Eating while watching “the screen” is one of the quickest ways to consume excess calories, as it takes your focus away from the smell and taste of the food. Consequently, you feel less satisfied, which causes you to eat more.
2. SIT DOWN
Sit down and only eat at a table instead of standing, walking around, or driving. If this seems like an outrageously simple suggestion, think about the number of times when you eat on the go…driving in your car on your way to work or school, walking around the kitchen, or even pacing your office. Make it a rule to only put food in your mouth if you are sitting down at a table. This will help you focus on what you are eating and prevent you from entering the food trance.
3. SLOW DOWN
Slowing down when eating is a great first step to breaking the food trance. By slowing down, we can fully experience our food and become aware of our hunger and satiety. There are many tricks you can use to slow down while eating. My favorite is eating with your non-dominant hand. You can also try eating with chopsticks. This will force you to take smaller bites and eat slower. You can also try putting down your fork in between each bite.
4. SAVOR
Try counting how many times you chew a bite. Try chewing 15-20 times before swallowing. Taking the time to savor and enjoy your food will help you to stay present, notice when you are satisfied, and keep you from falling into the trance. Make it a true sensory experience. Savor the aroma, appreciate the color and texture.
5. SERVING SIZE
To avoid the food trance, never eat from an open box, bag, or jar. Instead, measure out a serving size and transfer it to a bowl or plate. This will help you from eating the entire box or bag. Eat only what you have portioned out, and do not take seconds. You can also buy single-serving-size snacks.
