Are you a stay-at-home mom? Do you work from home?
This is the case for many of my clients. And they constantly struggle with the daytime eating. This can happen on weekends for those that work outside the home as well. The wandering into the kitchen and picking a little something out of the pantry. Filling your water bottle and just grabbing a quick bite of leftovers out of the fridge. Throwing something in the kitchen trash, only to discover you left a bowl of grapes on the counter–don’t mind if I do! All this unplanned and frankly unnecessary eating adds up. You are eating when you aren’t physically hungry.
Maybe your morning looks like mine:
There is a big hustle and bustle to get the kiddos off to school. You are up extra early with the high school kids, making lunches, filling hydroflasks. Off they go and you get a quick workout in. Then it’s time to braid hair and make sure that same braided hair girl middle schooler actually eats some breakfast (other than a glass of apple juice) and brushes her teeth. Fight the school drop off traffic and you’re finally home to have a somewhat leisurely breakfast. Eggs and sautéed greens for me please. Probably with a side of homemade sourdough toast or maybe some fruit.
OK. Now what? It’s time to do up the dishes and turn the lights off.
The Kitchen Is Now Closed.
When you approach a business that is dark inside, how many times have you said “The lights are off–I guess they are closed.” Or maybe you visit a friend’s house and you say “The lights are off–I guess they aren’t home.”
Now obviously it’s not going to actually be dark in the kitchen in the middle of the day. But as in my photo (not my kitchen–one can dream though), the lightbulbs are turned off. Let this be a signal to your brain: “The lights are off–Looks like the kitchen is closed.”
What if the kitchen were closed until 1:00? When you walked past to put a load of laundry in, would you be less likely to grab a snack? Remind your brain: the kitchen is closed–no snacks are available. When you need your checkbook out of the junk drawer, located right next to the pantry remind your brain: the lights are off so the kitchen is closed.
When you notice physical hunger is coming on, turn the lights on! Eat your planned lunch attentively and enjoyably! And then again tidy up, and turn the lights off.
Use this as a cue and reminder that there is no need to snack and graze all day. The kitchen is closed between meals.
Ready to transform your eating habits? Book a free strategy session with me!
