I ate some chocolate last night. Ok, it was good quality 85% cocoa chocolate and full of antioxidants, but I ate the whole bar instead of 2 squares. Why did I do it? Well, I liked the taste for one and it felt good eating it, but here’s the key point – I didn’t feel good afterwards and I was annoyed at myself because I should have stopped after the two squares.
Boredom can make us eat things we shouldn’t. I wasn’t bored last night, but it did get me thinking about the times we sometimes float around the house ‘drifting’ and its those times I invariably end up putting my head in the fridge or in the biscuit tin, not because I’m hungry but because I’m not focusing.
Introducing the Two Minute Rule.
As we get further into this time at home, this little rule will serve you well. Its very simple – if you reach for a snack, a sweet treat or something a little unhealthy, before you eat it, you have to put it on a plate, place it in front of you and look at it for 2 minutes. During those 2 minutes, ask yourself these things;
1. Do I need to eat this?
2. Is it good for me?
3. How will I feel afterwards?
4. What could I have or do instead?
If you can convince yourself that its a good idea to eat whatever it is, then you go ahead, but the thought processes you will have in those two minutes are powerful and you will start to condition your mind not to need that unhealthy snack.
One other little tip – to give yourself a helping hand during the 2 minutes – drink a glass of water whilst you think, it will play a little trick on your brain…