Reading and implementing what I learned from the book Mindless Eating was a real turning point in my weight loss journey.
It was the tipping point that led to achieving the peace with food I'd been seeking while maintaining the Weight Watchers goal weight I'd set back in my late 20s.
6-Week Mindless Eating Challenge Background
Now more than a decade later, as I settle in at the scene of this healthy exploration (Land O' Lakes, WI), I thought it would be fun to create a 6-week Mindless Eating Challenge to help others experience what I discovered.
While Weight Watchers friendly recipes are important, they are only one part of the equation. Learning how to manage our environment and develop healthy habits are the critical elements of lasting weight loss success.
Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (affiliate link) helped me see this.
But it's not enough to just read a book. You have to practice what you discover. Which is what this challenge is all about.
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember.
I do and I understand."
~ Confucius
For this challenge, we will all read Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (affiliate link) and share our awarenesses and experiences. Every week for six weeks, from July 10 - August 14, we'll read two chapters a week and share what we learn.
I'll kick things off every Monday with a post, which will give provide participants a place to comment with their discoveries, if they'd like.
It seems like a perfect summer project: A virtual book club, but with homework 🙂
To be most effective, this challenge is best undertaken in a low key "let's just see what we discover" manner. No pressure. No way to fail.
But it does provide a bit of accountability if you find it helpful in propelling you into action.
All you need to do to take part is buy the book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (affiliate link) (or borrow it from your library).
Here's the basic schedule:
6-Week Mindless Eating Challenge Schedule
- Why I'm Doing This 6-Week Mindless Eating Challenge
- Mindless Eating Challenge Kick-Off
- Week #1: July 10 - Chapters 1 and 2
- Week #2: July 17 - Chapters 3 and 4
- Week #3: July 24 - Chapter 5 and 6
- Week #4: July 31- Chapters 7 and 8
- Week #5: August 7- Chapters 9 and 10
- Week #6: August 14 - Appendix B and Wrap-Up
Week #1: My Notes and Thoughts on Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think Chapters 1 and 2
The Bottom Line: There's nothing wrong with you. We were designed for the "see food" diet. It's natural to eat food that we see and that is readily available. This made sense in a world where food was sometimes plentiful and sometimes scarce. The problem is that today food is TOO PLENTIFUL (for those who struggle with our weight, anyway).
You need to learn to set up an environment that supports your desire to eat better and lose weight. This is your work. You will need to practice for a while. Breaking old habits and forming new ones takes time, but it is worth it!
Weight Loss Strategies:
- Think 20% more or less. Dish up 20% less than you think you want. Increase fruits and veg by 20% to make up for the difference.
- Pre-plate your food. Avoid serving anything except fruits and vegetables family style.
- Avoid seconds. Wait at least 20 minutes before eating more. Gives time for stomach and brain to know you are full.
- Don't eat directly from boxes, bags, containers, packages. Portion out your food and put it in a dish.
Notes from the Introduction Of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
- Everyone of us eats how much we eat largely because of what's around us.
- Most of us are blissfully unaware of what influences how much we eat.
- We think we are too smart to be tricked by things like packages, plates and lighting. That's what makes it so dangerous!
- This approach is not about dietary extremism.
- You can re-engineer your environment so you can eat what you want without guilt and without gaining weight.
- Food is a great pleasure.
- We need to shift our surroundings to work with our lifestyle instead of against it.
- You need to remove the environmental cues that lead to overeating.
- You need to redesign your kitchens and habits.
- The best diet is the one you don't know you are on.
Notes from Chapter 1 of the Book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
- People eat more when given a bigger container. Even when they are not hungry and/or the food doesn't even taste good!
- The "Popcorn Experiment" shows how frail willpower is. People served a large popcorn bucket ate 173 more calories (53% more) than those given a medium container, even though the popcorn was stale and many folks had just eaten lunch so they weren't hungry.
- Our body fights against them. We are designed for survival in a feast or famine world. This design works against us in our modern all-you-can eat world where food is too plentiful, but our instincts are still programmed to eat as much as we can as often as we can.
- Our brain fights against them. If we consciously deny ourselves something we are likely to end up craving it more and unlikely to stick with it.
- Our day to day environment fights against them. We are bombarded my sights and smells encouraging us to eat. Fast food, convenience stores, vending machines, television commercials all signaling us to eat.
- The "Mindless Margin" is a calorie range that we are unaware of. If we eat way too much or way too little we know it. But small differences of a couple hundred calories don't register with our bodies or minds. They are too small to notice. These little differences repeated day after day can cause us to slowly gain or lose weight.
- Cutting just 100 calories/day: would prevent weight gain in most of the US population. (Classic article published in the journal Science.) Click here for some easy ways to cut 100 calories/day.
- Divide calories/10: to determine how much weight lost in a year by cutting out a number of calories per day. For example: if you eliminate 150 calories a day at the end of the year you will be 15 pounds lighter! If you cut out 250 calories a day, at the end of the year you will be 25 pounds lighter!
- Easy weight loss strategy: Trim 100-200 calories/day in a way that doesn't make you feel deprived and you will slowly and steadily lose weight without pain or suffering! Click here for some easy ways to cut 100 calories/day.
- Focus more on HOW MUCH you eat rather than what you eat.
Notes from Chapter 2 of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
- We all suffer from food amnesia. We are not designed to accurately track what we have eaten.
- We need external benchmarks to tell that we are gaining weight or losing weight:
- fit of our jeans
- notch of our belt
- energy level walking up stairs
- We believe our eyes, not our stomaches. Research shows that people get full by the amount of food they eat, not the number of calories they take in. You can cut calories in your favorite foods by lowering the amount of fat and or increasing the amount of fiber-rich ingredients, such as vegetables or fruit.Click here for more ideas on how to lighten up your recipes so you can eat the same amount of food, but with fewer calories.
- We are terrible estimating the number of calories we eat. Normal weight people underestimate by about 20% Obese people underestimate by 30-50%.
- The bigger the meal the more we will underestimate its calories.
Questions to Consider:
- What were your biggest takeaways from Chapters 1 and 2 of Mindless Eating?
- What strategies have you implemented? What have you discovered?
- What surprised you most about the North Dakota wine study?
- Do you agree that volume trumps calories and our stomachs are bad at math?
- What is your typical cue to stop eating? Do you usually finish everything on your plate? Why or why not?
I'll be back next week with my notes from Chapters 3 and 4.
Have a great week!
Warmly,
Martha
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Originally published 7/17; Updated with new content/dates/photos 7/23
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jill
My favorite part so far is the story about one of his friends who was eating when he was not hungry, which is one of the problems I face. The friend started to say OUT LOUD, I am not hungry but I am going to eat __ (this food thing) anyway. I have tried that and I felt so ridiculous that when I say it I usually end up not eating anything. I have been practicing eating 80 % of what is on my plate. That is working great because I can eat the rest of what is on my plate a bit later if I am still hungry.
Thanks for the great idea of working through this book together!!
Martha McKinnon
Jill, I loved that part too! After reading this, I realized I had the habit of dipping into the jar
of nuts when I stepped into the pantry each morning to grab my dog her dogfood! It had nothing to do
with hunger, just a reaction from seeing the jar. I now regularly tell myself to step away from the nuts.
Self talk can seem crazy, but it snaps us out of the unconscious coma that results in so much mindless eating!
Joy
I am overwhelmed by my failures at "dieting". My little inner voice says, "why try, you know you will just fail." Working at staying positive with myself and moving into more healthy eating. Thanks for a good read suggestion, recipe suggestions and encouragement.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Joy, sounds like it's time to tell your inner mean girl to shut up! You are not failing. Always remember that trying + failing = learning!!
Melissa
Just ordered the book! Seems pretty interesting!
SA
Volume definitely trumps calories for me. I learned from WWs to bulk up my sandwiches with vegetables, and it's much more satisfying than just a meat and bread sandwich!
From the reading we did, I was surprised by the notion that we feel full/satiated only after we clean our plate. It never dawned on me before that I do that! I'm looking forward to figuring out how to eat 20% less.....I'm worried I will perceive it as a deprivation. Smaller plate = less food. Less food on standard plate = less food, too.
Hmmmmm....how to do the 20% less thing?.....
-SA
Martha McKinnon
Hi SA, I've learned through the years that volume trumps calories for me too. I've learned to bulk up lots of different meal with plenty of low calories vegetables. I'd suggest keeping an open mind with using smaller plates and eating 20% less. Tell yourself you can have more later if you are really hungry. That's what I do and surprise - I rarely am 🙂
Sue
Pick a smaller plate. That might help.
Barb
I use a smaller plate and don't feel deprived at all. As a volume eater I still get a full plate. I also try to fill at least 75% of my plate with natural high fiber foods. They take longer to eat and keep me satisfied so I snack less.
Cyndy
I think the environment in which you are eating a meal plays into how much you eat and the enjoyment of it. For example, I often really enjoy a wine we choose when out at a nice restaurant, only to buy it later and think it is just so-so when drinking it at home.
One of the most difficult things for me to enjoy while on WW (I lost 35 lbs; it took a year because of some metabolic issues I have, but I'm at goal) is eating out at a restaurant. Their low-calorie items are tasteless. I enjoy cooking and therefore want something good to eat when going out--something I probably wouldn't make at home.
I don't want to sound negative, and I hope to learn changes from this book. But I cannot maintain my hard-won eating more than 30 smart points (I could only lose on 25-27 SP) and don't see how I could shave 100-200 without noticing it!
Bonnie
Get your take home box before you eat. Order what you really want and portion it!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Cyndy, clearly everyone is different. I agree that restaurant eating can be challenging. I recently spent 4 days on the road traveling from Arizona to Wisconsin and ate out much more than normal. I allowed myself to order pretty much anything I wanted. My husband and I both discovered how terrible we felt in the morning after eating at Olive Garden. We felt puffy and foggy headed, like we had a food hangover. I never wake up feeling like that when I cook at home. I'm wondering what caused the reaction? Too much salt? Too much fat? What was in the food to cause such a feeling? Try to take the attitude that what you are doing is just a game that you are playing that you can quit whenever you want! I really helps me.
Cyndy
One "trick" I have used in the last year is to go out to lunch instead of dinner. It seems like it's easier to eat something interesting but not too fatty/salty. Many times I will get fruit with whatever I order, eat the fruit and half of the order (ex: half a BLT) and bring the other half home for dinner.
But cooking at home has been much more satisfying, due to all the WW recipes from you and others.
I hope to learn new "tricks" from the book. Thanks for doing this; it's enlightening to read others' comments.
Una
Perhaps use the other system of WW which many seemed to like, and ditch the SmartPoints? I only ever did the version before the ProPoints or whatever they were called. In the old days, you had 20 points, and that was it. You could drink 20 glasses of wine at 1 point per glass and still lose weight but it wasn't very healthy if you did!!! You have to lose weight if you eat less and choose wisely. And 30 points can go a long way if you choose something that's both filling and life-giving, not a cream doughnut or slices of bread and butter or plates of pasta. Lean protein is sustaining. I have porridge every morning, and have done for years but now I make it with water instead of skimmed milk, and it saves points, and quite honestly doesn't taste that much different. If it's any consolation, I won't be reading the book. Enough to read here!! By the time it would arrive in England from America, I'm hoping I'd have lost half a stone at least out of my 18 lbs I need to lose! Good luck!
Martha McKinnon
Thanks for sharing Una!
Joanie
I just got the book from the library. I may have to read ahead because I won't have it for more than a few weeks. Thanks for the encouragement.
Martha McKinnon
Absolutely, read ahead Joanie! I hope it helps you as much as it has me 🙂
Karen
I have had my eyes widened. His studies make a lot of sense and I do see where food has always been ample in my home environment. I have bought big bags and made them smaller bags dividing things up so I don't indulge myself. I have bought fruit and vegetables that are in season in my area this week to help with the hunger issues.
Martha McKinnon
Karen, I know what you mean about having your eyes widened. Once you read this book, I don't think you ever look at food and your environment the same again!! Love that you are portioning out items into smaller bags from the big ones and stocking up on in season fruits and veg! Way to go!!
Mary
The biggest eye opener for me was the stale popcorn experiment. I really thought about all
those times I have eaten things that don't taste good but were given to me as a gift, or I ordered it at a restaurant, or I bought it and someone has to eat it so it isn't wasted or because I didn't want to hurt someone's feelings. Thank you for doing this book study; I look forward to learning and sharing!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Mary, I've been guilty of that too! Now, I try to remember to always ask, "Is it worth the points/calories?" Often I realize it's not!!
Liz
I am hopeful I will find many good take-aways from this book. I know I eat more volume than I should. I don't always stop eating when I feel full. My trigger foods beckon me to want more of the flavor so I overindulge (pasta with red sauce). I have switched to a smaller plate, am moving more during the day, and drinking more water (that one's hard). I also think I eat dinner too late in the evening (7 p.m.) but not sure if this is my worst problem.
Jan
Thank you for doing this book discussion. I am definitely trying the "eat 20% less". I too, eat everything on my plate. Whether I am at home or at a restaurant I feel like I need to eat everything. If I portion my plate properly I can continue to eat everything on my plate at home. At a restaurant I need to learn when I'm no longer hungry and stop!
Jane
Dr. Wansink's droll tongue-in-cheek humour made the read a very easy one. I recognized myself in many of his scenarios and for the first time asked myself why and how. Some time ago I had bought a pad of menu sheets and every Sunday would fill in my menus for the week and was so good at following them!
EXCEPT for the times I would eat not one but two chocolate bars at 4 p.m. just because I was tired and deserved it and it was there and I had gotten into the habit of doing so. THEN decided I had to give up the chocolate and would have protein bars instead. After all, they're healthy and good for you (Quest mocha chocolate are delicious) but 2 a day at 200 or so calories each sure add up and stall weight loss.
But I'm so good at eating what my menu sheets tell me and even eat off the portion control plates I got at Weight watchers.
So the scenarios in the first two chapters really got me to thinking how they applied to me. Both the chocolate and protein bars were right at the check out counters and without even thinking, I grabbed them to perk me up and one visit became two became three became a habit without any thought just because!
When you're given information that makes you stop and think it's so helpful in providing insight into the why and how and if nothing else is making me ask if the why is worth it!
I also liked his assertion that the best diet is one you don't know you're on
Thanks for your starting this book club - I also see myself in the comments before mine and it''s comforting to know that others have the same experiences and you have given us a forum to learn from each other !
Barb
I have read the assigned chapters and am not too surprised at some of the findings. I do have to say that in general I eat by the clock or when I can, it is not always easy to only eat when I am hungry (especially with a family). In general I am pretty good with eating my regular meals and correct portions. MY biggest problem is eating inbetween, when I get upset or aggrevated or ...... I guess it would be that old "emotional eating" that is my biggest problem, and I'm waiting to see if that will be addressed in this book.
I do tend to deprive myself when I won't have the rice, or french fries, or pasta at a meal. I might also turn down a donut or cookie, but later on (if not the same day, then the next), I will go through the panty just eating everything in sight, probably to try and get what I passed up. The amount of calories I would have saved if I had just had even a little bit of the "forbidden food" vs raiding the pantry!
One more wierd thing I do is, at night when fixing the next days lunch for my hubby to take to work, I just start eating what is in front of me. A piece of bread here, a slice of turkey there. I am not hungry, and I am not emotional, it just seems like an uncontrollable habit. And I normally don't nibble while fixing any other meals.
Julie
My eyes were opened A LOT! I found the studies to be particularly interesting and very insiteful - learning the "why" behind so many of the things we/I do when it comes to not just eating food, but even shopping for it. Even after reading the first two chapters, I did a "mindless eating" move today...Met hubby for lunch and even though I had finished my sandwich and had already had a good amount of the baked chips, there was that moment where I could of stopped eating what was left, but did I? No! Was I still hungry? No! Later I realized not only was that a mindless eating moment (although not completely mindless because I actually did give it a second or two of thought), but just getting chips along with the sandwich is the thing to do, right? Having a sandwich, well you get chips to go along with it of course, just like fries since you ordered a cheeseburger, and eat crackers because you're having cheese. Grrrr! Ingrained thoughts/behaviors...Looking forward to reading/learning more and turning my thought pattern around.
Susan
Most of this information is not new to lifetime dieters, but his methods of delivering it makes you think SO differently. Love the science and studies he presents. The mere facts that only 150 calories a day over a year can cause a 15 weight loss ALSO shows how we have gained so much weight!! Wow!
It was also a wake-slap that we use only external cues rather than internal. and that volume trumps calories. He is really making me think.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Susan, so glad to hear that the way he is presenting his study results is making you think. I had the same reaction 7 years ago and am still learning from this book.
Barb
Just started the book, but I could see myself in so many of the scenarios. I am a volume eater and have adopted a much healthier diet, but volume is still my biggest challenge so weight loss comes very slowly. I look forward to each chapter and understanding how I relate to food. Thanks so much Martha for bringing this challenge!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Barb, it sounds like you know yourself very well which is good. Awareness is always the first step in changing behavior. I'm so glad you are enjoying this challenge. - Martha
Bonnie Sullivan
My biggest challenge is eating popcorn "every night" while watching my 2 shows. I really underestimated how many WW points I was eating.
After reading the popcorn trial - I realized that I too eat as much popcorn as is in the container.
Last night was quite a challenge BUT I was determined to not make any and believe it or not - I survived.
I am going to half the amount of popcorn when I make it and ONLY when I have enough points left to cover it. Which of course means minimizing my points for the days I really want to have it..
Martha McKinnon
What a powerful discovery Bonnie. I too have a real love of popcorn
and eat too much of it whenever I go to the movies. Fortunately, I don't
get there very often! I like your idea of making half as much when you
really want it and cutting back in other areas to make sure you have
the points available. A great way to take control while still allowing
yourself what you really want.
Jenny
I love this Challenge! I read the first two chapters and one thing that I started doing was to See ALL that I eat. Today I decided to not care how messy my desk looked at work. I was not going to throw any snacks, non-water drinks, or candy wrappers in the trash. It was very eye-opening. I drink three sodas and a bag of cookies. Normally, I just keep my desk clean by throwing out my trash when I get up. I probably would have had more if I hadn't seen what I've already done.
I also checked this book out of the library and now I realize that I should buy the book. This is one book that I can't read through just once and not write in.
Martha McKinnon
Wow Jenny! I love how you kept all the the snack, candy and non-water drink remains on
your desk to get a visual of how much you had eaten! I agree that this isn't a book
that you just read once. I refer back to it regularly and always seem to discover something new.
Aline
I've just been told by my physician that I need to love 10% to start IVF treatment. After struggling with infertility for 4 years, that's the last thing I wanted to hear. But if it helps... The book recommendation couldn't have come at a better time. I have a relationship with food that I'd like to change. I'm hoping this book and the support from all of you will get me to my goals (losing weight and having a little one).
Martha McKinnon
Hi Aline, I hope this book and challenge are able to support you in your goals. Please know that I'll be cheering for you 🙂
Faith
I'm just partway through Chapter 2, and I'm totally hooked!! I'm excited to share what I'm learning with my husband and 2 kids (they're teenagers so I have no expectation that they'll actually listen...). I borrowed the book from the library, however I'm considering buying it too. It seems to be a great reference, a fast read, and worth going over several times. Thank you Martha for suggesting this virtual book club - what a great idea!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Faith,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I had the same initial reaction 7 years ago. I agree that
this book is a reference that is worth returning to from time to time. So glad you are finding
this virtual book club helpful! - Martha
Angela
I very much like the idea of giving up 100 to 150 calories a day!!