Mindless eating - don't eat yourself fat

Derail. You know the word. Let's face it, most of us working toward good health through diet and exercise have an intimate relationship with the word. Diet derailers are everywhere -- in your house, in the grocery store, at work, at play, in your head even. Here, we'll address the very things that throw us off course. Together, we'll learn how to avoid our diet traps -- and how to get back on track when we can't.
If you're gaining weight or not losing it as quickly as you'd like, despite your best intentions, you may have eating amnesia. Also called mindless eating, this condition might have you grabbing at chips throughout your entire favorite TV show, cleaning your kids' dinner plates, or sampling the dough of every Christmas cookie you'll soon be manufacturing in bulk. These stolen bites and tastes may seem harmless, but they can lead to a calorie overdose, which can lead to -- yikes! -- a weight overload.

Mindless eating happens when you're distracted or otherwise not paying attention to your consumption behaviors. They key, then, is to avoid eating when your mind is elsewhere. Sitting at your computer right now? Get rid of that bowl full of M&Ms. Reading your favorite book? Put the pretzels in the pantry. Got a plate full of pastries at your board meeting? Say "no thanks" and get on with business.

You have no business eating if you can't totally focus on the task. I know, hard stuff, right? The Prevention people are here to help. Here, three tips for staying on track.

• Chew gum while making dinner. If you're tempted to repeatedly taste your cooking, you'll have to remove the gum each time, a good reminder that you're headed for mindlessness.
  
• Serve your kids small portions. Offer them sizes they can finish -- so you won't need to finish for them. You can always offer seconds if they want more. If they don't eat every bite, swoop in the very minute they're done and wrap up or toss what's left.
• Keep your hands busy in front of the TV. Try knitting, balancing your checkbook, flipping through your favorite magazine.

You know, there's this guy -- Brian Wansink -- who's been pegged the guru of mindless eating. He might just be the inspiration you need as you aim to eat mindfully. He's got a great website where you can take a tour of his blog, his book, his mindless eating challenge, and his answers to popular questions. You can even score some free stuff. Check it all out here.

Think mindless eating doesn't affect you? Think again. Wansink says most of us eat more than we think. Bummer, right? At least we're aware of it now. Which means we can do something about it. Starting right this very minute.