Mindless Eating

I bought the book that Oprah told me about, then I told you about, Women Food and God, by Geneen Roth (at Target, 30%off!) and have been slowing reading over the past few days.

The best thing I have gotten out of it so far, is the idea that we should not eat mindlessly. I admit that I often eat because I'm bored or because I think I should be eating. For example, I come home everyday, get a snack, and sit in front of the TV to watch Ellen or one of my recorded shows. I'm bored and want to relax, so I eat mindlessly until I finish what is in front of me or realize that I should stop. This can be considered binging, though I don't always do this with terribly unhealthy things, sometimes I'm binging on trail mix or hummus. Also, sometimes I feel like I should eat, either because it is lunch time and if I don't eat enough now I assume I will be hungry later (I am hungry later either way), or because I spent money on the food and I don't want to waste it.

Not only have I been making healthier choices lately (no fast food, nothing fried, only wheat bread and pasta, brown rice instead of white, lots more veggies - I have been really good since last Thursday), but I have made a conscious effort to be more mindful of what and when I am eating. Every time I reach for something to eat, I stop and think to myself: Am I hungry? Do I really feel those pangs in my stomach, or is it just boredom, sadness, obligation, craving, etc? I also pay attention to how each bite tastes, feels, and smells as Geneen advises in her book. This mindfulness has caused me, on several occasions, to actually stop myself from eating. I'm not using any sort of portion control rules, I'm just tuning into my body and listening. 

I haven't weighed myself yet and part of me is scared that if I do and I don't see any change since last week, I will become discouraged and go back to my old ways. I might wait another week so that my body has a chance to change a bit before stepping back on the dreaded scale.

Have you ever been a mindless eater? How do you try to eat better and/or less?