“Meanwhile” Calories

How many of you snack while making dinner? Before you know it, you’ve eaten a full meal’s worth of calories while chopping and prepping. Do you throw down 500 or so calories just standing at the pantry deciding what to make? Or maybe you eat an entire second breakfast while packing your kids’ lunches. Be honest – did you lick the peanut butter off the knife before putting it in the dishwasher? How about finishing your kids’ pizza crusts or half-eaten mac and cheese because you hate waste? It all adds up.

You Are Not a Garbage Can

I get it – you hate wasting food. But you are not a garbage can. This habit is quietly sabotaging your weight-loss goals. It hurts to throw away leftovers, but eating them doesn’t make it better. Next time your kids leave behind fries or chicken fingers, toss them – don’t taste them. Remember: it’s okay to hate waste, but you’re not the trash.

Eating Without Awareness = Mindless Eating

Mindless eating often happens out of boredom or habit – and it’s fueled by a lack of awareness. If you tracked those bites and sips throughout the day, you’d probably be shocked. It’s easy to overeat when you’re not paying attention. Let’s face it: nobody mindlessly crunches celery sticks. We reach for chips, cookies, or leftovers – foods that comfort or distract us. A handful here, a spoonful there… before you know it, you’ve consumed hundreds of invisible calories.

Tracking Creates Awareness

When people start tracking what they eat, they realize how much “in-between” eating happens. Tracking helps in two ways: first, it shows your actual daily calorie intake; second, it makes mindless snacking mindful – because now you have to log every bite. You might still snack, but now it’s a conscious choice, not an unconscious habit.

“Eat an Apple!”

“If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, you’re not really hungry.” Annoying? Maybe. But true. Boredom eating isn’t about hunger – it’s about emotion. You’re not nourishing your body; you’re soothing your mind: stress, loneliness, or habit. An apple won’t comfort you like chips or chocolate because those foods hit the brain’s reward center – they feel good, not just taste good.

Why Don’t We Get Bored of Chips?

Why does an apple get old fast, but we could eat chips forever? Because chips are engineered to excite our senses – the crunch, the salt, the flavor. They trigger dopamine, making them addictive. Apples, on the other hand, are mild and watery. They nourish but don’t thrill. Plus, we associate chips with fun and comfort – parties, social moments, pleasure.

The Takeaway

Mindless eating isn’t about willpower – it’s about awareness. Start noticing those “meanwhile” calories – the bites, licks, and tastes between meals. They may feel small, but they add up quickly. Track your food, pause before you snack, and ask yourself: am I really hungry, or just bored?