We all do it. When we’re bored, lonely, frustrated, uncomfortable – just about any negative feeling at all – we reach for a snack. It may be habit, it may be ‘socially acceptable’ or it may be the result of years of conditioning, but there it is. We’ve grown to equate food with comfort. There are some situations that are more likely to provoke us to reach for a snack – can you watch a movie without popcorn, for instance? Recognizing some of them in advance and heading them off can take a little planning, but you CAN reprogram the conditioning that has you reaching for a candy bar when someone hurts your feelings. Here are five situations that almost scream for a snack – and things you can do instead.
Instead of popcorn at the movies, reach for your date’s hand. He’ll never guess that you’re holding his hand to keep yours out of the popcorn.
Always reach for a bag of chips midmorning at your desk? Your body does need a mid-morning pick-me-up to keep you going, but chips aren’t the way to go. Instead of a walk to the candy machine, grab the mail and walk to the post office, or take a walk to...