How to H.A.L.T. To Avoid Mindless Eating

Are you mindful when you eat? Mindful eating isn’t a new concept but I have a method that can help you be more mindful when it comes to your eating habits. It’s called H.A.L.T.! Check to see if you’re hungry, angry or emotional, lonely or tired before you take another step. Your body and mind will thank you.

Have you ever been eating a bag of popcorn or chips (or whatever else you like eating) look down and say, “ Where did that go?” We live in a world where people mindlessly eat, eat because they “should” or because they are upset, tired, under peer pressure or bored. Here is one of my favorite ways to combat mindless eating. 

I use the H.A.L.T. technique and it’s helped me in so many situations where I find myself going through the motions of eating on auto-pilot. When I use H.A.L.T., I can pinpoint what’s going through my mind so I can take a breath and come back into my body. H.A.L.T. stands for hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Anytime you feel yourself wanting to eat, take a time out - HALT. Assess where you really are. If its hunger, then eat! If it’s any of the other letters of this acronym, then pause, take note and do something else to help with that symptom.

Hungry -

Are you actually hungry? Do you even know what your hunger cues are any more? Most Americans don’t (yes, I’m saying that because we’re a nation that eats to eat rather than eating to live). Your body is really good at telling you what it needs, you just have to learn to identify its cues. Do you start to get irritable when you haven’t eaten? Maybe your stomach growls or you get a headache. Everyone’s body responds differently to hunger, so identifying your personal signals is key. Before you eat, check to see if there’s something else going on. You may be dehydrated, bored, or experiencing other letters of HALT. Without taking this step, you can miss vital cues that there’s something else going on in your mind or in your body. If you feel the need to grab chocolate or potato chips, see if you would feel as ravenous for an apple. If not, the feeling might be something else. If you’re actually hungry, then grab something filling with protein to help restore your glucose levels, but start to take a step back to breathe before you reach for something without thinking. Having healthy, on-the-go snacks on hand can help you feel more grounded once you’ve had something satisfying and nurturing for you body. 

Angry (or experiencing other emotions) -

Let’s say you get cut off in traffic and feel angry during the whole commute into work. This energy spills into your morning meeting and can quickly overtake your day. Often, when we’re in this mode, it’s easy to reach for food to keep our minds at bay while we think about what happened over and over. The key here is to nip it in the bud. Take a deep breath, put your hand on your heart and show yourself compassion. To shake it off, step back for as long as you need, breathing and thinking of all the good things you have in your life. If you’re not angry, what other emotions are you feeling? 

Another way to help with this is to write it out. If you’re on the go, write out what you’re feeling in the notes section of your phone before reaching for a bag of chips. Getting it out of your system and facing whatever emotion you’re feeling head on is so important; this way, you can move forward with your day feeling less burdened and less likely to eat purely out of frustration. 

Lonely -

This one is the worst. We’ve all been there. It’s been a long day and you just need someone to talk to. Sometimes, when you’re lonely, it feels uncomfortable to do just about anything as your agitation rises. This may lead to mindless eating as well which can leave you feeling worse. One of the easiest things to do once you’ve noticed what you’re feeling is call a friend or a family member. Send a text if you’re in a place where you can’t call and see if you can set up a time once you’re available so you can talk through what’s going on. Also, studies show that watching your favorite show or comedy, like Modern Family or old episodes of Sex in the City or Friends, can help you feel more connected like you’re with your old friends even if you’re separated by distance. So, when Sunday night rolls around and you’re feeling lonely, give a friend a call or watch Friends - I guarantee you’ll feel more connected and less likely to fill the void with food. 

Tired -

This is perhaps the one we’re best at ignoring. Our society teaches us that we need to be going, going and going all the time and that there’s no time to be tired. Wrong! Your body needs rest and it’s not going to always wait for the weekend for you to give it time to recover. This is especially true because when you’re tired, you can miss your hunger cues which can lead to eating to fill the void. Also, when you aren’t well rested, your body can’t digest food properly which can hamper the rest of your day. If you’re feeling fatigued, see if you can work the rest of the day from home and take a nap, do a quick meditation or take a mental health day. Taking care of your mind and mental health is so much more important than a meeting or email you need to send. 

Checking each of these anytime you’re feeling stressed or running on empty can help you come back to center and show yourself the compassion you really need without the need to mindlessly eat. Make a mental note to run through hungry, angry, lonely or tired to see if anything you’re experiencing is stemming from one or more of these feelings. The key here is to act on what you feel to make sure you address it and take care of yourself. As they say, act on the path of self-respect and you will never make a misstep!