Watch Out! This Mindless Habit Can Pack on Some Serious Pounds

It is humbling to realize I have that same tendency.

Case in point: Last night, I prepared a good dinner: Spanish rice with lean ground turkey, brown rice, lots of tomatoes, onions and garlic with cabbage as our vegetable.

We had to go to a city council meeting, and I knew it was going to be a long one. So I ate before I left.

My intention was to have my chocolate plant-based protein shake as a snack when I got home.

But did I do that? Nope.

Instead, I went for the Spanish rice—which I had left on top of the stove rather than putting up the leftovers in the refrigerator.

I was tired and hungry. The Spanish rice was the first thing I saw when I got home.

So I grabbed it.

Thank goodness it was healthy, and I didn’t overeat it. But it could have easily had a worse outcome.

This is what I realize: It is important that we know about our tendency to grab whatever is convenient when it comes to food.

It doesn’t matter if it is healthy or not—our natural tendency to grab overrides our good intentions.

Just grabbing food and eating it mindlessly can pack on serious pounds.

So you need to pay attention to the foods you keep around you.

Think about it this way: If you had a baby in your home, and you knew about the baby’s tendency to grab and put things in her mouth, would you not arrange your environment to protect her?

Of course, you would.

Now that I’m considering my tendency to grab, then I will be careful about putting the leftovers away after we eat dinner.

If I had done that last night, then I may have had the shake according to my plan, because the Spanish rice and shake would have both been in the refrigerator.

I would have seen the shake and that would have reminded me of my intention. I could even have put the shake in the front so it was the first thing I saw when I opened the refrigerator.

As it was, the Spanish rice had the advantage because it was in my sights and easy to grab.

What about you? Do you like to grab?

If so, how can you manage your environment better to ensure what you are grabbing is best for you—when you grab?

Remember, what is in us determines how we respond to what is around us and who is around us. If you know that you have the tendency to grab, then start changing what you keep around you so it helps you, not hurts you. {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify to God’s healing power to end binge-eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

This article originally appeared at takebackyourtemple.com.