Who loves the movie Top Gun?  Or rather I should say, who DOESN’T love the movie Top Gun?  “I feel the need…the need for speed!”  What a great movie.

But, I didn’t want to talk about movies today.  I wanted to talk about the danger zones we have when it comes to overeating, and well, you can see where I digressed.  Almost all of us have danger zones.  The most common are: dinner, snacks, parties, restaurants and desks/dashboards. 

Dinner
Usually what happens is that people simply overeat at dinner.  The second (or third) helping, putting too much on the plate to begin with and feeling that they have to clean their plate all lead to overeating.

Snacks
This is a problem for people who nibble all day long on whatever they can get their hands on.  This definitely adds up!  Every time they pass the candy dish and take something out or if they pass through the break room and have a little bit of left over cake, it adds to their daily caloric intake.

Parties
This problem comes often in the form of buffets, happy hours, tailgates, etc.  It’s a fun environment and can distract from being mindful of what you are eating.  Plus, the more variety available, the more you tend to eat because each new food provides a new taste, stimulating the pallet, so your brain usually doesn’t recognize that you’re full!

Restaurants
These are danger zones because most of the time, if you eat with one other person, you typically eat 35% more than if you were to eat alone.  I was out to eat with a friend and stopped when I was full.  I was proud of myself until I realized that because my friend was still eating, I was bored and had begun picking at my left over food and bread at the table!

Desks/Dashboards
Everyone seems to be busy these days and eating in the car or at your desk has become the norm.  If we don’t prepare for these types of situations, we swing through the drive-thru or run down to the vending machine. 

Now that we know what some of the more common situations to be aware of, we can prepare ourselves.  What are your danger zones?  Where do you find yourself getting into trouble with overeating?  Try making a list and come up with some solutions to overcome obstacles in those situations.  Feel free to share!

Related Posts:
A Smart Snack Night at the Movies
Smart Choices at Fast Food Restaurants
Mindless Eating, Part I

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