The NO FOOD ZONE

I’ve started intermittent fasting. More details on this in a future post. However, one of the key steps I needed to help me be successful was to create a NO FOOD ZONE.

We made an “oasis” in our bedroom, where my husband and I can hang out, watch TV, I focus on whatever project currently holds my interest. We put chairs in there and have an area separate from where we sleep. The way our room is set up we can’t even see the TV screen from our bed. And most importantly, our bedroom is a NO FOOD ZONE. None. Nadda. No exceptions. Water and… okay, fine, tea. But that’s it! After our boys go to bed, the living area of the house is closed down, so to speak, the lights out and we retreat to our relaxation oasis.

We like it in there. It’s cozy, quiet, the kids can’t hear what we watch on TV. That all makes it very inviting, and the pull for that is stronger than the pull to sit in the living room where we can snack.

I get the reality that not everyone has space in their bedroom to fit extra furniture. We got lucky that a large master bedroom was built on to our house. So what could you do to create a no food zone… well, you make a decision. Where is your no food zone? Or you can put a more positive spin on it, where is your food zone? That may be easier.

Maybe pick one or two places where food is allowed, rather than the numerous places where it is not allowed. Maybe food is only allowed at the dining table. When the weather is nice, maybe food is allowed somewhere outdoors where you can soak in some sun and nature while you enjoy a meal.

When we eat while watching TV, we are more focused on TV than what – or more important – how much, we are eating. You’d be surprised at how many calories one can consume after supper.

Do I ever make exceptions? Kinda. But no food is ever allowed in the bedroom. The exception goes like this: Boys go to bed. Me – “I’m craving popcorn.” Husband – “Yep.” I make popcorn. Hubby turns on living room TV. Enjoy popcorn, in living room, watching TV — yep, we’re rebels. When popcorn is finished, we turn off the TV and retreat to our bedroom where we can choose to continue watching, but we know we won’t eat anything else. I’d like to note though, we created this oasis in mid-September and I think we’ve made this food exception, maybe, three times. And I’m okay with that. There’s nothing wrong with making a conscious decision, it’s when we live just coasting along and not paying attention that there’s a problem.

I encourage you to create a happy place where you are comfortable eating, or create an oasis where you are comfortable not eating. Then make a decision to keep the food where it belongs and stick to it.