Tips & Tricks: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Have you ever left something out on the counter in the kitchen? I do. All the time. When my kids don't eat all the brownies from the night before, for instance, I'll cover the dish and leave it out for later. The trouble is that EVERY time I walk by it, the brownies become a temptation. I see it so I want some. And if I walk by enough times, I finally give in.
I'll take just a little sliver, I think. A tiny piece won't hurt too much. So I eat a tiny piece. An hour later and fifteen more times past the brownie dish and I take another small piece. A few hours later, another one. Until I realize come nightfall that all those little pieces actually add up to be a rather large one.
Ooops.

So I've started employing the "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" technique. At least that's what I call it. I notice the temptation to eat the brownies is about 300 times less if I don't leave them out where I can see them. I forget about the treat if it's not left out in plain view.
The opposite goes for healthy food. I've noticed that if I leave good snacks out, I'll reach for those instead. One thing that works well for my family is to put a veggie tray out during the late afternoon when my kids are usually clamoring for snacks. If I just leave it on the table, they'll grab a carrot stick or cucumber slice as they run by instead of trying to sneak chips or cookies behind my back as I'm busy cooking dinner. I don't mind if they fill up on vegetables. I DO mind if they aren't hungry because of too much junk food!
So next time you find yourself tempted by something out in plain view try my new technique: Out of Sight, Out of Mind!