Stay Alive Don't Eat and Drive

Of course we all know that we should not drink and drive. Over the last couple years we have also been educated on the dangers of texting while driving. But what about eating and driving--we do it, but here's why we should curb that habit (pardon the pun)...

Just like texting, eating and driving is a distraction. Let's stay focused on our driving and what is going on around us rather than adding another distraction. Even for those who can multi-task, multi-tasking behind the wheel is just not safe.

Are you more apt to have an accident while eating and driving then if you were focused completely on the road? You bet, but the reason I am challenging all of us to not eat behind the wheel is because it packs on the pounds which will cause more people pain, suffering, and ill health.

I was talking to a friend of mine last night who is a former truck driver. The conversation drifted to eating and driving and he told me that he used to be 100+ pounds heavier when he was a truck driver. Sure he ate junk food when he stopped for meals, but most of those pounds were because he was eating WHILE driving. He had bags of food right by the gear shift where they were easy to reach.

I too was a closet car eater.

Sometimes it was because it felt "safe" because I thought no one would see me. Other times it felt convenient, because I was in a hurry to get somewhere and didn't think I had the time to stop and eat a "real meal." Other times it was because I was on a long drive and I was using food as a way to keep myself awake. This all developed into a bad habit that applied fat directly to my waist, hips, and thighs...along with embarrassing food stains and a messy car strewn with empty bags that I couldn't possibly have eaten all by myself. Yet, of course, I was alone in the car, without anyone to blame by me, myself, and I.


My pledge to myself is to stop this unconscious eating in the car. If you are like most of us who are overweight, then you probably have some unconscious eating habits, too. Spend the next week being extra focused on WHERE you are eating and see if you find yourself chowing down while parked behind the wheel.

If you find that your car is not a mobile snack shack, then notice where or when you are eating unconsciously and use that information to help become more aware of your eating. Awareness along often brings about easy weight loss, because awareness is the first step to change.

For those of you who find the car is your favorite place for fast food then I hope you will join me in the Stay Alive Don't Eat and Drive challenge!