The straightforward guide to perfect potatoes.

I’m generally a lover of potatoes, but who isn’t? Baked, mashed, fried, roasted. All delicious, but many methods require a lot of oil or added fats to make them delicious. After a lot of tweaking and perfecting, I’ve figured out a method that always results in potatoes that are hot and fluffy in the middle, crispy crunchy on the outside, and the perfect amount of salty and garlicky. They’re completely vegan, and you can tweak the spices to your liking. It also works on all potatoes, not just sweet potatoes (especially those little baby potatoes at Trader Joe’s – follow the same steps but just keep them whole!).

Let’s get into it, shall we?

Ingredients/Supplies:

  • 6-8 Sweet Potatoes
  • Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt*
  • Black Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Parchment Paper***

Directions:

  • 1. Preheat oven to 425 F. No really, go preheat the oven. You want it really good and hot for the best outcome and I know you’re gonna forget until step 5.
  • 2. Oven set? Okay. Now give your potatoes a good scrub under the faucet and remove any potato hairs (is there a name for those) and any gross spots. It can be a very rough job – try not to trim anything you don’t need to! Also make sure to pat all potatoes dry with a towel. This step is more important than you think.
  • 3. Cut up your potatoes. I find that potatoes about the size of a quarter and a half inch thick consistently turn out to be the most delicious. Really the most important thing is that the cubes are similar in size so they cook evenly.
  • 4. Toss the chopped potatoes into a bowl. I know, I hate unnecessarily dirtying an extra dish (especially if you don’t have a dishwasher I FEEL your pain), but this really is a critical step. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper and then toss the bowl several times to incorporate everything into an even coating on all the potatoes. Don’t add the garlic powder yet – we’ll get to that later. I like my potatoes to have an even glaze of oil and a visible amount of salt and pepper.
  • 5. Once your potatoes are seasoned, spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. What’s important here is that every potato is in contact with the pan and not layered on top of each other. This allows your potatoes to roast in a hot oven which will crisp up the outsides first, and then cook the insides into pillowy starchy deliciousness. If your oven isn’t hot enough, or if you cram too many potatoes onto a pan, they’ll end up steaming and you’ll miss out on the crunchy texture that makes these irresistible. Use two pans if needed.
  • 7. Bake for about 15 minutes, and then pull one potato off the tray and check to see if the side that was touching the pan is sufficiently golden and crispy. If it is, flip all the potatoes individually so that the top side of each potato is now touching the pan. This step takes longer than you think it should, but your perseverance will be rewarded in a mere 10-15 minutes. 
  • 8. Roast the potatoes on the other side for another 10-15 minutes, again checking the pan side to make sure they’re not getting too dark.
  • 9. Once the potatoes are fork tender and golden on both sides, add another quick drizzle of olive oil over the potatoes, a pinch more salt, and a pretty generous sprinkle of garlic powder. Use a spatula or an advanced pan-shimmy technique to evenly distribute the oil and seasonings. Try one for taste. Careful – they’ll be haugh-haw-hawow-oww-hawwwttt and you’ll do that open mouth cool down thing. Adjust seasoning to taste. Throw back in the oven for one more minute to allow the garlic to roast and become sweeter and more aromatic, or simply enjoy as is.

Reheating Directions:

One thing I love about these potatoes is that they reheat fabulously, and are even delicious cold in a salad. You can reheat them by tossing in a pan with a little oil and sautéing until hot and crispy.

& if I haven’t already completely over-explained myself, here are some additional notes:

* I’d recommend making a big batch of potatoes whether you’re cooking for one or an entire family. They’re super easy to incorporate into meals throughout the week, if you can avoid eating them all right out of the oven Trust me, they’re that good.

** Any kind of salt will work, but the flaky crunchiness of Kosher salt really takes these tots to the next level, along with anything else you use it on.

*** Parchment paper is optional, but it helps prevent burning and you can use less oil. I didn’t have any on hand which is why some of my potatoes got a little darker than I like.

Happy cooking 🙂

According to plan.

At the time of writing this, I’ve just woken up on my first morning back home after 17 days in Colombia. As I went upstairs and made my coffee, looking out at the cold, gray backyard, I felt sorry for myself for the first time.

If you’ve kept up with my writing, you’ll know that I had just embarked on my second big backpacking trip through South America, and I was planning to be on the road for upwards of a year. Due to coronavirus, and the rapidly changing global situation, I made the decision to return home. I was able to book a cheap flight home, I never encountered any issues as I was making my way out of the country, and I’m lucky that as of right now I don’t know anyone that has been personally affected by the virus (other than financially, which is virtually everyone).

In the midst of the stress and uncertainty while abroad, I forced myself to stay positive. As I shared the news that I was coming home, friends and family apologized for my trip ending so early. I brushed it off saying that it could be far worse, which it could. People have lost jobs. People are facing extreme financial uncertainty. People have had to postpone weddings. People are helpless to assist their loved ones. People are dying by the thousands across the globe. How could I spend a single second feeling bad about my own situation? Cancelling a trip that the vast majority of people wouldn’t have ever been able to take in the first place? I still feel all of these things, and I know that I’ve been one of the lucky ones in this situation, but it still just sucks. And today I finally let myself wallow in that and grieve the loss of a trip I’ve worked so hard for.

But that’s one of the many things that traveling teaches you. How to react when things don’t go according to plan. How to remain resilient and optimistic. How to keep your head high and pull through it, knowing that one day it’s going to make a great story. It’s the bus rides from hell, the horrible hostels, the narrowly avoided injuries, the language barriers, and the difficult obstacles that make traveling different than a vacation or holiday. When someone embarks on a backpacking trip, especially solo, they know before they ever step foot on a plane that things are going to go awry. It’s unavoidable. Things are going to test your patience, and your grit. You’re going to need to be creative, and patient, and humble, and resourceful in order to get through the trip, and more importantly, to enjoy it.

It’s all of these things that make traveling so addicting and so life changing. And if you’re lucky, traveling will teach you how to respond in life when things don’t go according to plan.

So during this time at home, I’m committing to the following things to ward off the same post-trip depression I fell into last time:

  • Movement. Walking the dogs, getting back on the yoga mat, making use of the dumbbell set I walk past every day. Just move my damn body.
  • Writing. I’m committing to sharing some form of content every week. I always do better when I have a project in mind and something to keep me accountable.
  • Nourishment: With this newfound free time, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with my passion for cooking. Having worked in restaurants the past year, I haven’t really cooked for myself or given much thought to nutrition since I left Denver almost 15 months ago. I’m excited to share that with my family as well.
  • Connection: I don’t want to just suffer through this period of self quarantine. I don’t want to stay glued to my phone or computer. I want to reconnect with my family. Play games, have real conversations, share meals, and be of service wherever possible.

So with that, good luck to everyone out there.

Stay safe, and keep others safe.

Stay sane. Stay positive. Stay grateful.

A different kind of new year’s resolution.

I’ve always cringed during “goal setting” exercises at work, and I’ve dreaded the classic interview question “what’s your 5 year plan?” Throughout my 20s, goal setting has made me incredibly anxious, because after college, I didn’t know what my goals were.

But it wasn’t always that way. 

When I was around 10 years old I took up the French horn in the hopes of getting a college scholarship down the road. In high school, I took honors and AP classes so I would have an advantage when applying to universities. Once I got into college, I filled my schedule to the brim with advanced classes, extra-curricular activities, and internships to build my resume and make connections that would help me land my “dream job.” I graduated early with a great GPA and dove headfirst into a 9-5 job with a salary, 401K and benefits.

Once I settled into my new life, my “forever life,” I got stuck. And I was m-i-s-e-r-a-b-l-e.

I hated my job and was stressed from the moment I woke up to the moment I collapsed onto the couch each night. This life I had worked so hard for left me feeling completely defeated and depleted. It terrified me to think that this would be my life for the next 40+ years, but what terrified me even more was starting over.

After several years of suffering through the Sunday Scaries and counting down the minutes until the weekend, I was in a full blown quarter life crisis. I didn’t have any career goals other than to not be in the same shitty job a year later. I didn’t know what I wanted, or maybe I did, but I was scared that it was unrealistic and out of reach. I was scared I’d wasted so much time, and so much money, in pursuit of something I didn’t even really want.

I lived in that turmoil for a long time, before I finally realized it had been long enough, and that soul crushing misery pushed me to identify what it was that I wanted. More about that here.

I’m no expert, but what I’ve realized is that once you finally figure out what you really truly want, if you want it bad enough, the steps to get there are clear. Be careful not to confuse clear with easy or simple. In fact, those steps are probably pretty challenging, and more than likely will require some type of sacrifice. But once you have your eye on the prize, it becomes much easier to stay on course in relentless pursuit of that dream.

For years I would torture myself over not being disciplined enough, or for not sticking to a goal I had set. But what I’ve realized is that it was my lack of focus that made it impossible to stay on track.

Once I felt that flutter of excitement in my heart again, once I knew that my heart yearned to see more of the world, all those sacrifices became smaller, and much easier to bear.

So in 2020, I challenge you to identify what it is that you want. Your goal can be big or small, critical or unnecessary. Any goal will do so long as you know what you want and you can’t stop until you have it.

Do you want to start waking up earlier? 
Do you want to drink more water?
Do you want to eat differently? 
Do you want to learn how to do TikTok dances? 
Do you want to travel? 
Do you want to start a business? 
Do you want to spend your money differently? 
Do you want to devote more time to family?

In 2020, be brutally honest with yourself, and open your mind to what your spirit really yearns for, no matter how silly or unrealistic or outside of the status quo it may be. Give yourself the space to toy with that idea, free of judgment. Let it simmer in the back of your mind for a couple of weeks, and see if you’re still interested once the initial excitement wears off. Decide if it’s something worth working for. How hard would you work for it? What would you give up for it? Can you live without it?

In 2020, find that thing. In 2021, take care of the rest.

The second time you leave.

I’m not talking about leaving for a vacation. Or leaving for college. Not leaving for a work trip, or even an extended deployment. Not maternity leave either. All of those things have one thing in common: they eventually come to an end. There is a start and a finish. 

The kind of leaving I’m talking about is when you drop everything. When you bring your “normal life” to a screaming halt, and leave with no timeline, no agenda, and no obligations. A start and a question mark. That’s a whole different kind of leaving.

I’m about to embark on my next solo backpacking trip – this time to South America. More on my first trip here. This time, I really have nothing holding me back. My finances are in order (more on that later). I have given leave notice to my employers. My ticket is booked. And most importantly, I’ve told everyone I know that I’m leaving so there’s no backing out now.

But here’s the thing. While that seems outrageous, it really just gives me the freedom to fully follow the signs placed in front of me. Those signs might lead me right back home to a new job in a new place. Those signs might lead me to a new country, a new career, and maybe a new home. I’m not sure if I’ll be back in a month or a year, or maybe not at all. And I’m really open to whatever way it goes (but tbh I really hope it’s not back here because #brr).  I don’t have a timeline or any expectations of where this journey will take me, but I know I’m looking forward to experiencing it slowly and really savoring whatever each day offers to me, however hippy dippy yoga that may sound.

So with 10 9 days left in the country, I’m feeling:

>>> EXCITED

>>> NERVOUS

>>> NOSTALGIC

>>> ANXIOUS

>>> SAD

>>> CONTEMPLATIVE

>>> IMPATIENT

>>> CONTENT

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately (& let’s not even get started on my dreams the past few weeks). I really think there’s something different about the second time you leave.

The second time you leave e v e r y t h i n g. 

For starters, you know a helluva lot more. Questions like “are hostels safe?” and “will I have a working phone?” and “how will I meet people?” are not at the forefront of your mind. You have a better idea of what to pack. You know your travel preferences and you’ve (hopefully) got a rough budget in mind. You know enough to know that you’ll figure it all out. 

But you also know about some of the hardships that you’ll face. Homesickness, and loneliness. Travel fatigue. Moments that make your stomach drop. Painful goodbyes. But you know that all of those things are worthwhile, and in fact make it that much better.

The second time you leave, there’s a distinct BEFORE and AFTER. Before you traveled, and after you got back. You’re acutely aware of what you’ve accomplished in the after, or maybe what you haven’t. But regardless, you know exactly what it took to get you where you are now, on the cusp of another trip. You know how many hours you worked to save that money. You know how much you sacrificed for to get back to this beautiful freedom. You know who was there to help you through the after, which makes it even harder to say goodbye.

But it’s the push and pull of all of these things that makes the second time you leave even better. 

At least I think so, but we’ll find out together. Until Cartagena…

Endings & Beginnings

All of my past relationships share one common moment.

Not butterflies before the first kiss, or when your stomach drops the first time someone tells you they love you.

I’m talking about the moment when I’ve realized that it’s over. Maybe not today, maybe not this week, maybe not even this year. But it’s over, or it will be.

Sometimes there are signs leading up to this moment. Messages that get left on read. Plans that fall through. More time spent apart.

Other times, it happens out of nowhere. Regardless of how it happens, it always feels the same.

The energy is different. Something has fundamentally shifted. What was once blissful and effortless is now tense and uncomfortable. You feel out of place.

The cocoon of trust that you had built with that person is now gone. And despite how much you told yourself to keep things casual, or that you don’t want anything serious, you couldn’t help but want to emerge as a butterfly just this once.

In the past, I’ve tried to ignore this moment. 

I’ve pushed it away. Convinced myself I’m overthinking things. Given someone the benefit of the doubt too many times. Tried to fix something that cannot be repaired. But I’ve realized that wishing this moment away only makes things more painful down the road. 

So this time, I faced that moment head on. The moment I felt it, I spoke it into existence with my partner. I gave him the opportunity to tell me I was wrong, to tell me there had been some terrible misunderstanding.

But he didn’t. 

So I cried and I kissed him and I said goodbye, knowing that things would never be the same.

So here I am, grieving what couldn’t have been, and then I’ll be done. I’m not going to spend weeks torturing myself, waiting and wishing and hoping my gut is wrong (spoiler: it never is).

I will trust in that moment. Trust in its finality. And I will get over it.

And as one thing comes to an unexpected and sad end, I will breathe life into something new. Today is the day I manifest the next chapter. See you in March, Cartagena.

At 28, I gave myself freedom.

Freedom to quit a job I hated.

Freedom to pursue uncertainty that scared and excited me.

Freedom from worrying about where and when I’ll meet The One.

Freedom to be more selfish with my time and my energy.

Freedom to do what I want, rather than what I should.

Freedom to be kinder to myself, and my softness. 

Freedom to embrace my sexuality.

Freedom to flirt.

Freedom to eliminate things that no longer serve me.

Freedom to be firm in my decisions.

Freedom from constantly judging myself and others. 

Freedom to get back in touch with me.

Freedom to re-light my dwindling fire.

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29, I’m ready.

Allow me to introduce myself.

So, I’m going to travel again.

I’ve known this before I even got back to the states. The travel bug bit and the only thing I’ve been certain about in the last seven months is that I. must. travel. again.

I’ve realized that the hardest part of planning extended international travel is just deciding that you’re going to do it. From there, you just start putting the pieces into place to make it happen, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past several months.

Let’s back up. I realize that I’ve never really provided much context for this site or for what I’m doing with my life in general (honestly, I’ll have to get back to you on that one).

A evening at the highest rooftop restaurant in Udaipur, India

My name is Austin. I’m from the suburbs of Chicago, IL, USA. I grew up in a typical Catholic family, the eldest of four, the only daughter. I graduated high school with honors, went on to get a Bachelor’s Degree from a reputable university in Chicago, and then got a “real job” in marketing before moving out to Denver, Colorado. I was there for four years and despite having great friends, a good job, and living in one of the best cities in America, I was desperately miserable and unhappy. I would suffer through the work week only to binge-drink my weekends away and melt into a puddle of sadness and anxiety on Sunday. Rinse and repeat.

I finally got to a point where I decided I could not go on this way. Life is too short, I was too young, and I was far too miserable. I said f**k it and sold most of my belongings, packed what was left into my RAV4, drove back to Chicago and got on a plane to India in January 2019.

Enjoying a riverside chai near Laxman Jhula Bridge, Rishikesh, India
Celebrating our graduation from Rishikul Yogshala, Rishikesh, India

I completed my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, India, and then travelled through Jaipur, Udaipur, Goa, and Bangaluru before spending a month in Sri Lanka. After that, I made my way through Thailand and Vietnam, and then finished my trip in Myanmar with a 10 day Vipassana silent meditation. I am not exaggerating when I say that this experience was completely transformational in every way and that it has changed the trajectory of what I thought my life would be.

Touring the ancient Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur, India
Beach yoga with a new friend at Weligama Beach, Sri Lanka

Upon my return to the US in May, I knew that if I wanted to have the freedom to travel again, I needed to get my house in order. I had been carrying around (and ignoring) credit card debt since college that had grown to over $10,000. On top of that, I owed a couple thousand dollars on my car and was still chipping away at student loans from that aforementioned reputable university.

Within days of my return, I dropped off resumes at all of the nicer restaurants in my area and was rewarded with the opportunity to start training at a family-owned Italian restaurant nearby. A few weeks later, I got a second job as a daytime manager at another Italian restaurant.

Since then, I have been g r i n d i n g, working 6-7 days a week and spending next to nothing while living at home with my mom (the first time in ten years). It hasn’t been glamorous. It hasn’t been exciting. It hasn’t really been anything worth writing about.

That said, it has been humbling. It has been rewarding. It has been eye-opening. And to my surprise, it’s actually been pretty fun. For the most part I am lucky to have fun coworkers, and I’ve really had an opportunity to brush up on my Spanish in the meantime.

Much to my surprise, I completely paid off my credit cards by September – in just 4 months. I finished paying off my car in October. I still have a way to go with my student loans, but thankfully I have pretty fair interest rates and I’m under $10,000, which is a pretty good position to be in compared to many of my peers.

That brings us today, where I am sipping my second glass of wine, writing this from my bedroom in my mom’s basement, on my first night off in twelve days. I hope that none of this comes off as a humble-brag. because I am all too aware of the privilege that allowed me to accomplish all of the above. But I hope that if you’re reading this, and if you have a dream of traveling, this helps you to see that it’s possible.

Floating cabins in Khao Sok National Park, Thailand
A delicious and memorable lunch in Huế, Vietnam
One of many street markets in Hanoi, Vietnam

Before I went to India, I thought travel was a privilege reserved only for the wealthy or the retired. While it may require some elbow grease, it’s possible and it is SO worth it. I think the world would be a much better place if we all got out of comfort zones and saw more of the world. So if you’ve read this far, and you’re looking for a sign, this is it.

YOU CAN DO THIS. YOU SHOULD DO THIS.

I also thought I might be able to offer a unique perspective to others as I work towards planning my next trip (South America) in real time. Most travel blogs that I’ve come across are either from intimidatingly well seasoned travelers, or from people with budgets I could only dream of. It also seems that many articles are written after the fact, with the entire trip wrapped up into a quick summary and tied up in a bow. If you want to see more than just a highlight reel, stay tuned.

So if you’re interested, I’ll be over here working away for the next few months. Working and planning and dreaming and waiting until the day I can once again throw caution to the wind and see more of this beautiful, dynamic, vast, incredible world.

Until next time…

From before we met.

Hey you.

Is that what I call you? Or maybe I use your name? Please tell me we’re not a babe couple. 

I just had an interesting thought. Wouldn’t it be kind of sweet to gift you this letter on our wedding day? You see, we haven’t met yet, or at least I don’t think we have. I don’t have any idea what you look like, where you live, what you’re doing right now, or how or where we’ll meet. I have no idea what to expect, but I just know it’s only a matter of time.

As I’m sure I’ve told you, I’ve been pretty unsuccessful in love before meeting you, despite trying out many different types of people and being open-minded about who I date. I’ve been single for about 2 and a half years now, and outside of some people that I’ve casually dated here and there, I’ve had no real prospects. But I just know you’re out there, and I know that our meeting will be perfect and our relationship will work and we’ll both just know that this is it.

I think you’re probably really clever, and witty, and I hope we just keep each other laughing whenever we’re together.

I imagine that I’m insanely attracted to you, but you make me feel desired in such a way that I never question what we have.

I hope that you really are my best friend, even though writing that down right now makes me cringe.

I know that you’re a gentleman, and that you treat me with respect, and as an equal, but also know how to treat me like a bad girl lady.

I like to think that you’re proud of me. And that I’m proud of you. And we get excited for each other. Do we work together? Or are we in the same type of work? Or did we somehow end up in totally different fields?

I’m guessing that our life is a little bit alternative in one way or another. Maybe we live outside the US? Or maybe we’re business owners? Or maybe we’ve become liberal LA hippies? I don’t know what it is, but I think we share a mutual desire to push beyond the limits of what a “normal” life looks like.

I’m sure we’re not perfect, but I imagine that the good days far outweigh the bad. I imagine I am excited to wake up next to you and I can’t wait to come home to you. I imagine that when friends ask how we’re doing, I can only respond with a goofy, telling smile.

So even though I’m approaching 30, I’m not worried about “settling down” because I know that I’ll meet you when I’m meant to, and I can’t doing anything to change that. I trust in divine timing, and my time is much better spent challenging myself and doing hard things and growing and learning rather than wasting time trying to will you into my life. I’m sure I could easily settle for someone if I grow impatient, but I believe that there our romance is worth waiting for, and that once we meet, neither of us will doubt that this is what we’ve both been waiting and wishing for. 

Anyway, I’m really excited to meet you.

Learning is cool, dude.

2019 has been a year of learning.

Learning how to travel solo, (re)learning Spanish, learning how to push boundaries, and learning what I really want out of this brief time on our beautiful planet. It’s also apparently the year I learn about film photography.

As of two days ago, I am the proud new owner of an Olympus OM10 SLR film camera. I don’t really know the first thing about how to use it, but with a long, cold midwest winter on the horizon, I wanted a new hobby to keep me busy. I also am in the early stages of planning another trip (more on that later) and thought it would be a cool opportunity to up my travel photography game.

OlympusOM10

I was inspired by my friend Hayley Nedland, a super cool girl from Vancouver I met in Hanoi this spring. She’s equal parts stunning, effortlessly cool, and super freakin’ nice, and she’s also a professional photographer and content creator (learn more about this lil mama here). A few months after we went our separate ways in Vietnam, she emailed me some of the film shots she had taken during our time together and I fell in love.

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Wish me luck! If you know of any great blogs or photography sites, or have any beginner tips of your own, please leave them in the comments 😉

xxAustin

If you’re bingeing & want to stop, put the food down and read this.

**DISCLAIMER: I am not a therapist, counselor, or doctor, so please consult a medical professional if you find yourself in need of help**

Thinking back, I’ve had a pretty fucked up relationship with food for most of my life. Not necessarily to the extent of an eating disorder*, but “stopping when I’m full” has never come as easily to me as it seems to for others. Thanks to good genes I’ve always been relatively slender, but I’ve gone through different extremes along the way, especially while transitioning into adulthood and the food freedom that it offers.

My senior year of college was the first time that my roommate and I had ever really experimented with pot, and MAN OH MAN did the munchies hit hard. Fueling each others’ cravings, it wasn’t unusual for us to order a large pizza, go out for cheese fries and milkshakes, or pound a loaf of bread with parmesan cheese and olive oil. All in one week. I was in denial for a long time about the weight I gained that year.

Fast forward a few years and you’ll find me on the opposite end of the spectrum. I had just broken up with my long term boyfriend and rather than sit alone in an empty apartment, I gravitated toward the small gym in my complex and watched The Bachelor while I did cardio. Sometimes for 2 hours… When I would return to my apartment exhausted, I was usually too tired to deal with cooking a meal and then cleaning up after myself, so I just… wouldn’t eat… On top of that, I was invited on a trip to Belize and staved off hunger with the dream of my future bikini body. When I showed up for a family wedding a couple of months later, my considerable weight loss was the main topic of conversation with my entire family.

Currently, I’m struggling to find the right balance. I’m back home, living with my family, which means I no longer control what food comes into the house. On top of that, I work at not one but two Italian restaurants 6 days a week so it’s carb-o-clock all the time. Despite my best intentions, when I get home at 10:00 after a long day, all I want to do is sit in bed and snaaaaaack. A few months ago it was getting out of control, and I found myself turning to the internet for help. I found a lot of resources to help long term, but came up empty when looking for tips to help in the moment. I’m by no means a professional, but some of the below tips have worked for me and I thought they just might help someone else.

DISTRACTION

Stop in the middle of whatever you’re eating and do something else, knowing that it will still be there when you come back for it. Walk outside for a minute, drink a glass of water, grab something from another room. Anything to help you break the binge trance. Once you’re distracted, it gives you a minute to actually taste what you were eating, and also gives your brain a second to catch up with your body’s hunger signals. You can still enjoy the rest of what you decided to eat, but you’ll hopefully do so more mindfully and feel more satiated as a result.

DIFFICULTY

Make it really hard for yourself to go back for more without giving it a second thought. Everyone’s heard the rule about pouring a bowl for yourself before sitting down in front of the TV. I for one, never sit down on the couch with a big bag of chips. Instead, I stand in the dark kitchen, alone, and hover over the counter with the bag of chips, muttering this is my last one to myself over and over until the bag is somehow empty.

But I digress.

Let’s say you’re making a frozen pizza. Consider making a smaller personal size pizza, or even cut the frozen pizza down the middle. Put the other half in the freezer for another night, rather than futilely promising yourself that you won’t eat the whole thing (again). When you finish the last slice, your binge brain is telling you that you want more, but you’ll have to ask yourself if you want it bad enough to get out of bed**, go to the kitchen, reheat the oven, wait for the pizza to cook, and then enjoy it. 9/10 that’s too much work for me.

**come on, where else do you eat frozen pizza by yourself

ANTICIPATION

For me, the salty/sweet cycle is my worst enemy. If I have something salty, I will almost go nuts if I don’t have something sweet to follow it and “balance it out.” Alas, the same goes for sweet>salty, so you see my dilemma. Something that helps to reduce overeating for me is to anticipate this and make something that is both salty AND sweet. If I’m making a buttery, garlicky english muffin, I’ll put a little jelly on the other half. If I’m having some hummus and crackers, I’ll pair it with a handful of grapes. By having both the salty and sweet together, I’m not as likely to go back for more.

If you can, it also helps to avoid bringing the junk in the house in the first place. If there’s nothing in the fridge or cabinet when you’re searching for your fix, you can stop the binge before it starts. If you’re like me and share a kitchen with roommates or family, that’s not always possible.

MINDFULNESS

This one is the most obvious tips and may elicit an eye roll, but it has the potential to be the most powerful. In the moment of that binge-induced serotonin euphoria, try to tell yourself to slow down and enjoy this food while you eat it, rather than thinking about what you’re going to eat next. Remember that you will get to enjoy this food again in the future, and it’s ok if you don’t eat every last bite and then swear it off for good.

If you try any of the above, or have any tips of your own, please leave a comment!

*after writing this post, I’ve realized that might be debatable. What can you do, hindsight is 20/20