MindFULL Eating ~

October 12, 2011

Have you heard of the terms: Mindless Eating? Emotional Eating? Willpower? Do you feel, at times, that you have NO control over your own eating habits? Make today the day you change all of that!
In order to eat MINDFULLY, you must first identify the behaviors that are unhealthy. In many cases, you are not even aware of the things you are doing to sabotage your own health. For instance, do you always order popcorn in a movie theatre even if you have just finished dinner AND dessert in your favorite restaurant? Do you eat the treats in the office break room without even knowing it? Do you eat the ‘free’ cookie that comes with your combo meal ~ simply because it’s free? Do you eat all of the bread/chips on the table when you are waiting for your dinner to arrive?
These behaviors are so deeply rooted in your routine that you don’t even know that you are doing it. In fact, new research shows “you don’t even need to WANT to do it. If you develop a habit of snacking in front of your TV at night, how hungry you are or how tasty the snack is will no longer determine whether or how much you eat. Many bad habits are triggered by the context (watching TV, socializing, feeling stressed), rather than by any particular desire to engage in the behavior. So the key to stopping a bad habit isn’t making a resolution – it’s figuring out how to turn off the autopilot. It’s learning to disrupt the behavior, preferably before it starts.” The Science of Success 2011
Finding ways to change your behavior before it starts can be difficult, but not impossible. It helps to identify your health and wellness goals. If your goal is “I want to lose 15lbs by Christmas.” Decide whether the behaviors you exhibit support this goal. If they do not, then it is time to change the behavior. Remember, eating mindfully is not the same as ‘being on a diet’ or ‘depriving oneself’. Mindful eating is more about being in touch with your body and slowing down. When you are more mindful, you are more aware of your surroundings. Your eating habits impact your mental and physical health. Unhealthy eating leads to feeling depressed and when you are depressed you don’t eat well. Conversely, healthy eating leads to better physical and mental well-being.

Consider this: