Food is fuel, and eating well is an act of self-care. We must eat to live. Yet most of us struggle with eating — eating too much; not eating enough; eating at the right time; making the right food choices; balancing macros; losing weight; gaining weight; maintaining weight. No wonder this is such a delicate topic!
Really, it doesn't have to be that painful. Making an effort to practice Mindful Eating in your daily routine will allow you to let go of the stress associated with eating. There is no secret to healthy eating, but there is value in creating AWARENESS when you are eating by:
Bringing attention to the realization of being HUNGRY or FULL by simply asking yourself if you are hungry before you eat.
Recognizing WHAT you are eating each day.
Observing if you are tasting and/or enjoying your food.
Are you HUNGRY?
Before you eat, take a deep breath and check in with yourself by asking — am I hungry? Recognize your hunger cues —
Is your stomach grumbling?
Are you experiencing light-headedness or inability to concentrate?
Do you have a headache?
You also need to ask yourself — how hungry am I? Rate your hunger on a scale of 1-10 (1 = very hungry; 10 = stuffed). Use this answer as a guide to determine what and how much you need to eat to fuel your body at that moment. This will help you feel re-energized and avoid the uncomfortable feeling of overeating.
As you are eating, continue to be mindful of how you feel. Slow down, chew your food, taste and smell your food, take little breaks from eating, breathe, and acknowledge when you are feeling full. Stop eating when you are full (or a little bit before you are feeling full) and escape the discomfort of overeating. The more awareness you have of this discomfort after eating too much, the more likely you will choose to not feel this way. This is Mindful Eating.
WHAT are you eating?
Once you have decided that you are hungry and you need to eat, what are you eating? Are you grabbing the first thing you see and putting it in your mouth? Or do you have a meal/snack planned for this moment? Mindless eating happens when you are hungry and just reach for whatever you can find to fuel your body.
Food logging or journaling will help you assess the nutritional value of your food and help you work on appropriate timing of your meals and snacks throughout the day. But this is just one part of your food evaluation process.
Look at your food. Smell your food. Is it colorful? Does it look and smell appealing? Do you WANT to eat this food? When you make time to meal plan for yourself, you will have better opportunities to eat foods that you like and are good for you — Rather than reaching for the first available thing you see to satiate your hunger.
Is it DELICIOUS?
You have decided you are hungry. Your food is in front of you. You are eating slowly. You are breathing while you are eating. You are recognizing each bite. SAVOR your food. Be fully present and enjoy the flavors, textures and smells of your food. When you eat the foods you really like and enjoy, it will help you to feel more content and satisfied. If you are less happy with the food choices you are eating, you are more likely to eat more as you are searching for the satisfaction from the food.
Eating mindfully requires you to focus and keep your attention on eating. Don’t allow your mind to wander away from it. Every bite of every meal/snack may not get your full attention, and that’s ok! Start small by choosing one or two meals or snacks each day and commit to giving them your full attention. Breathe, chew, and slow down. Acknowledge what you are feeling, tasting, and smelling. Start breaking the habit of mindless eating and begin to truly enjoy your food and gain comfort in the satisfaction you feel at the end of the meal.