This post is part of a series of posts on mindful eating. The Introduction contains links to the entire series.
It’s the twenty-second day of my mindful eating trial and I’ve read 132 pages of Jan Chozen Bays’ book. I’ve learned six new things from the book, my own experiences, and the experiences of the other people participating in this trial.
- Eat the right amount. Jan points out that you need to eat the right amount of food. What’s the right amount? Try to eat until your stomach feels two-thirds full and then drink a glass of water. When in doubt, slow down and wait awhile. You can always eat more later.
- Eat slowly. Nadia at Happy Lotus found that eating slowly helps her taste and appreciate food. Eating slowly also helps you eat eat less because it gives your body a chance to send “I’m full” signals to your brain. But how do you slow down? Try putting your fork or spoon down after every bite, using your opposite hand for utensils, taking smaller bites, or chewing at least fifteen times. Gywnn of Serene Journey found that paying attention to your breathing improves the taste of food since smell is a big component of taste. Paying attention to your breath may also slow down your eating.
- Substitute foods mindfully. You may want to satisfy heart, mind, eye, or mouth hunger. As Jan discusses, that’s OK, but find ways to mindfully substitute healthier foods for less healthy foods. For instance, if you want to want to eat a bag of potato chips, maybe you can substitute whole wheat toast or crackers instead.
- Store food mindfully. Jan identified studies that show the closer and more visible food is, the more likely you are to eat it. You should store your food so it’s less accessible. For example, if you love M&Ms and somebody buys you a large bag, store them in another room, a drawer you have to get up and walk to, or at least out of site. This is mindful management of the environment.
- Beware of your inner critic. Jan describes how it’s easy to succumb to your inner food critic. You may be critical about when you eat, how much you eat, or what you eat. Try to recognize these voices when you hear them and simply let them go. The guilt you feel from them isn’t helpful.
- Don’t fear future hunger. Sometimes I eat not because I’m hungry, but because I’m worried I’ll be hungry later. It’s better to wait until your actually hungry before you eat. Don’t let your fear of hunger force you to eat before you need to. If you’re worried about being hungry later, take a snack.
No man is lonely eating spaghetti; it requires so much attention. - Christopher Morley
Do you have any questions or advice for me? Nadia and Gwynn, what are your opinions?
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Tags: Diet, Mindful Eating, Mindfulness
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Being aware of what you are doing while eating can be very difficult. More often then not, you eat not because you need to eat, but simply to entertain yourself, which is a bad idea.
I like your point number 6 a lot: « Don’t fear future hunger ». How many times do we overeat simply because we fear that we may have to eat later? Our body is intelligent enough to allow us some time between the moment when we start feeling hungry and the time we eat. I believe we should respect our body and not give it too much food when it does not need it!
Louis,
Thanks for stopping by. I definitely have problems with number 6. It’s almost like I fear emptiness in general. Jan points out that we’ve gotten used to always having a beverage and snacks within reach. Not long ago, people just ate 3 meals per day with no snacks or drinks in between. Now we carry water bottles everywhere.
Hi Roger,
I am finding that when it comes to food, two things happen. There are foods that my body wants me to have and foods that my brain wants me to have. I notice that when I am feeling happy and at peace, I can more easily listen to my body and give it what it needs.
However, when I am distracted due to work, it is harder to listen to my body. I will admit though that being mindful of eating has made eating more enjoyable.
On a side note, there is a company that sells dishes that tell you the proper portions for foods. I took a look at the site and here is what I found: with a regular 9 inch dinner plate, half of it has to be vegetables; and 1/4 protein and the last 1/4 a carb. I have been using it as a model and it has made a difference in how I feel.
Nadia,
I like your plate portion idea. It seems sensible.
Speaking of plates, Jan discussed how the size of plates and bowls is growing which makes it difficult to eat the right amount.
I’ve also found eating mindfully has made food much more enjoyable. My favorite thing to do is to take small bites and savor the flavor.
Hi Roger,
The idea of mindful eating makes a lot of sense. I think even life is better when we maintain a mindful state.
Thanks for sharing this.
Michael,
You’re welcome! My hope is that mindful eating increases mindfulness in other aspects of our lives.
@Roger: I too have a problem with number 6, but I guess this is a society problem: security is so important today that we always live in fear of missing something important. I think this is why we overreat!
Hi Roger,
While eating mindfully I slowed down and took smaller mouthfuls. I find that slowing down and paying attention is great but there was something wrong and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I finally figured out that I didn’t like taking smaller mouthfuls. I’d much rather mindfully have 5 full spoonfuls of something than 20 small spoonfuls. I’d rather eat half a cookie in one mouthful than nibble away at it.
Maybe I’m just being a pig…but I’m a happy pig!
@Louis: I think it is a very common problem.
@Gwynn: Maybe you could try chewing longer with bigger mouthfuls. Jan suggested chewing enough times so that the food was almost a liquid.
Thanks Roger.
In these hectic times we tend to rush eating, it seems to have become a process of just filling the belly rather than a pleasure. And it is such a simple pleasure as well.
I am practicing chewing slower like you have listed. I find if I chew slower I can taste the food more, especially if it is a home cooked recipe.
Garry,
Yep…I’m tasting food in ways that I’ve never tasted food before. The food is so much more flavorful and fun to eat. I wish I had started mindful eating sooner.
I’m jumping on this project a little late, but I’m glad I found it. I have experimented with this, but I should buck up and commit to it for 30 days like you.
I have noticed that I eat less and enjoy it more, but more importantly I am grateful for being lucky enough to have food at all. Finding enough food has probably been a huge issue, at one time or another, for most of the humans who have ever lived.
Don’t fear future hunger. This is a really good point, one I hadn’t thought of. I do that! I’m am afraid of regretting the small amount I ate. Carrying an apple in my bag could alleviate that issue completely.
David,
Thanks for stopping by!
You made an excellent point about feeling gratitude for the food that we eat. Jan actually had an exercise where you pick up a piece of food and then trace backward how it got here.
For instance, suppose you eat a piece of bread. You can thank
- the person that put it in your cupboard
- the person that bought it
- the person that put it on the shelf in the grocery store
- the person that delivered the bread to the store
- the people that made the bread
- the farmer that grew the wheat for the bread
- the sun and rain that helped grow the wheat
- and so on