Mindless eating. Eating without really even being aware of how much we are eating. Here’s an example: going to the movies. What’s going to the movies without popcorn? We buy the large-size bucket (it’s a better value, right?) and get so engrossed in the movie that before it's even over, we’ve eaten the whole bucket, right down to the very last kernel!
How can we stop from consuming extra, perhaps unwanted, calories this way? How can we become more in tune with the sensation of fullness, learning how to stop when we’ve had enough?
By eating mindfully. That’s right, although it's really more like teaching ourselves how to eat mindfully. How do we do that?
Becoming aware of what we are eating, or eating mindfully, takes some practice. We begin to pay attention to what we are eating. We pay attention to those things that influence us to eat more. Not only the external factors, but also the internal factors.
When eating mindfully, we take the time to chew our food thoroughly, putting down our utensils between bites, making an effort to stop several times during eating to check in with our stomach. How we are really feeling here is key.
By becoming in touch with oneself in this way, we gain the power to decide whether to continue eating because we’re hungry, or to say “enough” and push our chair away from the table. It is no longer a matter of how much food is left on our plate.
Eating is one of the great pleasures in life. When you think about all that’s involved… the nurturing aspect of food, all the senses that are involved in eating…it's supposed to be a wonderful experience.
Mindful eating is meant to bring enjoyment back to what we eat, thinking of our eating moment by moment, instead of where we want to be at some point in time. Here’s an example, the kind of thing that happens over and over. Picture this. You are out in a restaurant with friends trying to decide what to order. You think, “I want to get into those size 8 jeans sooner rather than later. I’d love to order the Reuben sandwich, but instead I’d better settle for a salad, no dressing, lemon wedge.”
Boring. Not fun or enjoyable in the least.
What about ordering the Reuben, which you really want, and putting into practice mindful eating? Slow down… become aware… eat as if this is the only food you will get all day… stop when you are full.
This takes practice because of the possible disconnect between your mind and stomach, a disconnect which may have been going on for so long, you no longer can tell when you are full!
You know what they say: practice makes perfect. It’s definitely true with mindful eating.
