Have you ever wondered in mid-bite (or maybe later, when your pants are a little snug after a big meal) why we eat what we eat, and why we think we need certain types or amounts of food? Mindless eating is an American pastime.
Food will not fill any void other than physical, bodily hunger. It won't love you back, it won't fill your heart with love, it ultimately won't change your mood (at least not in the long term). YOU change your mood and YOU decide what is best for you because YOU are smart and are worthy of loving yourself. Even if the kids and family and work all seem to come first, you still get to decide that YOU are on the list.
It helps to start living more in the moment, and choosing to let the moment fill you up with joy and gratitude rather than using food to escape or fill a void you might feel. Celebrate with hugs, music, pictures, jokes, stories, listening, and being present. Put the food/drink down and simply notice. Food is not the occasion!
To overcome mindless eating, it helps to have some guidelines,
My challenge to you is to "take 5":
1) Eat 5 small meals a day (small is relative, but most snacks=100-150cals, meals=400-800cals)
2) Get 5 fruit and veggie servings within your 5meals/day
3) Maintain total calorie intake at 500cals less than what you mindlessly eat for weight loss
4) Take 5min at the start of each day to meditate, read a healthy affirmation, or write about gratitude for the changes occurring in your body
5) Workout at least 5 days per week
These 5 goals are not impossible to meet, it just takes being very intentional.
You should not feel hungry. Eat when you are hungry, and STOP when you are full. Stopping when you are full and waiting until you really are hungry is hard, and it may not serve you at first to eat the 5 small meals if you are really paying attention to hunger and fullness. Still, do your best to keep yourself from getting ravenous...that's why the small meals work.
If you can start thinking and living this way...you have won!!
1 comment:
Just from how I imagine this working in my own life, I'd have to spend time working on the food and settling into a rhythm before I could start hitting the gym 5x a week. For somebody who doesn't get a lot of exercise, reducing caloric intake while simultaneously hitting the gym like a madman can render a feeling of emptiness and reduced energy. I know there was for me. Taking it in steps made the entire process sustainable.
I like your thoughts on food not being the occasion, with the exception of my sister's apple pie. THAT is an occasion! =)
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