Am I Hungry?

Posted on November 18, 2012 by admin

Today, when you find yourself reaching for food, STOP. Ask yourself, “Am I physically hungry?” If so, make sure what you are reaching for is what you really want to eat. If it’s not, can you find something else that would hit the spot? If it’s what you want, take a breath. Put the food on a plate. Sit down, and eat consciously, fully tasting and savoring your food.

If the answer to “Am I physically hungry?” is “No.” Take several deep breaths. Ask yourself, “What am I feeling physically? What am I feeling emotionally?” If your body doesn’t need food, what else might it need?

If you are having an uncomfortable emotion, rather than eating, give that feeling some space. Sit down or lie down. Put your hand on your heart. Take 10 long deep breaths. Ask the feeling, “What do you need?” Often, if we listen, our feelings will let us know what they need. Most of the time, our feelings just need to be acknowledged.

Remember that all feelings, comfortable or uncomfortable, will eventually pass. See if you can allow your feelings to run their natural course.

Thanksgiving Tips

Posted on November 14, 2012 by admin

Here are some tips to help make your Thanksgiving less stressful and more enjoyable:

1) Don’t fast before the big meal. Extreme hunger is a set up for overeating. If you get hungry before your big meal, have a small snack. It feels good to be hungry for a big meal, but not overly so.

2) Before you plunge into the meal, check inside to see what you are really in the mood for. You don’t have to eat everything just because it’s there. Eat only what you want. If you take a bite of something and it doesn’t taste good or match your hunger, then don’t feel obligated to eat it. Try something else. Notice what tastes great and what tastes so-so. Eat only what tastes great.

If you feel excited by turkey and pie, but nothing else, just eat the turkey and pie.

3) Remind yourself that you can take home or keep what you don’t finish. This is why Ziplocs and Tupperware were invented! It is fine to say, “I am too full to finish this now, but I’d love to wrap it up for tomorrow or later when I can enjoy it more.”

4) Remind yourself that this isn’t the only time in the whole year that you can enjoy these foods. If you wanted, you can even make stuffing and turkey again next week or even the next day. Supermarkets sell “holiday” foods all year round.

5) Eat mindfully. Slow down, taste, and savor your food. Notice the flavors and textures of the different foods you choose. Let go of any guilt, calorie counting or judgment about your choices, as this will distract you from being mindful and will take away from a potentially pleasurable experience. Give yourself permission to fully enjoy your meal.

Eating mindfully will also help you to stop eating more easily when full. The more present you are with your eating experience, the more satisfaction you will find. Being distracted while eating makes it difficult for the eating experience to fully register, therefore, you’ll be more likely to keep reaching for food.

6) To check your fullness level, halfway through the meal, stand up. Stretch, go to the bathroom, or walk to another room. Notice how your body feels. Do you want to keep eating or is it time for a break. Do you feel like stopping? Remember you can eat more of anything when you are hungry again. And food tastes the best when you are hungry for it.

7) If you get too full, don’t reprimand yourself. Remember, guilt is not helpful when it comes to eating. It just ruins your experience. Don’t strive for perfection. Even with people who don’t struggle with food might overeat now and again. You will eventually get hungry again. Fullness always passes. Be kind with yourself no matter what happens.

8) After a big meal, it can feel nice to take a walk. Even a 5-minute walk can help you to relax. It also aids digestion. It’s an especially nice thing to do with your dog or someone whose company you enjoy.

9) If you are with people who stress you out or if you feel upset for any reason, take time for yourself. Go into another space and sit quietly or take a walk. You don’t have to be social 100% of the time. You might even make a phone date or exchange texts or email with a supportive friend so you feel less isolated.

10) Holidays can be difficult for so many reasons. Give yourself permission to feel however you feel. If holidays are a sad time, let yourself feel sad. Write about what you feel. Feeling lonely, sad, stressed or angry are just as legitimate as feeling happy and peaceful. You may feel lots of different things. This is natural.

11) If holidays are hard for you, do nice things for yourself. Take yourself to a movie, call a good friend, read an enjoyable book, and otherwise, nurture yourself. Even if holidays are not difficult, do nice things for yourself because you deserve nice treatment.

12) In order to help take the focus off of food, remember that Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the things in our lives we are thankful for. It’s not just about food. Take time to list what you’re grateful for in your life. Appreciate these things and notice how gratitude makes you feel.

All or Nothing Thinking

Posted on November 9, 2012 by admin

Do you engage in “all or nothing thinking?”

For example, do you believe that you need to eat mindfully ALL of the time for it to count? And if you can’t eat mindfully ALL of the time, then it isn’t worth it to try at all. Or, do you believe that you must exercise for X times a week or for X amount of time? And, if you can’t, then you don’t exercise at all.

Similarly, do you only value progress if you do things perfectly while you neglect to celebrate the smaller steps you take along the way? Perhaps you only give yourself credit if you don’t overeat, but ignore all the other ways you’ve listened to your body and taken care of yourself during the day.

If this is the case, recognize that you are engaged in “all or nothing thinking.” Write down all the ways that “all or nothing thinking” stops you from moving forward or from appreciating any baby steps you take.

Today, think of one way “all or nothing thinking” keeps you from performing self-care. Instead of thinking that you must eat mindfully all of the time, today, try eating mindfully for only 2 minutes. Then celebrate this achievement. Or, go for a 10 minute walk instead of waiting for a day when you can walk for an hour.

Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Every single step, no matter how small, moves you forward.

More Help on Stopping When Full

Posted on November 9, 2012 by admin

Many of us have a much easier time starting to eat when hungry rather than stopping eating when comfortably full. In addition to yesterday’s suggestions, eating more slowly will help with with your ability to stop when full. Being mindful while you eat will allow you to really taste what you are eating so the eating experience fully registers. When we are distracted while eating, it’s easy to keep on eating because we are not receiving the full pleasure of the experience.

Slow your meal down. Breathe. Stop now and again to check in with your body’s fullness level. Try standing up halfway during the meal to see how your body is responding to the food. You might walk into another room to remind yourself that there are other things in your life you might do besides eating.

During the meal, remind yourself, that if you stop now, you can always have more food later. In fact, the sooner you say goodbye to this meal, the more quickly you will get hungry again and be able to eat.

If you are able to stop eating when comfortably full, notice how not being stuffed feels. This positive feeling of being comfortably full rather than stuffed is important to focus on and remember. Recalling this memory of being comfortable after eating can help motivate us to stop when full in the future.

Trouble Stopping When Full?

Posted on November 9, 2012 by admin

Do you find it difficult to stop eating when full? Perhaps you don’t want to stop because the food tastes so yummy. Maybe stopping means returning to uncomfortable feelings such as stress, boredom, loneliness, fill in the blank. Or stopping might mean going back to doing something, like working, that you’d rather avoid. The first step in helping yourself to stop when full is to bring mindfulness to exactly what is happening.

To do this, identify and vocalize what you are feeling. Say out loud or quietly, “I don’t want to stop! This tastes so good!” Or “I don’t’ want to go back to feeling lonely, sad, etc.!” Acknowledge your feelings and bring compassion to yourself. Tell yourself, “Of course it’s hard to stop. It’s not fun to feel sad, lonely, etc.”

Stop for a moment and breathe. Put your hands on your heart. Allow youself to feel the loss that comes with stopping. Let yourself frown. Comfort yourself as you would a small child. Then, think of something kind you can do for yourself if you stop eating.