Mindful Eating: What is it? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

MiladyB · 04-11-2007, 08:49 AM

LisaB's post on grazing sent me to dig for some information on "mindful eating". Personally the more I read about it the more that I think it is the answer, at least for me. I thought I would share some of the info I dug up.

1) What is mindful eating?

Mindfulness, and more specifically mindful eating, isn't a new concept. In fact, it is centuries old and based on the Eastern concept of mindfulness or “pure awareness.” If you are eating mindfully, you are aware and attentive to all dimensions of eating. It includes mindfulness of the mind, body, thoughts and feelings.

Mindful eating: is about being conscious of why you are eating. Are you hungry? Are you tired? Are you bored? There is no menu or recipes to follow. It's about learning HOW and WHY you eat, and less about WHAT you eat. When you are so closely in touch with what is going on inside, you know the exact moment you are satisfied rather than stuffed or starving. To understand the why, what, when and how we eat, we have to be compassionate and nonjudgmental. This allows us to take a closer look at our behavior.

2) Seven habits of the mindful eater.

1. Aware

2. Accepting

3. Nonjudgmental

4. Compassionate

5. In-the-Moment

6. Able to Let-it-Go

7. Observant

3)The 4 foundations of eating mindfully

MINDFULNESS of the MIND On a scale of 1-10, how aware am I at this moment? Am I tasting every bite or am I mindlessly chomping away? Observe the taste, texture, smell, and sound of food. This helps you to pay attention to what you are doing. Identify whether you are mindlessly snacking or in touch with every single bite.

MINDFULNESS of the BODY. Listen to your body. Do I pay attention when it says stop? Or, do I ignore my body's feedback. Identify how your body tells you it's hungry and full. Pay attention to hunger pains, a rumbling stomach, your energy level, movement, body posture and muscle tension. If you don't respond, your body could stop giving you important information about how it is doing. Learn to know the difference between emotional hunger (stress eating) and physical hunger.

MINDFULNESS of FEELINGS is noticing feelings that start and stop eating. Anxiety, guilt, stress, comfort, boredom and pleasure are just a few. It's important to get in touch with your emotions. If you don't get a handle on your feelings, Sometimes, coping with your feelings is more important than changing the type of foods you eat.

MINDFULNESS of THOUGHTS. Be mindful of your thoughts. Observe “should” and “should not” thoughts, critical thoughts (I'm so fat!), food rules, "good" and "bad" food categories. Notice how positive and negative thoughts sway your behavior. A thought is just a thought, you don't have to respond to it.

Susan Albers © 2004

4)What does mindfullness do?

Baer, R. A (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice Article

Try a classic eating mindful exercise: (for after wls maybe use a soy crisp? *G*)
Among many things, mindful eating includes feeling the saltiness of each potato chip on your fingers as you pick it up, and noting the taste of the salt when you put the chip on your tongue. It’s being aware of and listening to the loud crunch of each bite, and the noise the chewing makes in your head. As you eat the chips, you take note of the rough texture against your tongue, and the pressure of your teeth grinding together.

When you are watchful, you notice how your stomach expands and feels fuller. You experience each bite from start to finish by slowing down every aspect of the eating process to be fully aware of each movement, swallow, aroma and feeling derived from eating.

5)Mindful eating acceptance affirmations

Mind

I accept that my eating and weight concerns are creating emotional distress, discomfort, and suffering in my life.
I choose to accept my body and weight as they are at this moment.
Committing to accept myself is a choice only I can make.

Body

I accept that my genetic inheritance strongly influences my body shape and weight.
I accept how important it is for me to eat mindfully in order to live a healthy life.

Thoughts

To accept my body and weight does not mean that I am judging them to be perfect
Acceptance only comes from within myself. I don’t seek it from the outside.

Feelings

I accept that my worth is not reflected by my weight and shape, but, rather, my worth is determined by who I am as a whole person.
Acceptance includes rejecting the cultural and social messages I receive about weight.

6)Mindful eating motto

Merry vs. Mindful

Eat, Drink and Be Merry myth suggests you eat what feels good in-the-moment and use food to de-stress, soothe emotions celebrate. Eating is routine and given little attention.

Multitasking while eating (watch TV, drive, talk & eat)
“Grazing” on food
Routinely skipping breakfast or meals
Ignoring hunger and body cues (stomach rumbling, low energy)
Continue to eat although full (stuffing rather than satiating)
Member of the “Clean Plate Club”
Disregarding nutrition needs
Avoiding physical symptoms of over or under eating
“Live to Eat” rather than “Eat to Live”
Use “Comfort Foods”
Believe you have little or no control
Shoulds and Shouldn'ts dominate eating

Eat, Drink & Be Mindful is being diligently attentive to your body, mind, thoughts and feelings as you eat. A conscious awareness and attention to food choices, body and nutritional needs. Nonjudgmental, accepting and compassionate toward yourself and others

Nonjudgmental of self and food choices
Fully in-the-moment while eating
Focused attention. Able to bring attention back when it wanders
Alert and observant of thoughts.
Able to “let go” of critical thoughts and emotions without reacting
Diligently watchful of pre and post eating feelings
Food just is what it is rather than categorized as good and bad
Mindful eating is an ongoing journey
Compassionate toward self and others
Acceptance of self and body as you are

What is the basic mindful bite?

The Basic Mindful Bite

Coming into Balance and Harmony With Food

As you bring food to your mouth, slow down and become aware of your movements.

Once the food is in your mouth, clear your hands. Put silverware or remaining food down.

Chew this bite with your mind in laser-sharp focus on the process. Concentrate on the taste of the food and the act of eating. Don't do anything else while you're chewing. Simply chew and pay attention.

Keep chewing until the food is uniformly smooth. Use this consistency of the food as a signal to swallow.

After you swallow, but before you bring more food to your mouth, rest for a few seconds, thereby inserting a pause into your eating.

Here are some great links that give further discussion on this topic.
http://www.mindfuleating.org/Basics.html
http://www.tcme.org/
http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/sc/...fuleating.html
http://www.eatingmindfully.com/booko.../nutrition.htm

Anyway.....I think it is interesting stuff and something that really made sense to me as I try to learn to look at food and my eating in a new and healthy way.

BethBaugh · 04-11-2007, 09:06 AM

Wonderful insight. We don't stop and think about so many things. I really do better when I mainly think of food as fuel. Have I gotten in enough protein and veggies? My surgeon stresses food is fuel it is not whatever, whenever. Planning meals give the control freak in me something to do. You see with my daughters seizures being so unpredictable I have learned I can't control everything...and realized I was using emotions as an excuse to indulge in food for comfort. Now, we can stop and think about what we eat and why.

Thanks
Beth B. in TN

SweetSouthern · 04-11-2007, 11:24 AM

Wow Beth.........it's strange that this says exactly what I have been feeling about eating and trying to get across in some of my posts! It's odd to see it actually written in an article. At least I can feel like I am healthy THAT way! LOL Some people will think.....it's just eating.....why make such a big deal out of it. We HAVE to make a big deal out of it because if we get careless, we pay a bigger price than others.

MiladyB · 04-11-2007, 11:26 AM

yep, I know for me this really feels like it is the answer of how I want to live my life. You know when I read through this stuff I almost had a sigh of relief. *L* I don't have to feel like I'm "on a diet" the rest of my life. I CAN eat in moderation as long as I am mindful of my eating. There isn't "good" or "bad"! To me, this is "life" and I want to be able to live "life" to the fullest.

Sophiajason · 03-11-2009, 03:02 AM

Mindful Eating: interesting insight, we people hardly do mind why, when and what we are eating and end up with unnecessary bits and pieces which our body hardly needs, resulting in increase body weight, obesity and diseases. Eating in moderation means controlling yourself and your habit so that one can eat favorite food for longer time without any harm. Why not enjoy life in a healthy way by appreciating food for its great gifts. Do respect your body and be mindful of your eating to healthy and happy.

MiladyB · 03-11-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sophiajason

Mindful Eating: interesting insight, we people hardly do mind why, when and what we are eating and end up with unnecessary bits and pieces which our body hardly needs, resulting in increase body weight, obesity and diseases. Eating in moderation means controlling yourself and your habit so that one can eat favorite food for longer time without any harm. Why not enjoy life in a healthy way by appreciating food for its great gifts. Do respect your body and be mindful of your eating to healthy and happy.

Wow, you pulled this post out of the dungeons, but I'm glad you did. I needed to read this information again.

Even 2 years later I still think this is the key for me.