Wednesday Weekly: Eat Slowly & Mindfully

Ok, so ... it's Thursday.

Sorry about that! Things have been cah-razy!

So this week's meeting topic is eating slowly, and mindfully.

And I have to be honest - I hardly ever do this. In the morning I usually eat standing up while I race around the kitchen to get lunched packed, or race around the bedrooms to get everyone dressed for the day, or race around the bathroom to get my hair and make-up done. Even on weekends, I am usually eating breakfast while my daughter is making me play Barbie's with her.

Lunch is the same. My mother-in-law once asked me if I get tired of eating the same lunch every single day (I pack a turkey sandwich with swiss, lettuce and mustard - literally every single day). I replied "I eat at my desk while I'm working. I'm so wrapped up in what I'm doing that I am barely aware of what I'm eating. I just know it's not awful, and I'm hungry."

Dinner is sometimes better. When home though, it's usually a race to scarf down my food while it's still hot - otherwise I'll be pulled away from the table for this or that. Plus, we get home pretty late. By the time dinner's on the table we need to eat it quickly so that there's enough time to clean up, wash up, get the little one ready for bed... But sometimes, when we are lucky enough to get a babysitter and have a night out, I slow down. If we're at a nice restaurant and I paid a lot for my meal and it's an indulgence or a cheat meal - I slow down. If I'm going to blow through money or ingest an insane amount of calories, it had better be worth it, and I had better take my time to enjoy it!

Interestingly, I never really gave this much thought until I started writing about it just now.

But I'm really, really terrible about eating slowly and mindfully!

And I should know better! I know why it's good. I know the benefits! You eat less calories! Duh? Who doesn't want that?

If you ever have the chance to read this book I highly recommend it. The author goes into a bunch of reasons why we eat more than we think you do, and gives you strategies to help you eat less through mindful eating.

http://www.amazon.com/Mindless-Eating-More-Than-Think/dp/0553384481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463685374&sr=8-1&keywords=mindless+eating


So what can we do to eat more mindfully and slow down?

First I think we need to get rid of the distractions. Put the phone away. Turn off the TV. Put the book down.

Stop. Take a breath. Look at your plate. We eat with our eyes first. Does it look pretty? Is it colorful? (doing this may also make you think twice about what you're eating - if it doesn't look very appetizing, maybe that's a sign that we need to plan something else for our menu next time).

Take a small bite. Chew it slowly. Really notice how your food tastes.

Put your fork down!!!! Don't pick it up again until you've finished chewing and swallowing the last bite.

Take a sip! Of water, or whatever you've got. Drinking a sip between bites is a great way to slow down, and gives your body time to digest and send you the signal that you're full and satisfied.

Pick a nice place. Eating in your cubicle at your desk is probably not the best place to sit down and slowly enjoy your meal. If you can't get to a nice place (your company break room is probably not much better than your cubicle) at least try to put on some nice soft music or do something to make the environment more pleasant.

This is something I need to work on myself. So my goal for the next 5 days is to try and eat at least one meal (even if it's only a snack) slowly, mindfully, and without distraction. I'll keep you posted on how I do!

What will you do this week to slow down?