Bliss point.
I was reading The End of Overeating and the author was talking about the importance food engineers put on finding the bliss point of a food. In this context, it is the optimal mixture of fat, salt, and sugar put into processed foods that will keep us coming back for more -- whether or not we are hungry.
Let's take that phrase and look at it a different way. Let's look at it from the perspective of:
--How much of your favorite food is the perfect amount to eat before you slip over the edge into feeling gross. If you are an M&M eater, you know that half of a medium sized bag will send you sailing past your bliss point. But three might leave you on the unsatisfied end of things.
Same can be said for any food. Love burgers or steak? Pasta with cream sauce? How much can you eat and still leave the table feeling light, satisfied and ready to move on with your day? As opposed to stuffed, slow, heavy, and ready for a nap.
Today, pick one of your favorite foods. Make plans for some time this weekend to sit quietly and mindfully eat that food. Start hungry so your taste buds are primed to pick up all of the flavors you love. Don't get distracted (no TV, books, daydreaming about other things). Keep a tally of the bites you take. The first time you realize the bite you have just taken doesn't taste WONDERFUL, be done with the food. Count your tally marks and see how many bites did taste wonderful. You might be surprised at how few it takes to actually hit your bliss point.
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