Do something Friday

Eating without distraction.

In the last couple weeks, I have had several clients tell me they have worked on eating and not distracting themselves with anything else.  (So if you're reading this email while you are munching on your morning bagel or lunch.....this is the distraction I am talking about)

TV

Computer

Driving

Reading the newspaper or a book

Mind wandering off into daydream

Distractions take your focus off the food.  People tend to eat more if they are doing something else while eating because eating, by itself, is just not that interesting after the first few bites.  And if it's not that interesting, it is easier to eat less because you are ready to move away from the meal because it has gotten boring.

This weekend -- pick a time where you can sit and eat without distraction.  Chew the food.  See how long you can sit there and just eat and pay attention to the food and your sensations without something else holding your attention. 

Do you recognize the power of your situation?

You are never without power.  Food never has more power over you than you have over it.  When you underestimate or negate your power, you are giving your power away....but it doesn't mean you can't get it back.

People average 250 food choices every day.  I am asking you to make a few different choices.  Are you powerful enough to do that?

Agents of Change



Photographed by JustinLowery.com

 I just loved the title!!  Agents of change, to me, suggest enough action to make the world a more interesting place.  I just got done reading today's post from ProductiveFlourishing (again, another name I like because it seems so positive and action driven).  I loved the whole post -- I won't copy it here but I am going to give you the first couple paragraphs:

We often hear two seemingly contradictory statement from change agents:

1. A series of small steps is the best way to get something done.
2. You can’t cross a chasm in two small steps.

Both are true, but neither are sufficient at fully capturing reality.


There are two dynamics of change that we have to consider. The first dynamic is what I’m calling the stepping dynamic, and the second dynamic I’m calling the tipping dynamic. Both are real facets to the evolution of ourselves and the world.


Consider how an avalanche builds. Proponents of the stepping model would show that it’s just a series of snowflakes that stack on top of each other, but that doesn’t quite capture the dynamic tip that happens at the moment the snow starts moving. On the other hand, proponents of the tipping model often don’t account for the fact that without all those snowflakes, the tip would never occur.

Have you ever noticed that life doesn't play itself out in black and white?  I love the grey, truly, but it sure does make things more challenging sometimes!

So, stepping dynamic (as it applies to Mindful Eating) -- this is the part of the program where you are learning to pay attention to your sensations of hunger and fullness.  This is the part where you are actively journalling, asking yourself if you are physically hungry, and working really hard to listen to the answer.  This is the part that gets clients frustrated because it seems like "so much work".  This is where they envision staying everyday, every bite of food from now until forever.

Think of each time you ask yourself "am I hungry?" or "how full am I?" or "how does this 7th bite of pasta taste right now?" as a snowflake.  You might think that each one doesn't amount to much because each one is only probably responsible for 10 or 15 or 30 calories -- and you know as well as I do, if you have 20 or 30 or 100 pounds to lose, 10 or 30 calories isn't even a drop in the bucket. (yes, I know....mixed metaphors but it was the best I could come up with right now!)

Back to the snowflakes .....So each one individually doesn't really amount to much.  Here's where the tipping dynamic comes in.  Once you have a bunch of these little steps under your belt, the whole process becomes much easier.  You don't have to work as hard to remember to ask yourself if you are really hungry.  Recognition that you have reached a level 8 will just pop into your head without having to consciously remind yourself to check for the sensation.

And...just like the snow piling up in your street (coming soon), consistent flake accumulation adds up.  A big snow shower for 4 minutes isn't that big of a deal.  It's those lazy, large lake effect snowflakes that fall all afternoon and into the evening (even if they aren't falling that fast and furious) that will add up and change how your whole world functions.  And that is what we're going for here!  A bunch of small decisions to eat just a little bit less.  Making a conscious choice to leave somethings uneaten.  This is where weight loss and behavior changes comes from -- the stepping dynamic that turns into the tipping dynamic.

What's holding you back?

Are you afraid of jumping into mindfulness with both feet?  Is it fear that if you ate every time you were physically hungry you would gain 1000 pounds in a week?  Are you afraid to become curious about your behaviors because you think there is something there is something there inherently broken and beyond fixing?  Deep down, do you think you are going to fail anyway so why bother?

But your weight bothers you!  You spend a lot of time worrying about how you look, which clothes will fit, how you will possibly make it through the holidays -- do you want to live this way forever?  Is this what you think life has to be?

It's not.

You can find your natural weight.  You can learn to eat and enjoy your food with ease and grace.  EVERYONE who wants to put the training time in can acheive this.  No muss, no fuss.

You can reconnect with your sensations of hunger and fullness. 

You can learn to taste what is currently in your mouth without worrying about what the next bite is going to be or if there is going to be enough.

But first you have to figure out what EXACTLY what is holding you back.  Are you willing to take a look at yourself in the mirror and figure out the answer to that question?

What did you notice?

Did you spent some time getting letting your hunger build this weekend?  What did you notice about those physical sensations?  Were you surprised at how the experiment went?  Or did you forget to do it in the hustle and bustle of the weekend?  Each answer will tell you something about where you are choosing to spend your attention.

Do something Friday

When was the last time you let your physical hunger guide your eating for a day? 

This weekend, take the time to be guided by your internal cues for a day.  Let yourself get hungry -- not sick -- just growly (think level 2).  Then when you are ready to eat something, sit down in a calm environment with no distractions and pay attention to the taste, texture, and smell of your food. 

Eat until you're satisfied and then -- no matter what it still on your plate -- put the food away until the next time you are physically hungry.  --Just for a day, give it a try.  You might be surprised at how what you notice about your eating patterns.

Quote and a question...

"When you no longer believe that eating will save your life when you feel exhausted or overwhelmed or lonely, you will stop.  When you believe in yourself more than you believe in food, you will stop using food as if it were your only chance at not falling apart."  -- Geneen Roth  Women, Food, and God

So...are you ready to talk about this book yet?  Are you ready to let go of everything that everyone else has every told you about who you are and what you're capable of and learn to choose for yourself?