The Winds are shifting

Hi, readers!  I've been mulling this over in my head for a while and just wanted to give you a heads up.  Over the next couple months, the Eating Coach blog is going to be going through some transition.  Many of you may not know that I have been working really hard here at Borgess (or at least my little part of Borgess) to change the way we use social media to reach out to you all.

This blog has actually been serving a dual purpose of educating y'all on the principles of  Mindful Eating while it offered me a little test kitchen to see how social media works.  I appreciate all the time, attention, and support you've offered me since I started writing here (just under a 800 posts ago!)

Here's the thing:  mindful eating is just one piece of the puzzle to being a happier, healthier you (and me).  There are lots of other equally important pieces that don't get a lot of attention and I think you deserve to hear about them too. 

Much like the rest of you, your eating behaviors are tied into stress management, self esteem, what's going on at work, the behaviors you learned growing up, your activity levels, etc.  and I think it is important to start taking a look at those behaviors too.  Maybe there are some small changes we can make that will help you be mindful in some other aspect of your life!

So, I hope you'll stick with me through this transition.  Keep your comments coming and I hope you enjoy the additional scope the blog is taking on!

And as always, thanks for your support!!

The war on Kludge

I learned a new word today -- actually, I have heard it before and kind of had a vague notion of the meaning, but today, I actually took the time to look it up (via dictionary.com) to make sure I knew what it really meant.

kludge or kluge (klōōj)
n. Slang
1.A system, especially a computer system, that is constituted of poorly matched elements or of elements originally intended for other applications.

2.A clumsy or inelegant solution to a problem.

The definition reminds me of the phrase "cobbled together" -- it might work...but it ain't pretty!

This is what dieters all over the country are facing right now. A patched together food system. Whatever is "in" or "okay" or "healthy" right now, is what we're eating. Whatever isn't the health food du jour is "out" (as Heidi Klum would say). Whatever hasn't been specifically banned but isn't on the health list is kind of a free for all (that is what Americans are really eating -- because most of the other stuff makes us feel guilty because we are either eating it and we shouldn't OR we aren't eating it and we think we should)

So we are a land of diet kludge -- the exact definition of an inelegant and clumsy solution to our collective weight problem.

You know what really makes for elegance??? Simplicity. Having something do the work it was designed/born/bred to do -- that is elegance. Every had the opportunity to see a hunting dog out casting for pheasant? Your personal beliefs on hunting aside -- the dog is doing what it was born to do and having fun!

Why do we need complicated systems for how, when and what we should eat??? We were born to do this! We were born to enjoy it!! Have you ever enviously watched someone eat who didn't give a thought to calorie content, fat content, or what this meal might (or might not) be doing to their waistline? It can be a study in elegance. Doing (and enjoying) what they were meant to do.

Are your eating habits kludgy? What about your snacking in the evening -- grazing on this thing and the next in an effort to avoid (usually unsuccessfully) the food you really want?

Are you ready to give up the kludge and get back to the elegant solution?

Simplify

How much chaos is there in your life? Does your house or your desk at the office feel cluttered and chaotic?

How about your eating? Does it feel like you are always trying to make decisions between what you should eat and what you want to eat? Constantly trying to decide if you “can” have the desert or another helping of dinner?

If your office or desk is cluttery, what advice would you get from your friends? I would tell you to go through your stuff and throw out (or at least box up) anything that is not useful or does not bring you huge amounts of pleasure to see. All of the little knick-knacks given to you over the years that you didn’t know what to do with so you set it on your shelf and now there is a hundred of them (pain in the neck to dust under and you can’t even look at them individually because there is so many…sound familiar?) Get them put away and start over!

The same goes for eating. Lots of the eating we do is just because it is there. We don’t necessarily want to eat -- it is just the path of least resistance. It is not wonderful, it is just there.

My suggestion? Take a look at your food journal. Figure out what (or when) you have been eating that hasn’t been for hunger (useful) or truly brought you pleasure. “Box” those up those foods or times. Get rid of them! Make a commitment to eat only those calories that add value to your life.

Analyze what you are about to eat and ask yourself “Is this useful or truly going to bring me huge amounts of pleasure?” If it takes more than a split second to answer, you can safely say that food is neither useful nor pleasurable enough – it will just be adding to the chaos and clutter of your life. Throw it out. Simplify.