KeralaClick.com |

Mindfulness - The Key to Avoiding Overeating



I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be efficient and do some work over lunch. I was brainstorming some ideas for my next article. Deep in though, the ideas came easy to me. By the middle of page two, I looked down and noticed that I was on my last bite. It was weird, like when you fall asleep and wake up feeling like you just blinked and the alarm went off. I didn't taste my sandwich at all. After cleaning up my plate, I thought, I could go for a little something sweet, maybe I'll have a piece of fruit. My body just ate lunch, but my mind missed out on the whole experience. So there's my article topic!

Most of you have had an experience like this. In our hurried world, we have become excellent multitaskers. We eat while working, watching TV, reading, driving, dressing?you name it. While this seems to help with our time management, it may be one of the factors contributing the ever increasing incidence of obesity in our country.

Mindfulness is a Zen term used to describe being fully aware and alive in the moment. It is the process of being aware of your sensations and thoughts without trying to judge or control them. To eat mindfully is to experience the meal with as many of your senses as you can, and be fully present in the experience.

Mindful eating is not a new concept. Behavioral diet programs have suggested tips associated with it for years. You've probably heard things like chew each bite 25 times, put your fork down in between bites and eat all your meals at the table. These tips are all ways to slow down while we eat. New evidence shows that while eating slowly is important, it is also important to pay attention while you eat in order to feel fully satisfied.

Normal eating is described as "eating when you are hungry, and stopping when you are full". Sounds simple enough? But this can only happen when you are fully attuned to your body's signals for hunger and satiety. Chronic dieters often lose this ability- through training (constant dieting and "willpower") they have learned to tune out physical hunger and eat only according to their current list of "shoulds" and guidelines. Even people who do have the capacity to recognize the body's physical signals, have to pay attention to it.

In addition to recognizing hunger in general, it is critical to determine the difference between mind hunger and body hunger. By mind hunger, I'm referring to all of the other reasons that we eat- a stressful day, a celebration, boredom, sadness, fear of feeling an emotion? We have learned that when our body or mind is yearning for something, we give it food. It is a quick and easy fix. Maybe what we really needed was a nap, or a hug, or someone to listen or to learn how to express ourselves better. Learning to not feed mind hunger with food is a long process, this is a behavior that we learned long ago, and need to relearn other coping techniques. But just being aware is a great start. When you think you're hungry, ask yourself if food is truly what you need.

As you eat, just notice how hungry you are, how your food tastes, notice that more you eat, the less enjoyment you get. As your body reaches the point of satisfaction/satiety, your food doesn't taste as good as it did on the first bite. See if you can find this point. Geneen Roth explains it best, "Eat what you want. Eat until you've had enough. Satisfaction is both emotional and physical. There's a physical point of satisfaction. It happens often that somebody is eating, and then there's one point at which your body says, 'I've had enough now, anything you put inside me is for your mind, not for me, your body.' You've got to be paying attention there, so that means you've got to be present. If you're distracted, if you're doing something else, you're going to miss that signal."

To make your meals more mindful:

  • Keep a food log- ask what, how much, how you felt, who was with you, where were you, how hungry were you? How did you feel afterwards?
  • Before you eat, rate your hunger on a scale of 1-10, after eating; use a satiety/fullness scale. This will help you to identify patterns, triggers for overeating, and recognize the point of satisfaction in a meal.(1- starving, about to pass out, 5- just right, not hungry and not full, satisfied, 10- stuffed, uncomfortable)
  • Make eating a solitary activity, sit at a table, light a candle, add dinner music, make it a complete experience
  • Focus on the flavors and textures of your food.
  • Eat slowly and notice how enjoyable each bite is.
  • Jonna Reynolds is the founder and CEO of Evolve Wellness Coaching. She helps clients achieve their weight loss goals by looking at all the factors that contribute to their success. Specializing in holistic weight management, behavior change and binge eating disorder, her approach combines exercise physiology, behavioral psychology, nutrition, life coaching to help clients make permanent life changes.

    Jonna holds national certifications in Wellness Coaching (Wellcoaches Corporation), Lifestyle and Weight Management Consulting (since 2003), Personal Trainer (since 1993), Group Exercise Instructor (since 1989) from the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Jonna received her BS degree in Health and Exercise Science from Colorado State University in 1994, and has done extensive post graduate work in Exercise Physiology, Wellness Management, Nutrition and Psychology.

    For more information on services or to request a speaker on this topic: (480)248-2428 http://www.evolve4life.com

    To sign up for the free EVOLVE4LIFE Newsletter: http://www.evolve4life.com/newsletter.html


    MORE RESOURCES:

    Teen weight loss program shows some benefit
    Reuters
    By Kerry Grens | NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A low-key, long term approach to teen weight loss produced modest benefits in a clinical trial, Australian researchers report, though a version of the program that added texts and emails didn't help kids ...

    and more »


    For weight loss, cutting back on calories matters most | Timi Gustafson
    Tukwila Reporter
    There is no real evidence that low-carb, low-fat or high-protein diets make as big a difference as overall calorie reduction when it comes to weight loss, according to Dr. George Bray who worked on the study. “Earlier research had found that certain ...

    and more »


    Choose a Medical Weight Loss Center with a Superior Safety Track Record
    MarketWatch (press release)
    Dr. Feiz & Associates is a widely respected source for weight loss in Los Angeles, not just because of their success rate, but also because of their enduring commitment to the highest safety standards. Dr. Michael Feiz and his team have never had a ...

    and more »


    Ninemsn

    Beyoncé's post-baby body is hers -- not ours
    The Grio
    "A lot of postpartum weight loss has to do with genes or the individual woman. Some women will look like they were never pregnant shortly after delivery, while others will struggle with weight loss," said theGrio.com's health editor Dr. Tyeese Gaines.
    Beyonce's Amazing Baby Weight LossExaminer.com

    all 391 news articles »


    PRunderground

    Hypnosis For Weight Loss Has Hypnotherapist Doctor Busy In New York & Connecticut
    PRunderground
    Dr Ellyn Gamberg is a hypnosis for weight loss hypnotherapist in New York and Connecticut. Yesterday on his show Dr. Oz put that idea in the minds of millions of Americans. People all over Europe have been saying for years that Virtual Gastric Banding ...
    Health: Hypnosis Lap Band, A Non-Invasive Way To Lose WeightCBS Local

    all 3 news articles »


    HealthJockey.com

    New weight loss techniques could be used as alternatives to liposuction
    HealthJockey.com
    Most people would agree that getting rid of stubborn body fat can be a tough row to hoe. New techniques involving fat removal technologies that are regarded as non-invasive are coming forth, report scientists from the American Academy of Dermatology.

    and more »


    FHN to offer personalized weight loss program
    Freeport Journal-Standard
    By Karen Eisenhauer FHN is offering the personalized weight loss class, "Create Your Weight" from 4-5 pm Feb. 20 at FHN hospital, 1045 W. Stephenson St., Freeport. The class offers a personal weight reduction plan developed and led by registered ...

    and more »


    Houston Weight Loss Surgeons Discuss How to Choose the Right Bariatric Practice
    San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
    Drs. Yu and Scarborough discuss key aspects to look for in a practice before undergoing a weight loss procedure such as gastric plication to help improve results and get patients back on track towards leading a healthier life.

    and more »


    Weight Loss Rules You're Allowed to Break
    FitSugar.com (blog)
    Even though there are some very specific guidelines that can help you reach your goal faster, there's no one-size-fits-all weight-loss plan for everyone. Here are five rules you can bend and still drop pounds from the scale.
    Ask the Diet Doctor: How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight?Shape Magazine

    all 3 news articles »


    Mother Nature Network (blog)

    Weight loss: A possible benefit of the recession?
    Mother Nature Network (blog)
    Evidently there is some evidence pointing towards a link between an economic recession and weight loss. While one of the Freakonomics co-authors, Stephen Dubner, thought that the recession would lead to weight gains because people would head for fast ...

    and more »

    Google News

    Google
    home | site map
    © KeralaClick.com 2006