Mindful Eating

 Pic: freeimages.com

When I was a child, I got banned from watching TV while eating breakfast because it would take me about an hour to eat half a bowl of chocos. Pepper-Ann and Doug were so enthralling that I forgot to eat. (Who does that? Forget to eat? The idea is ludicrous!)

Now I have the exact opposite problem. I can sit watching an episode of QI and next minute I realise all my food is gone. (What did it even taste like? I can barely remember)

So this week I'm trying to put a new way of eating into practice: Mindful Eating
This means you really have to take note of everything going on your plate from prep to finishing off the last bite. A few guidelines:

• Your main meal should have a protein and at least two veg. I struggle with this because when I think 'dinner' my mind immediately jumps to pasta, rice, roasted potatoes, more pasta. What I've tried to do this week is only buy protein and veg. If it's in the fridge, you have to eat it.
• No eating in front of the TV. My GOD I struggle with this. When you're eating alone what the hell else do you have to do? Will update you if I ever win this battle.
• Put your knife and fork down in between mouthfuls. This is such a simple one but I've never thought about it before. If you keep pausing between bites, your brain has more time to register that you're full.
• Don't go for seconds. THIS is a tough one, especially when you're at dinner parties or family gatherings. If you're at a buffet, you have to survey all the items, dish up what you want, and stick to that portion. It's tough at first, but you'll notice you're actually full from that first serving.
  
  

The idea is to eat slowly and savour the flavour of each bite of food. I've discovered it's incredibly difficult, but it's an interesting challenge in terms of self-discipline. Oh and another thing - if you don't like something, don't eat it! This seems like a reasonable assumption but I don't know how many times I've found myself chowing chips or a McD hamburger and thinking "this tastes gross" but carrying on. So learn from my mistakes and be mindful of everything you eat :)

Thanks Weight Watchers for these awesome tips!