The One Concept that Will Transform Your Relationship with Food
When most people hear I am a dietitian, they immediately think of the latest and greatest calorie restricted craze. While I’ll admit that there is occasionally a place for using numbers (calories, macros, you name it) on an individual’s weight loss journey, I truly believe that mindful eating lies at the foundation of long term change.
Have you heard of mindful eating before? Mindful eating is rooted in the overarching concept of mindfulness, which encourages an individual to be fully present in each moment or situation. Sadly, the chaos of our day to day lives tends us towards mindless eating. I like to introduce mindful eating to my clients early in our journey together. There are several strategies I encourage clients experiment with to increase their presence at meals.
1) Check in with your hunger before eating.
Personally, this has been SO powerful in changing my own relationship with food. I’m sure it comes at no surprise that we often eat in response to non-physiological cues. In fact, I might argue that most snacking happens in response to emotion- including boredom- which, many of us don’t think of immediately. In past dietetic practice I was taught the Craving Change program. One concept has stayed with me for many years: Ask yourself prior to eating if you’re experiencing a) heart hunger (in response to emotion) b) mouth hunger (in response to a craving) or c) stomach hunger (true physiological hunger). The goal is to change your course of action if you’re experiencing a) or b). It’s amazing what building this awareness can do.
2) Use the hunger and fullness scale before, during and after a meal.
Similar to identifying the type of hunger you’re experiencing, building awareness around the extent of your physiological hunger/fullness can be incredibly powerful. With a “1” being ravenous and a “10” being physically ill you’re so full, the goal is to stay in the 3 to 7 range. I find it especially helpful to use this scale prior to getting a second portion of a meal.
3) Eat sitting down.
If you’re standing while eating, chances are you’re in the midst of doing something else and therefore unable to be present and thoroughly enjoy your meal. This simple technique has been a game changer for clients perplexed as to why the scale will not budge. Many of us “sample” while cooking or mindlessly nibble throughout the day. It’s incredible how all of the forgotten bites can add up.
4) Limit distractions.
This one may be obvious, yet I know incredibly challenging with the pace of our day to day lives. The fact is, when you’re working at your desk, watching TV or checking Instagram, it makes it very hard to be in tune with your hunger and fullness cues. There’s no need to strive for perfection here, but try take a break (even if very quick) to enjoy what you’re eating.
5) Put your fork down between bites.
If you notice you’re one of the first people to finish a meal, it may be worth reconsidering your pace. If you’ve ever been told, “give it a minute to hit rock bottom,” this is what this concept is getting at. It’s a challenge to be in sync with your hunger and fullness cues when you’re food hasn’t made it to your stomach yet. Many of us tend to prepare our next bite of food while we’re still chewing the last. Consider putting your fork down before preparing your next bite to give your body time to adjust. You might even notice an improvement in digestion, as many of us only partially chew, making it harder to breakdown further down the line.
I invite you to try just one of these concepts at a time. Don’t expect to be a whiz right away, it does take some time. I’d be interested to know if one of these strategies is particularly effective for you!