Week 3:
“Know Why You Are Eating”
“Slow Down Your Eating”
Awareness Task: Know Why You Are Eating
Have you ever asked yourself why you are eating at each meal or while you are snacking? Are you eating because you are bored? Are you eating because you are stressed about a work deadline? Are you eating because you are at a social event and you don’t want to be the only one that isn’t partaking? Or maybe you are truly hungry and you have mastered the skill of listening to your hunger cues and letting them guide you in the right direction.
Whatever the reason is, it is important to acknowledge it and determine the pattern in your life that makes you want to eat. Getting a better understanding of what makes you want to eat will help you break the cycle of eating due to outside forces rather than eating for reasons that help aid you in your longterm health.
For example: Maybe you start tracking the reasons why you are eating and notice more often than not that you are eating because you are stressed and a quick bowl of your favorite chips helps you forget about what is on your mind. Perhaps you notice that the pattern in your life is that the moment you are alone at home you feel the need to fill the silence with whatever snack you can find in the pantry. While these are valid reasons to eat food, they may not be helping you along your health and wellness journey.
This week’s practice will involve you taking note of the patterns in your life that cause you to eat. They can be beneficial reasons such as listening to your hunger and fullness cues, and they can also be reasons that slow you down in your progress towards your health goals such as stress eating. Put them in categories specific to you, your lifestyle, and your goals. At the end of the week, tally the categories up and see which category or reason dominates the list.
From there, you can better decide how to approach each meal and determine if the reason you are eating is due to a habit that will assist you in your goals or throw you off from your goals.
Coach Alan’s Tip!
“Take a moment to pause before each meal or snack and ask yourself, ‘what has lead me to this meal? What am I feeling? Why am I eating right now?’”
Physical Task: Slow Down Your Eating
The benefits of slow eating include better digestion, better hydration, easier weight loss or maintenance, and greater satisfaction with our meals. Meanwhile, eating quickly leads to poor digestion, increased weight gain, and lower satisfaction. The message is clear: Slow down your eating and enjoy improved health and wellbeing.
When you eat slowly, you digest better. You lose or maintain weight more easily. Yet you also feel more satisfied with each meal.
Here are some strategies you can use to eat more slowly:
Sit down to eat in a calm environment with minimal distractions. Don’t eat while driving, while watching TV, while texting, etc. Pay attention to your food.
Choose high-fiber foods that take more time to chew, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
Put down your utensils between bites. Take a moment. Breathe. If you’re eating with other people, enjoy making witty conversation for a few minutes.
Try setting a minimum number of chews per bite. This will feel strange at first, but give it a try and see what you discover.
Use smaller plates or different utensils (such as chopsticks).
If you find yourself rushing, that’s OK. Put your utensils down and take a minute to re-focus. If slow eating isn’t habitual for you, this will take practice.
Find another slow eater and pace yourselves to them. Picky little kids and chatty dinner companions who hardly stop talking long enough to take a bite are often ideal for this.
Set aside time to eat – at least 20-30 minutes for each meal, and preferably even longer at dinner. Don’t just eat “whenever you get around to it” or treat it as an inconvenience. You’re fueling your body and maybe spending quality time with friends and family. That’s important. It deserves an appointment.
Coach Alan’s Tip!
“Take your time noticing the sensations in your stomach with each bite. Pause in between each bite, take a breath, and determine how much fuller you feel after that last bite.”