For the last several months I’ve been studying the concept of mindful eating. Recently, I was a guest blogger for a mindful eating website (www.eatq.com) so I have created a series of articles on my experience with mindful eating tips for you.

How often do we take a lunch break and focus on something else while we are eating? This week’s focus is about staying present at the plate. I have been practicing living in the moment instead of allowing my mind to race ahead of me while I eat a meal.

My boys (ages 9 and 13) and I recently spent a lazy day perusing the store aisles for Christmas ideas (read: Legos and electronics).  We stopped at Qdoba for lunch and sat down just before the lunch crowd started. I really enjoyed focusing on our conversation while practicing everything I have learned about mindful eating. I took time to be grateful for our food, ate slowly and mindfully, noticing each individual taste of my lunch – especially the fresh lime I squeezed over it – YUM-O!

As the restaurant swelled with hungry patrons, I couldn’t help but notice people around us that were eating alone and numbly shoving food in their mouth or sucking on giant soda cups, while scrolling on their phone or reading a book. That would have been me a few months ago. It reminded me of the small, but consistent changes I’ve made as I’ve become more aware of my mindful eating habits.  

Take action this week by slowing down to focus only on your food. Use your senses to smell, taste, feel each bite of food, and savor a quiet moment. Take a single-pointed focus on YOU for better food choices and satisfaction.  Use the time to breathe deeply, be grateful and rest.  Your e-mail, Facebook status and tweets can wait. Enjoy!

++++ 

Sara Wolfsen is a Certified Health Coach who specializes in helping people make their own healthy changes by providing private health coaching, nutrition education and wellness classes, and gentle weight-loss guidance and support.  Schedule your complimentary coaching session and learn more online at www.sarawolfsen.com.

For the last several months I’ve been studying the concept of mindful eating. Recently, I was a guest blogger for a mindful eating website so I have created a series of articles on my experience with mindful eating tips for you.

Today’s mindful eating focus is on the importance of Stopping Yourself by using your mind and psychology to cool your cravings.  Just like firefighters that take time to stop and assess the situation before taking action, we can take a minute to assess our level of hunger and food choices as well as monitor our physical level of eating satisfaction before inhaling everything in front of us.

Last Tuesday was a very busy day for me so I didn’t spend any time thinking about my cravings but I did notice – for the first time ever – that it’s natural for me to automatically pair things together without pausing to consider whether I am hungry or not.  This was a new (exciting!) thought for me.  I realized I have always paired my salad with crackers. Yesterday, I finished my salad and made a mindful gut-check – and realized I didn’t need those crackers. I was satisfied for the moment.  I didn’t panic; I told myself they would be available later in the day if I got hungry. And I moved onto my next project. BAM! An Aha moment and learning experience indeed.

Then I began thinking about how many pairs I put together without stopping to consider my satiety (hunger/fullness) level.  Eggs and toast, sandwich and chips, a burger and fries, Diet Coke and pretzels (a FAVORITE snack back in the day), two poptarts (they are packaged together so they must go together right?), soup and a big hunk of homemade crusty bread (Mmmmmm!), sandwich + crackers + applesauce + cheesestick + yogurt. Wow.

So I feel like a new woman with a new tool in my tool purse. Remembering to Stop! Think! Feel! As I eat and know when I’m satisfied.  WOOT! WOOT!

**** 

Sara Wolfsen is a Certified Health Coach who specializes in helping people make their own healthy changes by providing private health coaching, nutrition education and wellness classes, and gentle weight-loss guidance and support.  Schedule your complimentary coaching session and learn more online at www.sarawolfsen.com.

For the last several months I’ve been studying the concept of mindful eating. Recently, I was a guest blogger for a mindful eating website (www.eatq.com) so I have created a series of articles on my experience with mindful eating tips for you.

Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.

One would think these are the only food choices we make. Did you know that a recent scientific study found that we make over 250 food choices each day? 

Coffee – black? cream? sugar? in my favorite blue ceramic mug? to-go thermos?

Breakfast cereal (which?)? with almond milk? fat-free milk?

Or oatmeal? brown sugar? maple syrup? walnuts? raisins? milk? apple? banana? frozen blueberries?

All these choices invade my thoughts, and I haven’t even climbed out of bed yet! Okay, so the research from Cornell is probably true – but 250+ food choices a day? WOW.

I was recently listening to a news interview with a guy who was wrongfully accused of murder and spent 10 years in prison before he was finally acquitted and released. He was explaining the luxuries of making his own decisions – like having a variety of things to eat instead of whatever is served cafeteria-style that day. It makes me appreciate how fortunate I am to have 250+ daunting choices to make each day.

I take comfort in routine and know I make my best food choices when I have a plan. So many of my food decisions are made on Monday nights when I make my meal plans for the week. To you it may seem boring, mundane. To me it means control, satisfaction and security. And I know I can build flexibility within the basic framework.

I never gave much thought to the process of making food decisions until now. I guess I’d conclude that the majority of my foods are planned from habit (for example: I often eat the same foods on Tuesdays because of my routine – with the exception of dinner, which varies. But this plan is comforting and satisfying to me, and keeps me on track).

I’ve been helping people reach their healthy goals since 2007 and have observed over the years that those who take the time to plan ahead (and stick to the plan) are most successful in their healthy pursuits. It’s always an added challenge to counsel those who don’t have skills or desire to plan ahead, and make consistent choices.  But it can be done – with tenacity, dedication, support and encouragement – folks can make a healthy lifestyle of turning off the autopilot decisions or feeling ‘victim’ to careless food options. Instead, consider making and owning your decisions – one thought at a time – and take the opportunity to make a mindful choice.

Take action this week by pausing to think about each food choice and ask yourself “is this bite taking me closer to my healthy goals, or further away from them?” This can be a powerful (and empowering) thought.  The future is yours to decide. Go to it – one bite at a time!


****

Sara Wolfsen is a Certified Health Coach who specializes in helping people make their own healthy changes by providing private health coaching, nutrition education and wellness classes, and gentle weight-loss guidance and support.  Schedule your complimentary coaching session and learn more online at www.sarawolfsen.com.