I found an article on the Fox News website a few days ago about a lady, a celebrity, who has lost about 60 pounds. In the article she shared that her niece had helped her learn how to eat mindfully, recognizing her body's 'full' signal, and then knowing its time to push her plate away and stop eating. This was interesting me because conscious/mindful eating has been the focus of my plan for losing weight.
An involuntary sigh is your body's indicator for fullness, she stated. Hmmmm. An involuntary sigh. I had never heard that before. However, after a little research, there are some articles about our bodies giving us the 'I'm full" signal by letting out a sigh of satisfaction. So I'm going to begin paying attention more to my body when I eat and see if that's true. A sigh of satisfaction.
Showing posts with label eating control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eating control. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Those Restaurants.......
So my son and I had a conversation a few days ago about ‘conscious eating’ as a way to loose weight. This style of eating has helped me lose more than thirty pounds. I’m more than pleased with these results, and will never (yes, I know that ‘never’ is a word you should never use, but I’m using it because I feel strongly about this) eat impulsively again.
Back to the conversation.......He mentioned those restaurants. You know, the ones that bring you chips and salsa or a mini loaf of bread and butter, or mouth watering garlic cheese rolls before your meal. You’ve already ordered your meal, and then they immediately bring you something that’s sure to destroy whatever good intentions you had of eating only till you’re full. It’s not at all fair.
My husband and I were at one of those restaurants last week. We were celebrating my birthday. I could have splurged, because, you know, we were celebrating. But I chose not to. When they brought that freshly baked loaf and butter to our table, I chose to only eat a tiny slice, and then wait for my meal, because I wanted to enjoy my steak and baked potato, which was more important to me than filling up on bread. I was happy with my choice. That steak was great.
Anyway, back to the topic. Choices have to be made. Priorities must be decided and set. We can’t eat it all, and then expect to look like one of those naturally slender people. Most of the time they don’t eat it all either. How does a thin person handle this kind of situation? Most likely they will eat a few chips or a small amount of bread, to save room for their meal.
But but but what if those garlicy, cheesey rolls just keep ‘calling your name’ while you’re waiting for your food, and you can’t, can’t stop eating them? You know what? If that happens, it’s ok! If you eat too many of those ‘to die for’ rolls, and you’re not hungry when the meal arrives, it’s ok! Just ask for a carry out box and know that your meal will taste great later!
It’s all ok! This is all about enjoying the food that we want, but doing so in a way that will help us become one of those ‘naturally thin’ people.
Back to the conversation.......He mentioned those restaurants. You know, the ones that bring you chips and salsa or a mini loaf of bread and butter, or mouth watering garlic cheese rolls before your meal. You’ve already ordered your meal, and then they immediately bring you something that’s sure to destroy whatever good intentions you had of eating only till you’re full. It’s not at all fair.
My husband and I were at one of those restaurants last week. We were celebrating my birthday. I could have splurged, because, you know, we were celebrating. But I chose not to. When they brought that freshly baked loaf and butter to our table, I chose to only eat a tiny slice, and then wait for my meal, because I wanted to enjoy my steak and baked potato, which was more important to me than filling up on bread. I was happy with my choice. That steak was great.
Anyway, back to the topic. Choices have to be made. Priorities must be decided and set. We can’t eat it all, and then expect to look like one of those naturally slender people. Most of the time they don’t eat it all either. How does a thin person handle this kind of situation? Most likely they will eat a few chips or a small amount of bread, to save room for their meal.
But but but what if those garlicy, cheesey rolls just keep ‘calling your name’ while you’re waiting for your food, and you can’t, can’t stop eating them? You know what? If that happens, it’s ok! If you eat too many of those ‘to die for’ rolls, and you’re not hungry when the meal arrives, it’s ok! Just ask for a carry out box and know that your meal will taste great later!
It’s all ok! This is all about enjoying the food that we want, but doing so in a way that will help us become one of those ‘naturally thin’ people.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
A Defining Moment
Wonderful family event. Wonderful family celebration. Wonderful food. Wonderful times in life. However, these wonderful moments are major challenges for people who are emotional over eaters like me. There was stress and emotion involved with the preparation phase of this family event which also added to the mix of eating temptations.
I did not blow my new style of eating out of the water one time during this momentous occasion, but there were a few extra bites here and there that compromised my dieting standards somewhat. A few bites of cake and wonderful homemade Brazilian candy. Oh, it was delicious.
The good news is that I know I can keep my diet reasonably intact during good times, those special moments. As life goes back to normal after this, in many ways, defining occasion, I have more confidence in my ability to not completely lose control, to stay the course, and to keep on winning by losing.
I did not blow my new style of eating out of the water one time during this momentous occasion, but there were a few extra bites here and there that compromised my dieting standards somewhat. A few bites of cake and wonderful homemade Brazilian candy. Oh, it was delicious.
The good news is that I know I can keep my diet reasonably intact during good times, those special moments. As life goes back to normal after this, in many ways, defining occasion, I have more confidence in my ability to not completely lose control, to stay the course, and to keep on winning by losing.
Saturday, July 7, 2018
The Challenges and Rewards Continue.....
My husband and I went out to eat last night. We don't eat out often, so this was a real treat for us. We went to an Italian restaurant; a place we had never been. The food was delicious. I ordered veal toscana, which is veal with vegetables smothered in an unbelievably delicious sauce over angel hair spaghetti. The portion size was quite large. Our meal also came with yummy, yummy, yummy garlic yeast rolls. Oh my. What's a girl to do? So much wonderful food. So little room in my tummy.
I decided to eat slowly, enjoying every bite. It didn't take long. I began to feel full after having eaten only about a quarter of my meal. Everything within me wanted to keep eating, and truthfully, I did take four or five bites too much, before I was able to 'wrestle' my desires to eat anyway to the ground and ask for a carry out container.
I had to make myself think about the fact that this succulent meal will taste just a good for lunch today as it did last night. In fact, it will taste better because I won't be full while I'm eating it. There is enough food left from me to have about 3 more meals. Yum!!!!
Mental gymnastics. That's it. It's all about how I allow things food related to be framed in my mind. I think this is one of the major components to food control in our lives. Anyway I made it through another challenging moment and have delicious leftovers today as a reward!
I decided to eat slowly, enjoying every bite. It didn't take long. I began to feel full after having eaten only about a quarter of my meal. Everything within me wanted to keep eating, and truthfully, I did take four or five bites too much, before I was able to 'wrestle' my desires to eat anyway to the ground and ask for a carry out container.
I had to make myself think about the fact that this succulent meal will taste just a good for lunch today as it did last night. In fact, it will taste better because I won't be full while I'm eating it. There is enough food left from me to have about 3 more meals. Yum!!!!
Mental gymnastics. That's it. It's all about how I allow things food related to be framed in my mind. I think this is one of the major components to food control in our lives. Anyway I made it through another challenging moment and have delicious leftovers today as a reward!
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
The Weight Loss Continues
Life is a series of 'ups' and 'downs' with periods of 'evenness' in between. That's just the way it is. Nothing we can do about it, and nothing we can do to change it. Except for the problems that arise as consequences from poor decision making on our part, the only thing we have control over is the way we react to the 'ups' and 'downs'. It is our reactions, our responses to these 'ups' and 'downs' that can, for some of us, influence our diets and eating patterns.
I am working on separating my desire to eat from my feelings. There have been times when I find myself walking into the kitchen to get something to eat, knowing that I'm not hungry because it's only been and 'hour' since I had a meal. That's not hunger, that's a response to feelings. Permanent weight loss will be impossible for me as long as I'm 'eating my feelings'.
Fortunately these last few weeks.....so far....every time I'm about to get something to eat, just because I'm 'feeling' it, I have stopped myself from indulging and turned around and walked out of the kitchen.
Therefore, the weight loss continues!!!!! Yea, me!!!!!
I am working on separating my desire to eat from my feelings. There have been times when I find myself walking into the kitchen to get something to eat, knowing that I'm not hungry because it's only been and 'hour' since I had a meal. That's not hunger, that's a response to feelings. Permanent weight loss will be impossible for me as long as I'm 'eating my feelings'.
Fortunately these last few weeks.....so far....every time I'm about to get something to eat, just because I'm 'feeling' it, I have stopped myself from indulging and turned around and walked out of the kitchen.
Therefore, the weight loss continues!!!!! Yea, me!!!!!
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
One and Two
As I mentioned in my last post, in my opinion there are two essential parts to being successful with conscious eating, or 'eating the way slender people eat'. Those of us who are trying to eat consciously must consciously be aware of both parts at every meal and every snack. Here goes:
1. Eating consciously means eating only until you are full. I have had friends say to me, "But I don't always know when I'm full." I understand that statement and most of my life have lived by the "I'm eating till my plate is empty" model, because I don't recognize this full feeling.
The truth is that our bodies will give us a signal for when enough food has been eaten during a meal. In order to eat only until we are full, we must learn to recognize and acknowledge that signal no matter how much delicious food is still on our plate. We must be willing to admit that it's there, even when we want to ignore the signal.
2. Again, eating consciously requires that once you feel the signal for fullness that your body gives you, eating must stop. In my opinion this is the hardest part, because sometimes we just don't want to stop. Oh, man. There's still baked potato with all the trimmings on my plate. There's only half a slice of garlic toast left; surely I can eat that. That won't be much. In order to do this with integrity, you must stop eating once you feel that full signal. If the food left on your plate can't be saved for whatever reason, it goes in the trash. That's hard if you were raised with the starving children in China, as I was. However, no matter what, conscious eating is not conscious eating, and you will never be slender, unless you are willing to throw good food in the trash. It is a difficult, but critical lesson to learn.
Yes. This is hard. But you know, so is living with knee problems, diabetes, back issues, heart problems, and a myriad of other health issues that are caused by being overweight. Those of us who live our lives with too much girth can give you a list of ways that said girth has affected the way we live. We choose our challenges. We choose our rewards. Let's choose wisely.
1. Eating consciously means eating only until you are full. I have had friends say to me, "But I don't always know when I'm full." I understand that statement and most of my life have lived by the "I'm eating till my plate is empty" model, because I don't recognize this full feeling.
The truth is that our bodies will give us a signal for when enough food has been eaten during a meal. In order to eat only until we are full, we must learn to recognize and acknowledge that signal no matter how much delicious food is still on our plate. We must be willing to admit that it's there, even when we want to ignore the signal.
2. Again, eating consciously requires that once you feel the signal for fullness that your body gives you, eating must stop. In my opinion this is the hardest part, because sometimes we just don't want to stop. Oh, man. There's still baked potato with all the trimmings on my plate. There's only half a slice of garlic toast left; surely I can eat that. That won't be much. In order to do this with integrity, you must stop eating once you feel that full signal. If the food left on your plate can't be saved for whatever reason, it goes in the trash. That's hard if you were raised with the starving children in China, as I was. However, no matter what, conscious eating is not conscious eating, and you will never be slender, unless you are willing to throw good food in the trash. It is a difficult, but critical lesson to learn.
Yes. This is hard. But you know, so is living with knee problems, diabetes, back issues, heart problems, and a myriad of other health issues that are caused by being overweight. Those of us who live our lives with too much girth can give you a list of ways that said girth has affected the way we live. We choose our challenges. We choose our rewards. Let's choose wisely.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Two Parts, Both Essential
Ok, so today I had a small bowl of left over spaghetti for lunch. It tasted great, and my intention was to eat some watermelon after I finished the spaghetti. Well, when my bowl was empty, I was full, but I still wanted the watermelon. No matter what, I wanted the watermelon. I love watermelon. Nothing was going to keep me from my serving of watermelon.....
I put some watermelon in a bowl and sat down at the table, still feeling the fullness that came after eating the spaghetti, but dadgumit, I wanted to eat the watermelon. I ate about three bites, and then I decided that the watermelon would taste better in the middle of the afternoon as a snack. I put it back in the refrigerator to save for later. There. I felt better. I didn't over eat, nor did I deprive myself. I'm looking forward to some delicious watermelon in a couple of hours.
Conscious eating (eating the way slender people eat) has two major components that are essential to the success of this plan. Naturally slender people don't think about this. They do both parts, uh, naturally. Those of us who are challenged in the area of controlling our food intake must consciously be aware of and be compliant with both components.
Next post: A discussion of the two components.
I put some watermelon in a bowl and sat down at the table, still feeling the fullness that came after eating the spaghetti, but dadgumit, I wanted to eat the watermelon. I ate about three bites, and then I decided that the watermelon would taste better in the middle of the afternoon as a snack. I put it back in the refrigerator to save for later. There. I felt better. I didn't over eat, nor did I deprive myself. I'm looking forward to some delicious watermelon in a couple of hours.
Conscious eating (eating the way slender people eat) has two major components that are essential to the success of this plan. Naturally slender people don't think about this. They do both parts, uh, naturally. Those of us who are challenged in the area of controlling our food intake must consciously be aware of and be compliant with both components.
Next post: A discussion of the two components.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Checking In
It’s been a few days since I have posted to this blog, but things have been going very well in the world of eating only till I feel full (conscious eating). I must say that this is probably the easiest diet that I have ever tried. I’m not fixing any special food for myself. I’m eating the things I like and want. I don’t really feel deprived. And the pounds are slowly, but surely disappearing! My formerly tight jeans are now almost too loose to wear.
The truth is though that the only way I will ever be able to maintain a smaller jeans size is to maintain now and forevermore a conscious style of eating. I must never look at a plate full of food and decide to eat it all, full or not. I must always be aware of whether or not I have reached the “full level” of my tummy gauge.
It’s not complicated. It’s not even hard, when compared to things in life that are truly difficult. One of the best parts is that my future self with thank me one day.
The truth is though that the only way I will ever be able to maintain a smaller jeans size is to maintain now and forevermore a conscious style of eating. I must never look at a plate full of food and decide to eat it all, full or not. I must always be aware of whether or not I have reached the “full level” of my tummy gauge.
It’s not complicated. It’s not even hard, when compared to things in life that are truly difficult. One of the best parts is that my future self with thank me one day.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Oh, Yea. One More Challenge
There is another challenge I have had to face since making the decision to change my eating style. I almost forgot about it because, well, truthfully it’s not much of a problem right now. I will never say that I have conquered this or any other challenge, because thinking I have victory when it comes to food, is for me the moment when defeat becomes a reality.
4. In previous days, I would nibble and “graze” while cooking meals. Then I would eat the meal, and then nibble and “graze” again while cleaning up afterwards. It was almost like I was eating three meals instead of one. That is an eating problem.
During approximately the last 8 weeks, I have gained more and more control over this nibbling, grazing challenge. I know that if I eat anything just before a meal, then I will actually be eating less during the meal, because I will get full faster. I don’t want that to happen, so I “save room” for my meal by not eating anything beforehand. This alone has made a huge difference is my weight.
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Another Challenge?!?
3. I have read that it is best if we eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Before I changed my eating style, I ate fruit at almost every meal, and a couple of servings of vegetables and a salad at lunch and dinner. Now I am eating fewer and smaller servings of fruits and vegetables because I get full. Even though I’m losing weight, my diet might be as nutritious as before. Hmmmmm. For example, today I have eaten no servings of fruits and vegetables. I just know that there is no way I can eat 10 servings a day, especially if a serving is considered to be about a half cup. That would be 5 cups of food. I’m not eating that much food in a day.
This is my solution to the issue. It might not be the best, but it’s all I’ve got right now. No fruits and vegetables all day is not acceptable, so here’s what needs to happen. I must make sure that I include at least one fruit and one vegetable at every meal, even if it’s only a fourth cup. Then I can at least get a few bites of each in before I get full. There ya go. Problem solved.
This is my solution to the issue. It might not be the best, but it’s all I’ve got right now. No fruits and vegetables all day is not acceptable, so here’s what needs to happen. I must make sure that I include at least one fruit and one vegetable at every meal, even if it’s only a fourth cup. Then I can at least get a few bites of each in before I get full. There ya go. Problem solved.
Saturday, May 5, 2018
The Challenges are .......
Because nothing is perfect this side of heaven, and all positives have associated negatives, there are some challenges I face with trying to lose weight with this method.
1. The first and most challenging challenge I face at every meal is knowing when I have had enough to eat, that is, knowing when I am “full”. Previously I didn’t try to determine if I had a full feeling in my tummy to signal me that it was time to stop eating. I just ate until the food on my plate was gone. Now I must pay attention when I am eating to how my tummy feels. There are changes that happen, which turns on the “full” signal. After about 7 weeks of practicing this skill, I know when that signal is about to turn on, and I then begin to wind my meal down to a full stop. Sometimes I don’t want to stop eating at that moment, but I also now don’t like to eat beyond that full feeling. See!?! It’s working!
1. The first and most challenging challenge I face at every meal is knowing when I have had enough to eat, that is, knowing when I am “full”. Previously I didn’t try to determine if I had a full feeling in my tummy to signal me that it was time to stop eating. I just ate until the food on my plate was gone. Now I must pay attention when I am eating to how my tummy feels. There are changes that happen, which turns on the “full” signal. After about 7 weeks of practicing this skill, I know when that signal is about to turn on, and I then begin to wind my meal down to a full stop. Sometimes I don’t want to stop eating at that moment, but I also now don’t like to eat beyond that full feeling. See!?! It’s working!
Monday, April 30, 2018
There's No Way I Can Actually Be Hungry!
Determining when I'm actually hungry is a challenge for me. There are times when I have this desire to eat and I know that I can't actually be hungry because its only been a couple of hours since I last had a meal. Sometimes I think my blood sugar may be falling, but when I test it, the result is in normal ranges. Sometimes I know that I want to eat because I am anxious about something, and on and on. In none of these examples am I actually hungry. Therefore in none of those examples should I be eating anything, otherwise I'll just be 'feeding' bad habits.
During the last six weeks, we have had a family wedding, and several family gatherings. There have been stressful moments and well as delightful ones. So far, I have continued to 'practice' at every meal. At my son's wedding, I allowed myself a some cake and a couple, no, a few Brazilian candies. But at no time have I had the desire to just eat and eat.
My 'want to's' are gradually changing. I don't have the desire to eat a big hamburger or steak. However, I am eating whatever I want for the most part. Right now my goal is to control how much I am eating, not necessarily what I am eating. If I want cheese on my sandwich, I'll eat cheese on my sandwich. If I want bacon and eggs for breakfast, that's what I'll fix. Soon I'll begin working on lower fat options, but not now.
My plan is working and so I'm going to keep workin' it.
During the last six weeks, we have had a family wedding, and several family gatherings. There have been stressful moments and well as delightful ones. So far, I have continued to 'practice' at every meal. At my son's wedding, I allowed myself a some cake and a couple, no, a few Brazilian candies. But at no time have I had the desire to just eat and eat.
My 'want to's' are gradually changing. I don't have the desire to eat a big hamburger or steak. However, I am eating whatever I want for the most part. Right now my goal is to control how much I am eating, not necessarily what I am eating. If I want cheese on my sandwich, I'll eat cheese on my sandwich. If I want bacon and eggs for breakfast, that's what I'll fix. Soon I'll begin working on lower fat options, but not now.
My plan is working and so I'm going to keep workin' it.
Friday, April 27, 2018
Delay, not Deprived
It has been about six weeks since my Middle of the Night Epiphany. Since that time I have 'practiced' the skill of stopping my meal immediately when I begin to feel full every time I eat. I have also not allowed myself to just nibble between meals, when I am not hungry. Instead I eat fruit or nuts if I really need something for a snack. As a result I have lost almost 13 pounds and am enjoying being able to wear clothes that were too snug.
There are moments every day when I have to say to myself, "NO!", as I reach for another bite of something at the end of a meal or between meals. Long held habits are hard to break.
Often at the end of a meal, I will look st my plate and think, "But the food that's still here is yummy, and I don't want to stop!" Yea. Hard.
I was sharing with a friend about how I am changing my way of eating, and she asked me if I ever feel deprived when I don't get to eat all that I want. Well, my answer to that has to be yes, but I don't let it bother me. Sometimes I can put my leftover yummy food back and eat it later.
If my husband and I go out to eat, I may order a full meal and eat only a fourth of it. I'll carry the rest home and get at least two more meals from it. In that way I don't feel deprived, because I know that I'll be able to eat the food eventually.
There are moments every day when I have to say to myself, "NO!", as I reach for another bite of something at the end of a meal or between meals. Long held habits are hard to break.
Often at the end of a meal, I will look st my plate and think, "But the food that's still here is yummy, and I don't want to stop!" Yea. Hard.
I was sharing with a friend about how I am changing my way of eating, and she asked me if I ever feel deprived when I don't get to eat all that I want. Well, my answer to that has to be yes, but I don't let it bother me. Sometimes I can put my leftover yummy food back and eat it later.
If my husband and I go out to eat, I may order a full meal and eat only a fourth of it. I'll carry the rest home and get at least two more meals from it. In that way I don't feel deprived, because I know that I'll be able to eat the food eventually.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
As I mentioned in my previous post, every meal is an opportunity for me to practice the skill of being able to sense when I have had enough to eat, and then being able to stop eating immediately. I am calling it 'practice' because I have been up and down the scales enough to know that ever having my over eating issues conquered is just a delusion. It will not happen. The moments when I have begun to think that I will never be bothered by weight issues again are the moments when I've lost the battle, and the war continues.
Therefore, I will always practice. For the rest of my life, I will practice. Yes, this is mental gymnastics, but I believe that is what it will take for me to attain once again, and more importantly, to maintain a healthy weight.
This all occurred during in the middle of the night about six weeks ago. In the next post I will share how things have been going for me since then.
Therefore, I will always practice. For the rest of my life, I will practice. Yes, this is mental gymnastics, but I believe that is what it will take for me to attain once again, and more importantly, to maintain a healthy weight.
This all occurred during in the middle of the night about six weeks ago. In the next post I will share how things have been going for me since then.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
There is Hope in Paractice.
Is it possible for someone who does not have natural artistic talent to become a painter of landscapes and still life compositions? Is it possible for someone with no natural athletic ability to learn to play tennis? Is it possible for someone who has no natural musical ability to learn to play a musical instrument? My answer to that is yes, yes, and yes. Will these non naturally talented people be great artists, athletes, or musicians? Probably not, but I believe that with enough practice almost anyone can learn almost any skill at least to a competent level, and perhaps a proficient level. The key here is 'enough practice', which requires dedication, consistency, desire, and work ethic.
So what does all that mean for me and all my other not naturally slender friends out there in blog land? My middle of the night musings led me to this conclusion: That the skill that naturally slender people naturally have is a skill that I can learn! With enough practice, I will eventually be able know when I am full. I will be able to tell myself when to stop eating, and then I will be able to do it! What a concept! Here's the challenge: with enough practice. It will require dedication, consistency, desire, and yes, work ethic.
So here's my new way of looking at my eating challenges: Every time I sit down to a meal, I have the opportunity to practice the skill that I have been missing all my life, which is the ability to stop eating when I am full. Practice. Practice. Practice. Three times a day. In between meals, I have the opportunity to practice wise snacking, not grazing.
Yes, this gave me hope and optimism for my future health. More in the next post.
So what does all that mean for me and all my other not naturally slender friends out there in blog land? My middle of the night musings led me to this conclusion: That the skill that naturally slender people naturally have is a skill that I can learn! With enough practice, I will eventually be able know when I am full. I will be able to tell myself when to stop eating, and then I will be able to do it! What a concept! Here's the challenge: with enough practice. It will require dedication, consistency, desire, and yes, work ethic.
So here's my new way of looking at my eating challenges: Every time I sit down to a meal, I have the opportunity to practice the skill that I have been missing all my life, which is the ability to stop eating when I am full. Practice. Practice. Practice. Three times a day. In between meals, I have the opportunity to practice wise snacking, not grazing.
Yes, this gave me hope and optimism for my future health. More in the next post.
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