Mindful Eating
Do you ever find yourself at the end of the day realizing that you aren’t really sure what you ate throughout the day?
Are you that person who eats on the go or while doing other things? The truth is that we live in a busy world and we are constantly pulled in different directions all day long. Probably the struggle is to actually sit down and eat any meal mindfully. But, when you eat mindfully, you are much more in control over what and how much you actually eat.
Here are 4 steps to eat more mindfully no matter what you have on your plate!
STEP 1: PLAN AHEAD
The first step is to always plan ahead. If you know it’s going to be a busy day, make sure you have some snacks available that you can grab and go. Try some trail mix, dried fruit, or anything else that can rest easily in your car, on your desk, or in your purse. This will make all the difference when you’re out and about and can feel good about the choices you’re making. This also helps you stay mindful as you know exactly what you’re putting in your mouth.
STEP 2: CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF
The next step is to check in with yourself where you are at with hunger? Are you starving, do you need a meal? Or do you just need a little snack to get you by. All it takes is 3 seconds to check in with your hunger levels. In fact, if you need a little refresher course on understanding and recognizing your hunger and fullness levels, head on over and read about it in the 2nd post of the mindful eating series.
STEP 3: TAKE 5
The next step is to take just 5 minutes. Stop doing whatever you are doing and focus on your food for 5 minutes. This doesn’t mean you have to finish it, but just take 5 minutes to pay attention to your food and only your food. In fact, if you want, try out the mindful eating meditation during one of your take 5 moments as it will help you be mindful with your eating every day.
STEP 4: STOP
The last step is to simply just stop. That’s it. Stick to eating meals and snacks and stop grazing on bits and pieces of food here and there. If you’ve planned ahead, you always have a little snack. When you eat a meal, eat it and then stop until you’re ready for another snack. Just remind yourself to stop. Stop when you start to feel full. Stop when you’ve had enough.
There you have it! The 4 steps to eating mindfully even when you’re busy.
