Struggle with Savoring

One of the things I struggle with most in my relationship with food is mindfulness in eating. I know that in order to feel satisfied on less food I need to savor each bite. When I'm really eating consciously I can make one York Peppermint Patty last all day long. When I'm distracted I eat half a dozen cookies before only a stomach-ache makes me stop. I also tend to mistake "stuffed" for "satisfied." Here are some of the pitfalls that I encounter in my journey toward mindful eating.

Distracted Eating: One of my guilty pleasures is reading a magazine while I eat. Mealtime is pretty much one of the only times of day I can slow down for a second and relax. And since my other favorite form of relaxations is 'junk' reading (aka parenting magazines, home and garden magazines, etc), I tend to combine both activities. Not only is this rude to the other people at the table (even my toddlers get annoyed when Mommy isn't paying attention to them at lunch) but it lends itself to overeating. Oh, did I really finish that entire plate of macaroni? I hadn't noticed... The same goes for eating in front of the television, while doing work, or anything other than focusing on the food in front of me and the people around me. So, my goal here - set up a regular reading-in-the-bath routine. Now I can focus on my food and family while I eat, and destress and relax while I read. Win win.

Interupted Eating: I have 3 kids under the age of 3. Which means none of them is even alowed in the kitchen let alone able to help themselves. Which means that mealtime is "Mommy-get" time. Or "Mommy-pick-up" time. Or "Mommy-feed-a-bottle-with-one-hand-and-eat-with-the-other" time. Again, not great for paying attention to my food or my fullness meter. Not a lot I can do about the interuptions (other than try to be prepared), but I can work on refocusing my attention and tasting my food when I do have the chance to get a bite to my mouth.

Eating without pleasure: I sometimes find myself eating foods that I don't really want. I'm not talking about forcing myself to eat kale just because it's good for me. Rather I mean eating half a box of Milkduds just because it's there. Or because everyone else is eating some. Empty snacking. If I really listen to my body, it'll tell me what it wants me to eat. Yes, sometimes I even crave salad. If I listen to what I want to eat and wait until I'm hungry to eat it, then I don't load up on calories that bring me no gustatory pleasure. So when I sit down to dinner I'll be excited to taste every bite of my one helping of peas (or meatloaf, or small slice of cake).

For DH, eating is primarily about filling his stomach. And that's ok - he eats healthfully and is in amazing shape. But I'm a foodie - I love to eat for pleasure - I love to slave in the kitchen to create something that looks and tastes amazing. Now I just need to put my plan in action so I actually savor all those things I've worked so hard to prepare. And maybe then I'll be satisfied with "just one scoop" instead of waiting for a distended belly to give me a cue to stop. That's the plan anyway.