I found this article on mindful eating from the Washington Post very interesting. For those who don’t know, mindful eating is simply the “diet” approach that you can lose or maintain weight by focusing in on what you are eating, without necessarily changing your diet. By focusing, you keep better track of how much you have eaten. you can also account for meal splurges, etc. It has been shown to be effective for many people.
I hope you read the article, but here were some of my highlights from it.
– The part about the amnesic patients really reminds me of life with my toddler right now. She loves to come up to me one hour after eating four bowls of cereal for breakfast and claim to be hungry. Hmm…
– I totally agree with the part about social cues. I always look around to see if other people are taking seconds at a social function before I take seconds myself. I had a very thin roommate once, and I felt compelled to eat salad around her.
– My favorite part was making sure you are eating really delicious food. At a summer camp once, someone told me he hated the french fries served at the cafeteria. I then asked him why I always saw him get seconds. He said it was because they were really bad fries, so he had to eat a lot to satisfy his craving for fries. I don’t think it works for everyone all the time. I know sometimes, I am drawn to eat more just because it was so yummy. But I have found other times that I can stop myself if I stop and really enjoy one awesome portion of whatever food it is.
What are your thoughts? Does mindful eating work for you? What social cues have you noticed change your intake? Do you eat less if the food is extra delicious? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Have any nutrition questions? Need help with meal planning or a special dietary need? Send your questions to me at kimberlykmarsh(at)gmail(dot)com, and I will answer them in upcoming posts!