I want you to think about the last time you ate. For me, it was about five minutes ago when I grabbed a few figs and some peanut butter to eat as a late-night snack while writing this post. If I took the time to think about why I ate, the answer might be surprising. Was I hungry? No, not particularly. Was I tired? Yes, definitely. Was I procrastinating work that needed to be done- so I was feeling a little stressed. Oh yeah – you can bet your money on that.
Understanding and recognizing why we eat is one of the first steps in implementing mindful eating practices. Food was designed not just for fuel for our bodies- but can also provide enjoyment, comfort, distraction, and nourishment. I could beat myself up for eating “after 8:00 pm” by stating all the usual “diet” things we tell ourselves throughout the day “Jenny, you really shouldn’t have eaten this late at night, don’t you know what that does to your insulin response and your metabolism.” “Jenny, you don’t need the extra calories, you just ate that bowl of dairy-free ice cream for dessert (Yes, I did, and it was dang delicious!). ” The point is if we let ourselves get back to that negative self-talk, all it really does is make us feel bad about ourselves and leaves us feeling defeated and not enough.
Emotional eating, stress eating, or eating while you are distracted are NORMAL. Yes, it is NORMAL to do these things. We are human, after all, not some robot. Emotional or boredom eating can become problematic; however, if you don’t have any other coping skills in your toolbox to utilize.
Over the next week, I’d like you to apply this exercise a few times and do some self-discovery on the type of situations you find yourself eating.
Mindful Eating Exercise
Use the following questions to help you identify and reflect the last time you ate.
- When and where was the last time you ate?
- What made you decide to eat?
- What did you eat? (Describe the smell, taste, sight, touch, and sounds.)
- What thoughts and emotions did you have as you were eating?
- What else was going on while you were eating?
- When did you stop eating? How did you decide this?
- What thoughts and emotions did you have after you ate?
