To become a mindful eater, it is important to know your body’s signals and truly enjoy your food.
- Identify if you are hungry or not before you eat. Our brain and body are not as satisfied with eating when we eat without hunger. Work on being an intuitive eater; we don’t want to overeat nor restrict ourselves.
- Know your hunger cues. Don’t wait until you are famished. Learning to know your hunger cues is important to prevent overeating that occurs when you wait too long to eat or miss meals.
- Know when you feel full. There is no need to finish your plate in order to feel satisfied and fueled. Listen to your body and notice if you are feeling comfortably full or need to continue eating.
- Do not eat while you are distracted. Avoid eating while you are watching TV, working, on your phone or computer, while driving, etc. Make your meal be the focus so your body and brain are getting the same message and you pay attention to your hunger and satiety cues.
- Eat in a pleasant environment. Sit at the table in an attractive setting to experience the enjoyment of the meal process. It will improve your level of satisfaction as well.
- Sit when you eat. Assign certain areas of your home to be where you eat your meals (food friendly zones). Don’t stand over the sink and eat or put away the groceries while eating. Relax and enjoy.
- Relax before you start eating. Most of us are moving at such a fast pace and we rush to the table to eat. Take a few deep breaths and relax before you start your meal. It will help you give the meal your full attention.
- Savor the occasion. Appreciate the company you are sharing your meal with and the environment that surrounds you
- Taste and see. Appreciate the colors, aromas, and textures of your foods.
- Eat slowly. Take small bites and chew that bite well. Put your fork and knife down between each bite and savor your mouthful.
- Take a pause halfway through your meal for a few minutes. Assess your satisfaction. Do you need to continue to eat or finish your meal? Estimate how much more food you would need to feel comfortably full.
- Leave the table when you feel full or clear your plate to avoid overeating. Give yourself some time to digest and you will feel the desire to continue eating will subside. Remember, you will eat again when you are hungry.
- Examine how you feel when you have finished eating. If you feel satisfied, great. If you feel like you overate, don’t punish yourself. No repenting. Remember feeling overly full and develop a new approach to your next meal to prevent overeating.