Today's meditation didn't seem like a meditation to me, instead it felt more like a lesson on eating. I promise there is no sarcasm implied there, as many of us inhale our food because we're naturally fast eaters, we have to be back to work within a certain time frame, or we have to be somewhere in general.
Mindful eating was the name of today's meditation and it was a good exercise in learning how to eat slow. We've all heard the tips; put your fork down while you chew, chew your food into bits, don't watch tv while eating. Perhaps you've been told to drink eight ounces of water before a meal? All of these are good habits, but how often do we do it enough to create a habit out of it?
This exercise promoted ways to look at your food before eating it. Example, hold a piece of fruit in your hand. What color is it? How does it look? Is it heavy or light? It's a great idea, but again, how many people are going to make a habit out of this? It's hard to say, but perhaps what we need is for this exercise to he turned on its head and instead of holding a piece of fruit, imagine you are holding a fast food burger or some french fries. That's right kids, we're going to attack emotional eating in the midst of the mindful eating.
You've had a bad day, so your soul or heart are a little sad. If you are an emotional eater, ie, someone who fills a void with something else, like food, that means a trip to the nearest fast food joint, or perhaps a trip to the cupboard for cookies or the freezer for ice cream. Let me say this now from experience, if you are an emotional eater, DO NOT keep these items around until you have your eating under control, because the "i'll just have one scoop or one cookie" saying, soon becomes "only two", "only three", "well at least I didn't eat the entire thing" and then you're left with a food guilt hangover and that makes you more emotional.
If you're having a bad day then "feel the emotion. DO NOT feed the emotion." This was a saying I came up with while battling my own emotional eating issues while on my optifast program. That said, let's go back to that burger or fries. Look at it. How does it smell? How do you think it might taste? How will it make you feel after you've eaten it? Will you be gratified or momentarily satisfied. Will you have guilt, because you know it is not something you wanted, or should have had? Was it worth it?
I can't stop you from eating what you are going to eat, but as a person who emotionally eats, I find this exercise helpful, because just writing this blog I can't help but think about how I have felt every time I have turned to comfort food. I still felt emotional and now I've gained a pound and when you're on a weight loss journey, that is the wrong way to go.
Sure foods taste great when you're blue, but be mindful of what you eat and be appreciative of what you are putting in your mouth, because you want to overcome the guilt and get off of that crazy hamster wheel that has you spinning in a vicious cycle, emotion-eat-gain weight-depressed over gaining weight-feeling emotional about that now-repeat cycle.
I understand the trapping of emotional eating. I've done it for years. I just recently halted my emotional eating after Sissy Jo passed away, because for a brief moment I was more concerned about filling a void, than taking care of myself and now I have ten more pounds to lose. Was it worth it? No. I should have allowed myself the time to cry it out and feel Sissy's loss, like I did with mom, as opposed to filling a void and still crying later.
Just so you know, these blogs I write help me too. Though they are just my experiences and relating my experiences to things I might learn or say, I too am on this eclectic journey with you, so you are not alone. Be mindful of what you eat. Take your time through your meal, and enjoy it. If you need to, examine your meal and observe the smells, the colors, the textures.
Until tomorrow...be grateful you have enough, that you have to watch how much you eat. Not everyone is equally blessed in this world.
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