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Posted on Jan 3rd 2009 12:00PM by Maggie VinkFiled Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
So many things we do are by habit. When you brush your teeth in the morning, you're probably thinking more about the plans you have for the day than you are about brushing your teeth. The same goes for eating. Meals and snacks are such a day-to-day routine that -- even if you're dieting -- the act of eating can become somewhat mindless.Being mindful of eating habits is important for all of us, but especially important when you're trying to lose weight. I just watched a Ruby rerun where she was upset after gaining weight during her vacation. She thought she had done really well with her nutrition plan. Then she sat down with her nutritionist and realized that the "protein bars" she was snacking on were really high in calories. What Ruby experienced is easy for all of us to do; we can trick ourselves into thinking we're doing great, when really we're falling short of our nutrition goals.
Oprah.com has some great tips on how to eat mindfully:
- Buy in bulk. In these tough economic times, it makes good sense to buy certain items in bulk. But be sure to measure out pretzels or other snacks; don't eat out of the bag because you might eat more than you planned.
- Eating with people. Believe it or not, the more people you dine out with, the more you're likely to eat. It has more to do with the amount of time you spend at the table. Avoid the bread basket and divide your meal in half -- one half to eat at the restaurant and the other to take home. Be sure to eat slowly and enjoy your meal.
- Skip the seconds. Pre-plate your meal in the kitchen instead of a family-style meal.
- Buffets. When at a buffet, put only two items on your plate at a time. You may make more trips, but you'll eat less in the long run.
- Table it. Don't eat in front of the TV -- it distracts you from what you should be concentrating on. You should think about your food as you're eating it. Not only will you be more cognizant of what you put in your mouth, it also makes your meal more enjoyable.
- Emotional eating. This is a toughie but if you're an emotional eater, you need to learn to recognize the signs. Real hunger develops gradually, but emotional hunger can come on suddenly.
