Table with plates of food for part 3 of Mindful Eating Tips post

Mindful Eating Tips Part 3

Mindful Eating - Part 3

This week wraps up my three-part series on Mindful Eating. Here are three more tips to think about when you are preparing to eat something.

Make mindful your mantra

Check in with yourself to see if you are eating out of habit or because you are truly hungry. Just because the clock says it’s time to eat does not mean you have to eat. Pay attention to how you are feeling. Are you really hungry or have you created a habit of eating at a certain time? Be mindful of how you are feeling at that time. There is no doubt we train ourselves to eat at a specific time but is it always necessary at that time. Take a step back and reassess how you are feeling and determine if there is another reason you want to eat at that time.

Change your environment

This is one that I struggle with. You should be eating at the table. Remember the days when you and your family all gathered together to eat a meal at the table. All too often we are so busy, schedules don’t align, and we’ve just plain gotten out of the habit of slowing down to sit down and eat. Breakfast and lunch on the go are very common but what about sitting down at the table for dinner. The biggest mistake people make is sitting in front of the TV to eat, this is conditioning you to eat while watching TV. If it’s been a while, give it a try.  Sit at the table, slow down your day, relax and eat your meal.

Give yourself a break

Treat yourself in the same way you would treat a friend who is striving to make changes for the better. You need reminders to keep on track but know that perfection is NOT what we are striving for. Being aware of the choices we are making and making the best choice when faced with an option will help you succeed. Remember the 80/20 rule and once you feel that you have mastered that, push yourself to 85/15, with your final goal being 90/10. Everyone needs a break now and then; just like everyone needs dessert now and then!

This wraps up my three-part series on mindful eating. Small sustainable changes is what mindful eating is all about. Being mindful will help you be healthy BEFORE you NEED to be healthy and it will make you more aware of the decisions you are making

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