Don't Finish Your Plate

Many of us grew up with parents that wouldn't let us leave the dinner table until our plates were finished.  Over the years, children have spent countless hours held hostage at the dinner table trying to force feed themselves last bites of "whatever" in an attempt to clean their plates and earn freedom away from the table.

As a health and fitness professional, I cannot tell you how harmful this parenting strategy has been to a number of clients I work with.  There are a couple of generations worth of individuals struggling with being overweight, and a large contributing factor to this is that they have become completely removed from intuitive eating habits.  If as children we are insisted to eat well beyond being full, and when food is no longer appetizing, then over time we become disconnected from our bodies, and eating becomes more of a job and responsibility. Eventually, important signals that convey we are getting full, or even becoming uncomfortable are ignored and a negative feedback loop is formed and well-reinforced.  This negative feedback loop conveys that it doesn't matter how we feel, we must push on through meals like war time soldiers or there will be negative consequences from authorities.  Ironically, the negative consequences incurred are weight gain and poor self-body image.

Habits and patterns laid down during our important, childhood formative years are serious and long-lasting.  Once we've disconnected our minds from our bodies, it is very hard to reconnect the two.  Unhealthy relationships with food and eating can be very damaging, and some of the hardest to get a handle on because eating is always necessary.  This is a very different scenario from an alcoholic's choice to quit drinking. Remove alcohol, no problem.  Remove food, you die.

Simply put, we must pay attention to our bodies and our bodies signals to us.  What are the signs and indicators you get when you are getting full?  Do you find your eating slows?  Do you find a tightness in your middle?  Pay attention to such things and try to leave a last bite or two on your plate.  Tell yourself it is ok to not finish, and do so guilt-free.  Explore the world of what feels right for your body, and find your way back to intuitive eating.  Reconnect with what your body needs, and disconnect from your unhealthy, childhood eating habits. Trust in the intelligence built into your body, and it will bestow upon you a new belief system about yourself and your relationship with food.  

Mindless Eating Leads to Weight Gain

Do you know what signals your body gives you when it is getting full?  Have you contemplated this question even once before? If you haven't, you are not alone.  Chances are you have become a "mindless" eater, and need to begin carving a path back to "mindful" eating.

Most of us living busy lives are no longer eating for nourishment.  Nor are we in touch with the true enjoyment of food.  We simply eat because it has to get done, and hopefully, in as little time as possible.  So little time is spent honoring mealtimes that we often combine eating with other activities like watching TV or driving.  Who can stop and enjoy food when there is so much to do?  

Food is fuel for the body and it should be treated as such.  We should be taking reasonable bites, chewing food thoroughly, and paying close attention to the different textures and tastes for complete enjoyment.  In the process of eating in a mindful way lies an opportunity to recognize when we are getting full or feeling satisfied and opportunity to stop eating.  When we are not mindful of our eating, we keep reaching into the bag of chips again and again, or reach for seconds or thirds until feeling ill and pushing away from the table.  This is no way to live, and certainly no way to successfully manage one's weight.

If we all slowed down a bit, and made eating a stand-alone effort, we might find that we could get by on less.  We might even recognize that our hunger patterns shift throughout the day and that is not necessary to plow through what we "think" we should be eating at every meal.  Instead, we could be driven more by body intelligence, and what "feels" like the right amount.  What "feels" like the right amount at breakfast today, might "feel" differently tomorrow.  Hunger patterns can, and do change.  I, myself, have been guilty of continuing to eat something I did not even find satisfying.  Why would I do this?  Perhaps in an effort to fill an emotional void, or to find some sort of comfort through food.  Unfortunately, emotional voids can never be filled with food, and one can do a lot of damage in the process of trying to do so.

Experiment with one meal and try mindful eating to understand what it means. This would mean eating without including other activities, chewing food slowly and thoroughly, and putting the fork down between bites.  Putting the fork down provides a chance to enjoy the flavors and textures of the food being consumed.  Concentrate on the thought that your body is being nourished and fueled. See what signals your body sends in the way of satisfaction or fullness.  Try not to bring your "to do" list or invite other distractions into your meal. Just focus on your food and the process of eating.  Mindful eating requires practice, so be patient with your efforts.  Establishing new, mindful eating practices will steer you down a new path of eating appropriate amounts, and eating for the right reasons.