Don't Just Watch What You Eat - Think About It, Too!

I came off my week (plus a bit more) of sick almost ten pounds lighter. Yay! I don't recommend the "Coughing My Boobs Off" weight loss plan, but I must say it's efficient.

Now I'm back at work (where my boss decided to plant two boxes of Girl Scout cookies on  my desk) and doing my best to keep the ball rolling. The goal this week: mindful eating.


I've read a lot about the subject in various places, but it seems to be a staple of a lot of good, results-proven weight loss plans. It's not enough to limit your intake, choose the right foods and exercise. You need to completely re-vamp the way you eat, too.

Step one for me in a more mindful eating pattern, is to stop eating in front of the TV or the computer. I snack at my desk all day long at work, and it kills me. So I've made a firm rule that I will not eat here. I have lunch in our cafeteria or away from my desk, and I don't eat snacks here, either. It's just too easy to shovel stuff in absent-mindedly while I click or type. I have no idea how much I've eaten until it's suddenly gone, and that's not a good scenario.

Same for home - dinner in front of the TV or my home PC and no thought given to how much is going down the gullet. Food is now only consumed at the kitchen table.

Also, why am I fighting so hard to keep yummy foods in my diet when I'm not really even savoring them? If I'm going to eat something that's less than ideal for me for the pure enjoyment of it, I really should take a moment, slow down, and enjoy it. I've found when I do this, two things happen. (1) I eat a lot less and (2) sometimes, it doesn't taste nearly as delicious as I thought it would.

So this week's goal is to eat mindfully, slowing down and savoring every bite, and only eating in an appropriate venue.

Do you find that it makes a difference where you eat and how? It definitely does for me!