Why I Have Decided to Lose Weight by Mindful Eating
In the last year I have put on over 10kg and my weight is currently 84.4kg. I have a small build so this means that the extra weight is quite noticeable – I’m embarrassed by it. The cause of this weight is obvious to me;it is my change from an active life to working all day on the computer. I do exercise for about forty minutes every day but it just isn’t enough; the weight keeps piling up. This is something that bothers me not only because I don’t like to look pudgy but it also causes me to feel generally sluggish and lacking in energy. I believe that mindful eating is the perfect solution to my problem.
http://boscrowan.co.uk/wp-json/wp/v2/tags/187 My Weight Problems
I have always had a problem with my weight, but up until my mid thirties the difficulty was that I couldn’t put it on. I once turned to nutritional supplements as a way to beef myself up; as the Chinese curse goes though, ‘may your dreams come true’. When I gave up alcohol a few years back I thought that I’d lose my beer belly; something that first appeared when I was 34. I returned to a vegetarian diet and for a while my weight was down to about 72kg. Since becoming a full-time writer though the weight has returned. I don’t think that I eat that much and my daily exercise regime and weekly Muay Thai lesson means I’m fairly fit, but the problem is still there.
I was considering doing something like a fruit-fast to lose the weight but I think this would only be a temporary solution. I have found that it is easier to adopt new lifestyle habits then try to eradicate bad ones. It just seems to be a waste of time to put a lot of effort into losing weight only to put it back on again in a few months.
Iława Why Mindful Eating?
Mindfulness is something that has helped me in other parts of my life so I’m convinced it can do the same for weight. I have successfully used this technique to fight an alcohol addiction and to create a great life in recovery. I see no reason for why it won’t do the same for me here; it is also something that I can continue indefinitely to keep the weight off. As an added benefit it will also increase my general mindfulness level which will in turn benefit every other area of my life. It really does seem like the ideal solution.
I am a fast eater and most of the time I’m not even conscious of what I’m putting in my mouth. I’ll have a snack beside me and will be working on the computer at the same time. The fact that I eat fast means that my body doesn’t have enough time to tell me when I’m full; mind you, the fact that I eat without any mindfulness means that I wouldn’t even notice these signals anyway. The upshot of all this is that I’m eating out of habit and not out of need; I’m eating the same amount as I would if I was a lot more active. If I listened to my body and ate mindfully then I’d need to consume a lot less food.
My Mindfulness Eating Plan
My attempt to put mindful eating into practice starts from today; I will be providing regular updates on this blog. The readers of this website are part of my plan because I believe reporting my progress will keep me focused. If other people would like to join my attempts then feel free to use the comment section for this. Here is my mindfulness eating plan;
– In future when I get the urge to eat something I’ll take a few seconds to observe my body to see if there really are signs of hunger. If I’m not hungry then I won’t eat because I want to stop just pushing things in my mouth as a habit. I have heard that many of us mistake anger, tiredness, and other emotions for hunger – if I’m mindful then this should become more obvious and easier to avoid.
– When I do eat it is my intention to be completely mindful of every bite. I want my focus to be on what I’m doing while eating; to experience all the different sensations that are appearing as they appear.
– I want to be mindful of when my hunger is sated and to never go beyond this; I want to completely avoid the feeling of being stuffed with food.
It is going to be interesting to see how this is all going to work out. Putting something like this into practice is not easy but I feel up to the challenge. I am not expecting instant results but it should be another interesting journey – hopefully you too will join me on it.
What do you think of my plan?
Paul, what do I think of your plan? I think it’s great.
Have you read ‘Savor, Mindful Eating, Mindful Life’, by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung? I grabbed it at Paragon one day but haven’t finished (time…)
Hi Cat, I saw it advertised on the web. I always avoid Paragon because it makes me feel a bit poor, but I might just bite the bullet and buy a copy if it is there. Were there many copies?
Hi,
Okay, Okay, Okay ! I am at 87K and would like to get down to 75K.
Thanks for the push.
Hi Ivan, well if I manage to do this successfully then hopefully it will inspire you too.
When I saw it, there was a shelf or two of books. I’m trying to remember where exactly…
Ok… facing the direction of the info desk, get the philosophy aisle on your left shoulder and look to one of the pillars in the middle to your right. The row of books will be within your eyesight – 20% off of 851 baht – look for lots of orange.
Or you could just forgo all those bad feelings and get the Kindle version at US$16.58 (amazon.com -iTunes, etc)
Thanks Cat, I might just look at the digital version. A trip into the central Bangkok would just be an excuse not to work 🙂
Excuses are great 😉
Paul:
Try not to eat everything on your plate. Leave something for the ghost.
Basilseven
Hi Basilseven, thanks for visiting. Leaving something on the plate could work as well a lot of the time; assuming that I didn’t start having larger portions.
Paul, since I moved here and changed my lifestyle I find myself in a similar position weight wise. I drink little and eat about the same as at home, I just do less exercise.
I shall follow your progress with interest although I think that mindfulness is something that just doesn’t happen. Your own story tends to make me believe this is a learned behaviour that takes serious practice.
Good luck……for me I fancy its time to get the bike out after its rainy season retreat 😉
Hi Mike, I think having a regular meditation practice is certainly going to increase mindfulness that can be used elsewhere. I think the practice and real life feed off each other. I agree that it would probably be harder for people to be mindful of eating if they don’t meditate; although just eating mindfully could be considered a meditation practice that would increase mindfulness.
Paul, really great thoughts on eating. I have packed on the pounds in the last 2 years and have really started to shed them since I have been living in Thailand.
I have only been eating Thai food but even so I have adopted some Thai female habits such as munching all the time and I need to be more mindful like you and check to see if I really need to eat…it’s so easy to eat here and even though the food is great it can pack on the pounds too if eaten like a glutton.
Hi Talen, I think one of the nicest things about Mindful eating is that there is no sense of deprivation. If I’m hungry I eat. The problem is that I tend to eat a lot when I’m not even hungry. You are right though about there being a lot of food temptation in Thailand. One thing I’ve learnt the hard way here is to never go food shopping when I’m hungry 🙂
I’ve recently decided to make a dietary change myself so I completely understand. (I’m cutting out wheat)
I think anything done mindfully is a good idea. Ideally we should be moving through life mindfully. And I agree with Cat – haven’t read that specific book but on reading anything by Thich Naht Hanh.
Often times we are thirsty and not hungry. Try drinking more water. It’s very good for you! I promise and choke dee!!!
Thanks Lani for your good advice. I do tend to drink a lot of water; I drink too much coffee as well though.