It occurred to me after Thanksgiving and after my last post in which I mentioned controlling my hunger and portions, that I have not yet addressed eating in that way.
As time went on and as I got heavier, my self-control dwindled. If food was in plain sight and I was bored or feeling crappy, I ate it. Even if I was full, I continued to eat everything on my plate, I always ordered the large size, I so often ate until I was too full. This is one of the reasons I say making gradual steps is so important- breaking habits like these, which have taken years to form, can be a difficult task, especially if you try to completely eradicate them in one day. One of the very first of the ‘healthier choices’ I tried to make was simply saying, ‘no, thank you’ or ‘I’d like a small, please’ or, finally, ‘I’m done’. I made sure tempting food was hidden from immediate view, but I also tried to be more conscious of my full signals and I often went into a meal (particularly if I didn’t prepare or portion it myself) already knowing that I was not to eat the whole meal, unless it happened to be reasonably portioned…it often was not.
This action has two moving parts- willpower and self-awareness. As I mentioned, at the start of this year, my willpower was practically non-existent. This is why the dialogue had to happen before walking into a restaurant or being served by someone else. Before sitting down, before looking at the menu, I would know that I could only eat half of whatever I decided to order (or whatever was served). After eating half of the plate, if I was still hungry, I could eat more, but if I had eaten half and I was not feeling hungry anymore, I save it for leftovers or politely decline the rest. I also tend to take more sips of water between bites and at the halfway point, to give me time to interpret what my stomach is telling me. Having decided beforehand what I could eat, this took less willpower and as I did this more, my willpower became stronger in other situations (food and exercise-wise) because I had set such rules for myself.
A lot of health sites and articles say that it’s best to eat meals without distraction (like watching TV or simultaneously working) because it helps you listen to your hungry/full signals more intently and curbs mindless eating. My experiences are a little different than this. While mindless snacking in front of the tv/computer has been an issue for me, I feel that is a different situation from eating a meal while watching tv or working on the computer. In my reality, I eat faster (therefore, there is less time for my stomach to realize it’s not full anymore) if I have nothing else to do while I’m eating. Doing other things while I am eating a meal slows my eating pace down so that I have more time to for my stomach to digest and realize if it’s full or still hungry. A very handy trick is setting down your sandwich or utensils every few bites, whether to talk to someone or take a drink, once again, it gives your body time to catch up to your mouth and gives you time to ask yourself if you need more food.
Mindless snacking is one of the reasons I had to start putting more food in cupboards and out of sight. It’s okay to snack when you’re vegging, but that’s when I suggest snacking on fruit or veggies first unless you’ve worked those other kinds of treats into your daily calorie/points budget. Usually, when I’m thinking about grabbing something to munch on, I calculate how many points I have left for food and if a certain snack is worth it. The thing is, those little 100 calorie snack packs and whatnot, usually don’t tide me over and make me crave more food. However, I can eat enough fruit and veggies to sate me without having to worry much about the caloric cost. Once again, water is also really helpful. I have often heard that, sometimes, when we think we feel hungry, it is actually thirst. Drinking water sometimes fixes that hungry feeling, but also helps fill you up and tide you over with less food.
Lastly and most simply, when you’re making food for yourself, know the correct serving size (2 tbsp, 3 oz, etc) and be mindful of that when you are cooking and/or plating. Investing in a kitchen scale (there are so many different kinds and prices) can be extremely handy and even though I have gotten fairly good at eyeing portions when I have to, I still use the scale quite often.
This journey is about working with your body, not against it. Listen to your body- don’t overfeed yourself and do not starve yourself.
One last thing…Last week, I ran the Detroit Turkey Trot. The whole thing. Before that, I had only run 4.5 miles with some walking thrown in, but last Thursday, I ran all 6.2 miles. It was a good day.
So, keep going.
Emily the Strong 