Quick Tip! Plate out your food before you take your first bite a.k.a.....don’t eat directly from the bag or bowl
So I LOVE kettle corn. Like really, really love it. Especially when its fresh from a farmers market, festival or fair - it is totally a weakness of mine. Once upon a time, I would buy a jumbo bag, open it up and just sit there and eat handful after handful of it. The first couple bites, or tbh, maybe handfuls, were amazing. But the rest - I don't even really know - because I slipped into a subconcious fog while eating it. I just continued to shove it in my mouth, with no real intention - it certainly wasnt fueling me and was no longer even bringing me joy. I also used to have this issue when eating out and there was a bowl of those homemade chips and salsa, queso or guac in front of me….
Sound familiar?
For me, this is a horrible feeling - when a bowl or bag is empty, and I dont even remember tasting/eating half of it, because I wasnt mentally present. If we arent eating for pleasure or fuel, what exactly are we eating for? Especially if weight loss/improved health is a goal of yours. So, I started following these steps, and its been a HUGE help and reminder for me to eat more intentionally, and in turn, consume fewer calories while still enjoying foods I love. Its a win-win!
It also helps me slow down, and actually taste and enjoy the food - the whole point, right?!
So each time you go to eat, consider trying this out:
1. Consciously decide how much and what you want to eat.
2. Take a napkin, plate, my hand, etc. - and plate out the amount you have conciously decided to eat
3.Breathe and pay attention to what you are doing
4.Taste and chew my food (when your starting out with this, sometimes its helpful to focus on the specific flavors, chewing for a certain period of time, etc.)
If the food is not fueling you (providing nourishment for my body/healthy mix of nutrients) or if your not *truly* enjoying it, you dont have to finish eating it!
Evaluate how you are feeling after your done, and take your next intentional action from there. Do you want another serving, aka will it benefit you in any way? Are you already content? How did this food make you feel? How will it make you feel later? tomorrow?
5. Repeat, repeat, repeat, until it becomes a habit that is easier to do than not do!
Let me know below what you think! Like if you think this would be helpful and save for future reference!
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