Day 9, January 3

"Mindful eating is eating with intention while paying attention." -  Kati Konersman RD, CDF

I'm surprised at how much I have the desire to do other things while eating.  I have to remind myself to put my phone, book, or computer away. It's getting easier, but it's not automatic. My habit is to still grab for something to do while I am eating. 

So why does multitasking while eating cause weight gain? According to the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition, not only does distracted eating cause you to eat more at meals (because you feel less full), it also tends to lead to extra eating later on because you don’t have strong memories of what you already ate!

Today's successes: I had a few bites while fixing my evening meal. However, with that exception I ate sitting, and I did not multi-task. I'm still working on slowing down. How did you do?

A reminder of the mindful eating checklist:
Am I sitting?

Eating fast or slow?

Mindlessly munching or noticing each bite?

Asking “How hungry am I on a scale from 1 to 10”?

Multi-tasking or truly focused on the meal?

Rumbling stomach or, bored, stressed, anxious, etc?