Have you ever had the experience when no matter how much you ate you weren’t satisfied? You’d order more at a restaurant or finish all the food on your plate even though you weren’t not hungry anymore? Or if you are at home, you’d keep opening the refrigerator door peering in to see if anything appealed to you. Or maybe you’re out and find yourself walking the aisles of a supermarket looking for whatever might “do the trick?” If you find yourself wanting to eat when you are not hungry, you are sliding into emotional eating. When you notice you are eating past the point of satisfaction or fullness, ask yourself why is might be happening. (Or if you become aware of this later, ask yourself the same question.) Think back and review the thoughts, feelings and behaviors leading up to the excess eating. Were you socializing? Did an emotion arise such as fear or sadness? Were you bored? Was the food just there? A bit of mindful detective work can uncover the reason for the eating. When you uncover your why, note it. Reflect upon it non-judgmentally. Be curious about the chain of events that got you there. What can you learn from this insight? How can you use this insight in the future? File this incident away and move on. Demonstrate love and kindness to yourself by eating your next meal mindfully. Adapted from Mindful Bites – Joyful Life: 365 Days of Mindful Eating. Available in bookstores everywhere.
I Can’t Get No Satisfaction
