10) Take a drink of water
between bites. Starting a
meal with a bowl of soup or
a glass of water has been
shown to help people eat
less at meals (begins to
stimulate fullness cues).
11) Ask yourself on a scale
from 1-10 how hungry are you
before you eat. This can help
reduce emotional eating.
12) Take a deep breath
before eating to help bring
your mind back to the
present moment. It’s easy
to get lost in your thoughts
while eating. Be physically
and mentally present while
you eat.
13) Say a prayer or quote
expressing gratitude before
you eat. This shifts you into
a mindful mindset before
consuming food.
14) Compassionate
words help you to eat
more mindfully instead of
self-criticism (how dumb
could I be for eating that!).
Criticism shuts down our
thinking, self-compassion
(it’s okay, I’ll do better next
time) has been clinically
proven to make us work
harder and better.
15) Stay hydrated. Thirst
can masquerade as hunger.
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16) Get more sleep. Sleep
loss can skew your appetite
and fullness cues making
you feel hungrier. 6-9 hours
is optimal.
17) Mindfully answer
cravings rather than
fighting them off. Research
indicates trying to ignore
them makes the cravings
stronger. Acknowledge the
craving. Be curious about
it (where did that craving
for chocolate come from).
Ask yourself how you can
satisfy it mindfully.
18) Eat your favorite food
last. Our memories encode
the last bit of the best. You
are less likely to reach for
a treat later if you have a
strong memory of enjoying
your last bite.
19) Use distraction to help
allow time to pass before
eating. Set your timer for
five minutes if you suspect
emotional eating may be
creeping up. The best
distraction are things that
keep you out of the kitchen
and is incompatable with
eating (in other words you
can’t do it at the same
time like taking a bath and
eating). Try cleaning out
a drawer, puzzle, knitting
(visual spatial tasks engage
your mind well) and
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20) Mindfully cook.
Cooking makes you
appreciate food more and
gives you more control over
your portion sizes. Even
stirring can be meditative
if you allow it to be. Make
cooking is an art and a gift
rather than a neusance.
It doesn’t have to be
complex, three ingredients
counts as cooking).
21) Plan for tomorrow. Get
what you need for tomorrow
ready today. We eat what
we have. Always leave the
house with one snack.
22) Location! Place
healthy foods in an easy to
see location and unhealthy
foods out of sight.
23) Try new foods. Get out
of mindless eating ruts.
24) Be mindful of your
dining companions. People
tend to unconsciously
eat in tandem with their
significant others, friends
and family. Intentionally eat
at a different pace.
25) Work on doing what
you already do well even
better instead of trying
to change what you
struggle with. Healthy
habits sometimes naturally
change the unhealthy ones
with little effort (little room
left for them!)