Are you frustrated because you’ve been eating smart, watching your portions, exercising, and still aren’t losing weight? It’s trickier to lose weight when you are over 50. It may be that you aren’t practicing mindful eating.
Focus on the why, when, how and how much you eat
I’m the first to admit that I start to munch whenever I feel stressed, bored, or frustrated as an emotional reaction to what’s going on in my world. My mind tells me I’m hungry but I’m really not. But, there’s a difference between being physically hungry and emotionally hungry.
Rather than run for a sugary treat at the first sign of distress, follow the tips below to practice mindful eating.
Eat at regular intervals
Set a schedule to eat small portions every three to four hours or set an intermittent fasting timetable. I know people who get so busy that eating is the last thing on their to-do list. Some wait so long that they faint, and get taken away in an ambulance only to be told they’re dehydrated or their blood sugar is low. Many people who go too long without eating, dive in when the food arrives, and go hog wild. It’s better to eat when you’re slightly hungry because there’s a better chance you’ll eat less.
Make sure your meals are balanced
You should balance your meal with each food group. Proportionally, that means 50% vegetables and fruit, 25% protein, and 25% whole grains. Despite the trend to lambast eating grains, they’re important for digestion and contain valuable nutrients.
Forget about being President of the Clean Plate Club
That’s always been my biggest problem. It was ingrained in me as a kid to finish all my food at every meal. Eat when you are hungry and put down your fork as soon as you’re satisfied. If you slow down, it gives your stomach a chance to communicate with your brain so you’ll know when it’s time to stop.
Eat what you love as long as you don’t overdo it
When you restrict yourself from eating certain foods, it makes you want more. Once it’s no longer forbidden, you’ll be less tempted to eat it.
Enjoy what you eat
Engage your senses and savor all the flavors, textures, and delicious smells on your plate. To do this, you have to slow down so you have time to taste what you’re eating. If you hate a vegetable like kale, make eating it fun. Sprinkle in fruit or a tiny bit of honey to take away the bitterness.
Eat portion sizes that are right for YOUR body
If you’re 5’2” like I am, you don’t want to eat the same amount of food as Hulk Hogan. Your protein portion should be the size of YOUR palm, not your husband’s. If you eat slowly and eat balanced meals, your body will acclimate itself to eating the portion size that’s right for you. Use small or portion control plates to ensure you don’t overindulge.
Don’t multitask when you eat
Whoever invented TV trays messed us up as a generation. Don’t let distractions cause you to overeat. It’s important to stay in the moment. Think about how many bites you’ve taken. Can you taste the difference between when you first bit into it and what it tastes like when you chew? Be mindful so you can tell when your stomach is starting to fill up.
Think about what you’re putting into your body
When you’re too hungry it’s easy to grab whatever is in sight to satiate yourself. Keep hunger at bay by eating at regular times and you’ll find yourself making healthier choices.
Mindful eating is knowing the difference between physical and emotional hunger
Craving chocolate or sneaking chips is a sign of emotional eating. Choosing an apple, over a candy bar, means you’re most likely to be physically hungry.
Your body is your temple
Food is nourishment and gives you needed energy. If you miss meals, binge eat or go for junk, you’re letting your emotions get the best of you. Find better behaviors to help you get through difficulties. Exercise, meditation, massage, lounging in a relaxing tub, or simply deep breathing are better alternatives.
Don’t let temptation sabotage your efforts
Be the gatekeeper of healthy eating in your house so that your entire family eats better and practices mindful eating. Make meals from scratch at home as often as you can. Simple and easy-to-make recipes, using “real food” ingredients are often better choices than a time-consuming gourmet meal. Allow for occasional treats because life should be fun, but don’t do it all the time. Family members and roommates are the best saboteurs when it comes to mindful eating. They’ll shove a bowl of ice cream topped with chocolate and whipped cream in your face and make it hard to say no.
Keep yourself in motion
Make time to exercise but don’t make it hard to exercise. If schlepping off through traffic to go to the gym is keeping you from working out, walk out your front door and around the block. Dance in your living room. Do yoga on your floor. Exercise should be done throughout the day and not just at a certain hour. If you’ve been sitting in front of your computer reading this blog post and updating your Facebook status, get up and walk your dog. He or she needs it just as much as you.
Practice mindful eating and I promise you you’ll look and feel better soon.
I am so much more the person on the left than the right. This is an important reminder that it’s time to make a big change in the way I eat.
Thanks, Lois. It can be a challenge sometimes. Especially when food is right in front of you.
Great advice. I do try to be mindful but, it doesn’t always work. I do better with small bites throughout the day than big heavy meals.
b
Small bites 5-6 times a day is usually the best to keep blood sugar up. Big meals can really make you spacey.
Such important advice – and reminders – thanks~! Being mindful certainly does help make the food taste better, and make you realize what and how much you are eating.
Thanks, Sheryl. It does taste better because when you rush you don’t have time to savor the taste. Unfortunately, too many of us get too busy and never take the time to enjoy our food.
My kind of post. Always motivates me to eat well when I read.
Cool. So glad you liked it. And you feel so much better.
I don’t really like fast food, but I love carbs and sweets. OMG do I. So this healthy eating and wt loss/workout plan has been a challenge. I mean, I eat healthy. I just like carbs and sweets, too!
I ‘m with you on avoiding fast food but love pasta.
Great tips. My biggest problem is portion size, I think. I often find myself having servings as large as my husband’s (he’s 6’3 and I’m 5’4) which quickly becomes a problem. Thankfully I’m not a big fan of chocolate like he is; chips are my downfall. Thank you for the super info! Now for me to follow your advice! 😀
Lisa, I know what you mean. I’m a total foodie. I’ve found using small salad plates instead of dinner plates helps a lot.
I usually eat a lot of little meals during the day. Eating too much at once makes me feel bloated and sluggish. But put a jar of peanuts in front of me and I can eat the entire thing!
LOL. I’m the same way with almonds. I could eat an entire bag. I buy a bag that contains a bunch of smaller bags with a handful of almonds in each. You can do the same thing with snack baggies. I’m nutz for nuts.
Yes. I’m all for mindful eating for a healthy lifestyle..
Thanks Elmer, We really have to work to get back to mindful eating. We live in a world full of distractions and now stress.
Being mindful of what we eat is essential to our health and well-being. Thanks for this valuable list of advice and reminders – there are some great tips there. Very helpful to motivate us to eat healthily.
Thanks so ,much Sarah. I am so glad you found them valuable. How we feel affects how we eat and we need to be aware of it.
I loved your first push pop post