Mindfulness Experiment

slimzandra · July 2015

In addition to starting yoga in August, I've signed up for this 4 week experiment about mindful eating for women.

To be frank, I've had the notion that meditation, yoga, etc., was a bit out there for the "touchy- feely" crowd. *Sorry* That said, if you told me a year ago that eating more fat, lo-carb, would help me lose weight, quickly and easily, I would not have believed it. So, I've been wrong before.
It's all about what works and what doesn't. I'm willing to explore anything as an experiment, if it works for me great, if not, next.

Here is the link if anyone wants to try this.

http://www.fitwoman.com/blog/2015/07/16/mindfulness-for-women-who-struggle-with-weight/

I started browsing the information and it might not be the right thing for dedicated low carbers.
My eyes rolled back when I read their blog about bread. HAHA. However, I like to think I can review something and agree to disagree.

http://www.fitwoman.com/blog/2014/10/01/bread-really-fattening/

MistressPi · July 2015

in the same vein, I recommend this book:

"The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a classic. Mindfulness has helped me in many ways.

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Mindfulness-Introduction-Practice-Meditation/dp/0807012394/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437674047&sr=1-1&keywords=miracle+of+mindfulness

Kitnthecat · July 2015

I have taken 2 courses in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and yes, mindfulness is related to such things as yoga and they can both be performed in conjunction with each other. Totally doable. I did not look at your link, but know that if you are going to try yoga, you could totally embrace mindfulness. I think this would also compliments fasting as all could be viewed as spiritual in nature. Good luck !

KnitOrMiss · July 2015

I did sign up for the course as I've wanted to do something like this for a while, but without a structure or plan, I've struggled to fit it in. This might just help... Should be entertaining at least.

minties82 · July 2015

I'm doing mindful colouring in for adults right now, it is really helping me in times of stress or when I get the urge to binge.

I find it hard to eat mindfully eat as my kids are relentless about harassing me when I have food I have been trying though!

DianaElena76 · July 2015

minties82 wrote: »

I'm doing mindful colouring in for adults right now, it is really helping me in times of stress or when I get the urge to binge.

I find it hard to eat mindfully eat as my kids are relentless about harassing me when I have food I have been trying though!

Good Lord, yes. I haven't had an uninterrupted meal at home in years.

KnitOrMiss · July 2015

I definitely was not expecting a quick fix or a full-on miracle, but thank you for the reminder to take this for what it is, just another tool to add to the "Keeping my sanity" toolbox!

slimzandra · July 2015

Thank you for your insights. I appreciate the feedback. I'm interested in participating because from what I've read this place in Vermont gets really high marks, but I can't take the time to physically go to a resort and just "do me" for a while. I am looking for more joy, a better ability to focus, and ways to improve my self esteem. Looking better and feeling better physically is one way. I don't really miss *too much* the starch and sweets. For me, this new woe, is more about a path to a goal and a way to fix my broken eating pattern and routine.

I have a lot of personal stressors in my life, which is probably one of the reasons I was so mindlessly eating and drinking, which lead to my excessive weight gain over the past 7 years. I am fortunate, that I don't have PCOS, or diabetes. I also have not suffered from anorexia or bulimia or other situations that some folks have had to overcome. So, for that I am grateful. I will say that my drinking was excessive and I was grabbing and ordering out careless food choices, compulsively eating at night, emotionally overeating and drinking. It has helped me a lot to just stop, prepare meals at home, review what I am actually putting in and how it effects me.

I finally got sick of feeling sick.

There are so many things in my life that are out of control and cause me stress. The one thing I can control is my reaction to it. I am in the process of trying to feel better about myself and the cards I've been dealt. While losing weight over the past 3 months and eating LCHF has certainly had a huge impact on my mental outlook, I still need to find a healthy way to deal with all this stress, anxiety and constant feeling of sadness and that looms over me. I've talked to professionals and friends and I journal my feelings. I still have those days, when I feel I could burst into tears at any moment. I don't think anti-depressants or medication is the way to go for me, my problem isn't a chemical imbalance, it's just that my life just SUX right now and I believe any logical person would feel the same way or worse! I should feel grateful for all the positive things I do have, but the negativity and demands around me sometimes feel overwhelming. Life is a journey, I am still exploring what course I need to take towards happiness. I'm hoping information in the next 4 weeks helps give me more insight. Should be interesting.

Thaeda · July 2015

newmeadow wrote: »

My experience with mindfulness and associated meditative techniques is that they're really good for relieving immediate mental stressors, like free floating anxiety. They aid in strengthening the ability to concentrate and think in a more organized fashion. Emotions are more easily reined in with a regular practice, so the character is strengthened in that way.

But I was often lulled into the false belief that mindfulness and it's associated practices would assist in regulating my disordered eating (addictive, compulsive). It didn't. It didn't make me not want to eat the foods low carbers avoid and it didn't help me control the intake of those foods once they crossed my lips.

I've been tripped up into thinking yoga, meditation and other mystical techniques would cure me of compulsive gluttony. So many times.

I now use a complete abstinence approach to the eating of sweet and starchy carbs and also exclude all grains.

I just mention this to caution anyone who struggles with food the way I do. Mindfulness is wonderful for lots of things but it doesn't automatically regulate compulsive overeating disorders or quell cravings for sweet/starchy foods. So if you're doing well abstaining, I would strongly advise: Don't alter your path.

The women who write these mindfulness books and author mindfulness websites and webinars usually don't come from a history of significant obesity nor, in my opinion, are they geared for people who have a disordered relationship with food and eating.

I know not everyone here has an obesity history or a disordered relationship with food and eating though, so maybe a book or a website like this could be helpful for them.

I have a lengthy history of disordered eating (compulsive eating, binge eating and also restriction) and I have found meditation, yoga and other mindfulness strategies to be an integral part of my healing process. I cannot say I never overeat or eat compulsively, because I still do sometimes- but my binges are far more infrequent now and I am better able to control myself when I really think about how food tastes, or how I feel after I eat it, or whether or not what I am wanting has anything to do with food at all. I am sorry you have not found mindfulness helpful in addressing your ED, but so happy for you that you have found something that works (abstinence). Just more proof that we are each on our own journey and what works for one may not work for another.

radiii · July 2015

I took a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course at UNC-Chapel Hill that ran from February to April. I had never heard of any of this before then, went 100% on the recommendation of my physical therapist at the time. I wrote about the entire experience, every class, every activity they had us try and everything we learned on a forum I've been a member of for about 15 years. Its a forum for a sports game, but many of us there have known each other for 15+ years so it felt appropriate. Anyway, if any of you are curious or interested:

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=89882

I'm Radii there, some others reply throughout. Its very long. I wouldn't blame anyone for not reading at all

But if you're diving into this, have a look if you'd like. At the start I had no earthly idea what I was getting into, it took 3-4 weeks before stuff really started coming together for me and for me to see how I was actually learning things that would be useful to me.

I came away from the course with a new way to look at a lot of things in my life, and with an appreciation for meditation and how helpful it can be to have the ability to slow yourself down just for a few moments here and there. I'm not a changed person or anything, I just felt like I'd learned some new potential perspectives on things in my life.

EDIT: If you're curious about what this course did for me in specific detail, but don't want to read the whole thing in that link, go to the end, and read the last three posts. Those were my "post course thoughts" basically.

We learned about mindful eating, and I did write about it, but for me it was not an activity that I particularly cared for and didn't try to continue after the course. Perhaps I should at some point.

m_puppy · July 2015

slimzandra wrote: »

There are so many things in my life that are out of control and cause me stress. The one thing I can control is my reaction to it. I am in the process of trying to feel better about myself and the cards I've been dealt. While losing weight over the past 3 months and eating LCHF has certainly had a huge impact on my mental outlook, I still need to find a healthy way to deal with all this stress, anxiety and constant feeling of sadness and that looms over me. I've talked to professionals and friends and I journal my feelings. I still have those days, when I feel I could burst into tears at any moment. I don't think anti-depressants or medication is the way to go for me, my problem isn't a chemical imbalance, it's just that my life just SUX right now and I believe any logical person would feel the same way or worse! I should feel grateful for all the positive things I do have, but the negativity and demands around me sometimes feel overwhelming. Life is a journey, I am still exploring what course I need to take towards happiness. I'm hoping information in the next 4 weeks helps give me more insight. Should be interesting.

I relate a lot to what you're saying and I think I'll join you on this journey of mindfulness through yoga and meditation. My life is much better now than it was 2 years ago. I had to force some change though and take steps I didn't necessarily want to take in an effort to stay alive. My anxiety has been crippling for years but I never really realized it. I assumed that all I had was depression. A psychiatrist pointed out that my depression is a result of anxiety, not the other way around. I am definitely more mindful of that now. But like you, I need to work on healthy ways of dealing with anxiety. I also need to work on focusing and controlling emotions. This came to me last week when I was thinking of asking my doctor to prescribe an anti-anxiety med. While I was researching different medications I was reminded of what I was like on anti-depressants. I was numb all of the time and had no emotions. Those meds saved my life at a time when I needed it but it's not what I need now. I need to learn how to control my own anxiety. So... I'm in!

fortunebc · July 2015

I'm in too. I relate to what slimzandra wrote and you too m_puppy. I've been wanting to try something like this but didn't quite know where to start. Thank you slimzandra for writing about it.

toadqueen · July 2015

I too have signed up to participate. This is a new concept for me and I am interested in learning more about it. I have a very unhealthy relationship with food that I would like to improve. Mindfulness sounds like a way to take control amidst chaos for me.

m_puppy · July 2015

I did the leg work in finding some local yoga classes today. I am considering going to one tonight. Though I will admit last time I tried to attend an exercise class I got up at 5am, drove to the place and then sat in my car watching everyone else go in. Then I went to a coffee shop instead. Does that qualify as mindfulness?

slimzandra · July 2015

LOL. on the yoga class. Yes, mindful! You contemplated and made a deliberate decision, coffee sounded better, I can relate to that.

Here's something you might appreciate. I signed up for the Mindfulness program via email a week ago. I never received a confirmation email, but I decided I could let it go. The emails were supposed to start today. It is almost 11am EST and no email from them. (They are US EST) I typically get over 50 in my inbox every morning from every type of spam and most e-blasts usually go out before 5am. So I call the sponsor Green Mountain Spa and ask, did the first email blast go out? I signed up but hadn't heard anything I just want to confirm if I'm in. I'm put on hold... 2 minutes, Operator comes back, and says she can't get in contact with the person to confirm my registration, but she can confirm the email has not gone out yet. That, I should just wait.

I go over to my GF at work and ask her what's the story? I tell her what I did, and ask if she thinks that running a program and not getting back promptly to people is somewhat contrary to what mindfulness is? . She says... Whoah. You need to chill and started laughing.

I work in a corporate setting and I always try to acknowledge emails, I respond to phone calls with, "I will get an answer for you and I will call you right back". And I always call back. My GF says, that I'm too black and white, I believe it's lack of professionalism. She said, Boy, they are going to have fun with you! HAHA. Ok, maybe Saturday Yoga can't come fast enough, but that kind of laissez-fair attitude about things, bothers me. IDK, it is Vermont anyway. I guess they just run on a different time table, Maybe I should??.. Ommmm... Calm yourself, Slimz..... Maybe this is the first test? ???

toadqueen · July 2015

I got my email at 12:11 pm EST.

I tried yoga a few times and was never able to relax in it which I think defeated the purpose.

DianaElena76 · August 2015

I haven't gotten an email yet.

slimzandra · August 2015

Sorry Mami. I'm not sure why you didn't get an email. I did get it on the 31st. I watched it, I'm going to leave my opinion until the end of the four weeks. I can say that the woman giving the talk, Shiri Macri, appears to have mastered "calm" HAHA..

Here's what the email said..
Mindfulness for Stress & Emotional Eating

Week One of Mindfulness For Women Who Struggle With Weight

Welcome to Week 1 of the Mindfulness for Women Who Struggle With Weight mini-course series! We are so glad you've chosen to join us on this 4-Week journey.

In our weekly emails you'll find either a video or an article focusing on using mindfulness in certain areas of your life. You'll also find a compilation of articles and videos to help you expand on the week's learnings.

This week, enjoy a video by Shiri Macri, LCMHC & Behavior Leader here at Green Mountain at Fox Run.

She will introduce you to the series, and dive into why Mindfulness helps us to de-stress and better manage binge/emotional eating behaviors, before walking you through a short and gentle guided meditation. Let's get started!

The two takeaway slides for me were these: She also lead a meditation for the last few minutes.

DianaElena76 · August 2015

Thanks. Funny because I signed up more than once, as both personal and professional, and got nada.

m_puppy · August 2015

I forgot all about this portion of it. I just found my week 1 email. Will have to check into it later.

toadqueen · August 2015

I finally got a chance to review it today. I think it will help me a lot. Not necessarily anything new or earth shattering, but a gentle reminder to relax, breathe, and appreciate life!

glossbones · August 2015

I won't likely be taking the course, but I thought I'd share my personal anecdote.

After going on and off Low Carb for about five years, my husband and I decided to try mindful eating, where nothing was bad food, nothing was restricted, but we were expected to judge every decision and every bite.

It worked a little, we were definitely mindful, but I still was gaining weight, and "forgiving" myself all my pints of Ben & Jerry's rather than just making better decisions.

Ten pounds later I decided to give LC a try again, found all the info about how I had left off the "HF (High Fat)" end of that - that's where we'd gone wrong doing Low Carb before. I set to work, and had great results.

I actually found that suddenly the Mindful eating bit WAS working, once I got past my initial DTs. It worked itself perfectly into what I was doing, probably laid by the foundation of repeating the mantras and going through the motions, but reinforced by the way my body was positively reacting to an almost total elimination of carbs.

I tried IF last month, faithfully, giving it a shot to see what happened. What happened was I stopped eating mindfully. I ate when it was time to eat. I ate more if I was close to my cut off in the evening, because otherwise I 'wouldn't get the chance.'

Now, at the end of the month and about a week back into 'normal' eating, I have difficulty with impulse and portion control. It's devastating to feel like that discipline and awareness has atrophied. I need to rebuild, refocus, and really make the effort as though I were starting this anew.

It's amazing how all our behaviors work together to reinforce or crumble your efforts.

Just wanted to share that, hope it helps someone.

m_puppy · August 2015

Interesting results. Thank you for sharing this. It motivates me to give it a full try. Also, I did the same with IF. Mindless eating as soon as I could eat. Which is weird because I naturally fast for the same amount of time as without IF. So maybe it was the opposite. Too mindful. Too focused on when I could eat next. Meh, I don't know. Thank you again for sharing your perspective and experience.

KnitOrMiss · August 2015

Okay, so my irritation with this is that the whole thing is sold "as a program." Sending me a once a week email with "things I can do" without a set plan, even loosely and flexibly based, is utterly ridiculous. Yes it is free. Yes, I get that. But don't tell me if it is a program if you aren't going to tell me specifically different things to do in a setting/framework where I can apply it. If they are really after a target audience with binge/over-doing/chaotic people, they EFFED this one up big time. If there is a schedule, I can choose to adapt it, but a loose "here are things you can use" statement without direction is crap. I needed direction. Hence the reason I signed up for a PROGRAM.

Despite that, I did love the actual guided meditation within that video link. It was the first time I think I have ever successfully meditated. And I did it twice. Then downloaded the apps they suggested - again, NO DIRECTION... *sigh*

Also, despite the fact that I added the address and all for the email, the first email routed automatically for a sub-folder so I had to go search to find it and tell my email to move all future ones, too...

I was so frustrated with the first one overall that I haven't gotten back to the second one, which came out yesterday...

Anyone else have expectations with the term program that just aren't being met with this???

radiii · August 2015

It was the first time I think I have ever successfully meditated. And I did it twice.

This is awesome

I have to reply when I see folks talk using the word "successful' though, because I think it speaks to the single most important thing that I've learned in studying mindfulness. I see a lot of people saying "I can't do it right", *usually* this is in regards to having some sort of targeted focus (typically on your breathing) for meditation and feeling unable to stay on track and getting distracted from that focus and feeling like you're doing it wrong as a result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEG4ooN6aFk <-- I really love this channel. The guided meditations on it don't work for me at all, but she has a *lot* of 3-5 minute videos that casually address topics of mindfulness and I think every single one of them is good. This one is a HUGE one though for a lot of folks.

Speaking from my own understanding, there is no way to medidate unsuccessfully. You're either doing it or you're not. There may be times where you find yourself "in the zone" and you aren't hit hard by distractions or thoughts and it feels SPECTACULAR. But sometimes distractions are just everywhere, and that's ok. If you strive for those days where you're in the zone meditating, they probably won't come. You can't force it. You have to just do whatever you're going to do as far as your meditation practice and whatever comes, comes. I have days where I cannot go for more than 2 seconds without some thought coming up. I have some days where I set my alarm for 10 or 20 or 30 minutes and my alarm goes off and I thought I had only been meditating for a minute or two... the time just flew by and it was incredibly peaceful and nice. The meditation where you're distracted like crazy is just as important and just as valuable though. Most of the time there's something in between those two extremes though, and I don't think that necessarily ever changes, even after decades.

I was so frustrated with the first one overall that I haven't gotten back to the second one, which came out yesterday...

Sorry to hear that part of it. For the stuff I've done (which is limited, I don't mean to sound like some expert here, just someone who has had a pretty wonderful experience exploring mindfulness for a half a year or so), I have a hard time imagining getting started without having had some in person instruction and explanation. Maybe the right youtube vids would have done the trick, I don't know.

If this doesn't work out, I'd definitely encourage everyone who has a curiosity about this to look into other ways to learn.

I know we're both in the Grease Riders group on facebook, if you ever want to chat about any of the stuff they're trying to teach or any experiences you've had, you know where to find me.

radiii · August 2015

I had no idea youtube links auto-embedded here now, ugh. I hope that's ok.

slimzandra · August 2015

Knit. I hear ya. LOL. Yea, I'm not sure what to make of it. I think the first video was weak. This week, it's a lot of links and reading materials to more links. They are pitching this as a "mini-course" series. I ""guess"" there might be some distinction between a mini-course and a program? I'm attaching the email from this week. A couple of comments:

I like charts - So I'm attaching the Hunger Gauge. Nausea on both ends of the spectrum.

Another comment is that they don't recommend IF for weight management. Which is interesting..I wonder why? I also don't like that they are pitching this just to Women. I've never been a big fan of women only clubs. Or gender specific anything. If this is a good exercise, then both M/F could benefit. Whatevs..

I'm always interested in exploring something new for 30 days. I committed to this and Yoga for August.
I'm going to digest (albeit patiently) what they are pitching and then after reviewing the whole series, I'll share my thoughts on being mindful.

I'm going to read the article tonight.

Welcome to Week 2 of the Mindfulness for Women Who Struggle With Weight mini-course series!
In our weekly emails you'll find either a video or an article focusing on using mindfulness in certain aspects of your life. You'll also find a compilation of articles and videos to help you expand on the week's learnings.

This week, enjoy an article discussing Mindful Eating, one of our trademark philosophies, by Marsha Hudnall, MS, RDN, CD and President & Co-Owner here at Green Mountain at Fox Run.
Now that you’ve started your practice of mindfulness with Shiri’s email last week, we invite you to bring this awareness of yourself and your thoughts to the table with you for the practice of Mindful Eating.

The list of things many of us have tried to manage our weight is long. Here's the short list:
• Diets. If one diet worked, there would never be need for another.
• Diets that say they’re not diets. Marketing at its best (worst).
• Supplements. The search for the magic pill continues.
• Fasting. Too much to say about that here but suffice to say it’s just not a good idea for most people when weight management is the goal.
• Surgery. Significant health challenges often result, as well as weight regain.
For the last 42 years at Green Mountain, we've encouraged a different approach: Mindful Eating.
It's worth adding to the list of things you've tried. You may just find that it is the magic cure.
Or at least part of it!

Mindful Eating Just Seems Like Magic

Mindful Eating isn't really magic. It's real. It works because you begin to pay attention to your true needs.
• You notice how hungry you are, and when you feel like you’ve had enough – not just when a diet rule tells you you’ve had enough.
• You think about what you really want to eat – so that you can meet your needs and feel satisfied.
• You figure out when you’re not really hungry for food but for something else.
Here's a really important point: You don't criticize your food or yourself, regardless of what you eat or whether you're hungry when you eat. That's key. Otherwise, you may create emotions that cause cravings or otherwise interfere.
If you've struggled with eating and weight. you may find these points confusing. You may:
• Frequently multi-task when you eat so that you don’t notice your appetite cues very clearly.
• Try to follow advice that tells you when and what to eat – which often doesn't match your needs. So when you eat differently, you feel like you've failed.
• Think some foods are off-limits – and they're often foods you love. So when you eat them, you feel like you’ve failed again.
Mindful eating just seems like magic because it helps you get rid of misguided notions like these and begin to eat in a way that truly meets your needs.

Key Steps for Women Who Struggle with Overeating & Weight

Consider these steps for beginning to eat mindfully. They help you tune in and practice eating in a way that meets your needs.
Eat predictably.
That means eating when you're hungry and before you get too hungry. Weight-worried women often wait until they're very hungry before they let themselves eat and that sets them up for overeating. If you’re not always clear whether you are hungry or not, the Hunger & Satisfaction Gauge can help.

Eat well-balanced.
That means eating a mix of protein foods, grains/starchy vegetables and fruits/vegetables throughout the day. That gives your body the nutrients it needs to be healthy, which will help you reach your healthy weight. The Green Mountain Guide to Supportive Eating gives you more information on how this works.

Eat what you want.
This step works to break the restrict/overeat cycle of eating “healthy” until that first bite of a “fattening” food passes your lips. If the idea of doing this is too threatening, work with someone who can help you feel safe as you experiment.
These steps are at the foundation of our approach at Green Mountain to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. They can put you squarely on the path to eating in a way that truly supports your health, your happiness… and your healthy weight, ending the up-and-down struggle that plagues the weight-worried.

Also note that we're hosting a Free webinar on mindful eating: Mindful Eating for Women Who Struggle with Weight on September 1st, 7-8pm US EST where we'll dive deeper into the practice and try some mindful eating exercises.

glossbones · August 2015

slimzandra wrote: »

Another comment is that they don't recommend IF for weight management.

They just say "Fasting" in the text you pasted. Possibly they're using that term in terms of "denying yourself food" rather than in a way that specifically dictates when to eat and when to fast.

The other possibility is that it's a way to approach people who are becoming anorexic but who do not yet see themselves as having a problem. Fasting is so popular right now that it has occurred to me it could become an easy explanation for seriously unhealthy behavior.

KnitOrMiss · August 2015

radiii wrote: »

It was the first time I think I have ever successfully meditated. And I did it twice.

This is awesome I have to reply when I see folks talk using the word "successful' though, because I think it speaks to the single most important thing that I've learned in studying mindfulness. I see a lot of people saying "I can't do it right", *usually* this is in regards to having some sort of targeted focus (typically on your breathing) for meditation and feeling unable to stay on track and getting distracted from that focus and feeling like you're doing it wrong as a result.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEG4ooN6aFk <-- I really love this channel. The guided meditations on it don't work for me at all, but she has a *lot* of 3-5 minute videos that casually address topics of mindfulness and I think every single one of them is good. This one is a HUGE one though for a lot of folks.

Speaking from my own understanding, there is no way to medidate unsuccessfully. You're either doing it or you're not. There may be times where you find yourself "in the zone" and you aren't hit hard by distractions or thoughts and it feels SPECTACULAR. But sometimes distractions are just everywhere, and that's ok. If you strive for those days where you're in the zone meditating, they probably won't come. You can't force it. You have to just do whatever you're going to do as far as your meditation practice and whatever comes, comes. I have days where I cannot go for more than 2 seconds without some thought coming up. I have some days where I set my alarm for 10 or 20 or 30 minutes and my alarm goes off and I thought I had only been meditating for a minute or two... the time just flew by and it was incredibly peaceful and nice. The meditation where you're distracted like crazy is just as important and just as valuable though. Most of the time there's something in between those two extremes though, and I don't think that necessarily ever changes, even after decades.

I was so frustrated with the first one overall that I haven't gotten back to the second one, which came out yesterday...

Sorry to hear that part of it. For the stuff I've done (which is limited, I don't mean to sound like some expert here, just someone who has had a pretty wonderful experience exploring mindfulness for a half a year or so), I have a hard time imagining getting started without having had some in person instruction and explanation. Maybe the right youtube vids would have done the trick, I don't know.

If this doesn't work out, I'd definitely encourage everyone who has a curiosity about this to look into other ways to learn.

I know we're both in the Grease Riders group on facebook, if you ever want to chat about any of the stuff they're trying to teach or any experiences you've had, you know where to find me.

By successful, I mean stay awake or be able to focus. Usually, I fall asleep. Like a minute in and I'm snoring. Or my mind is so cluttered, it feels like I'm arm-wrestling in another thought in and I just end up getting so frustrated I quit doing it. Usually I can't go ten seconds without being mentally bombarded with 50 other thoughts dying for attention.

Of course, the last time I tried and was all cluttered, I was pre-keto. This time, it was pretty easy... And I struggled a little with the "feeling my body" bits I did on Saturday, but it was better than it used to be. SO that's what I call successful...LOL I can't get on FB as often, as I have very limited access, and I did take a note of your reddit posts about your mindfulness experiment, but I wasn't where i could read it all, so I saved it down, then promptly forgot about it! LOL

Thank you... I'll check in when I can.

LindaSmith108 · August 2015

Thaeda wrote: »

newmeadow wrote: »

My experience with mindfulness and associated meditative techniques is that they're really good for relieving immediate mental stressors, like free floating anxiety. They aid in strengthening the ability to concentrate and think in a more organized fashion. Emotions are more easily reined in with a regular practice, so the character is strengthened in that way.

But I was often lulled into the false belief that mindfulness and it's associated practices would assist in regulating my disordered eating (addictive, compulsive). It didn't. It didn't make me not want to eat the foods low carbers avoid and it didn't help me control the intake of those foods once they crossed my lips.

I've been tripped up into thinking yoga, meditation and other mystical techniques would cure me of compulsive gluttony. So many times.

I now use a complete abstinence approach to the eating of sweet and starchy carbs and also exclude all grains.

I just mention this to caution anyone who struggles with food the way I do. Mindfulness is wonderful for lots of things but it doesn't automatically regulate compulsive overeating disorders or quell cravings for sweet/starchy foods. So if you're doing well abstaining, I would strongly advise: Don't alter your path.

The women who write these mindfulness books and author mindfulness websites and webinars usually don't come from a history of significant obesity nor, in my opinion, are they geared for people who have a disordered relationship with food and eating.

I know not everyone here has an obesity history or a disordered relationship with food and eating though, so maybe a book or a website like this could be helpful for them.

I have a lengthy history of disordered eating (compulsive eating, binge eating and also restriction) and I have found meditation, yoga and other mindfulness strategies to be an integral part of my healing process. I cannot say I never overeat or eat compulsively, because I still do sometimes- but my binges are far more infrequent now and I am better able to control myself when I really think about how food tastes, or how I feel after I eat it, or whether or not what I am wanting has anything to do with food at all. I am sorry you have not found mindfulness helpful in addressing your ED, but so happy for you that you have found something that works (abstinence). Just more proof that we are each on our own journey and what works for one may not work for another.

Mami1976D wrote: »

Thanks. Funny because I signed up more than once, as both personal and professional, and got nada.

I did too, I still haven't gotten anything. Can I still join? It sounded like something I really need.

KnitOrMiss · August 2015

slimzandra wrote: »

Knit. I hear ya. LOL. Yea, I'm not sure what to make of it. I think the first video was weak. This week, it's a lot of links and reading materials to more links. They are pitching this as a "mini-course" series. I ""guess"" there might be some distinction between a mini-course and a program? I'm attaching the email from this week. A couple of comments:

I like charts - So I'm attaching the Hunger Gauge. Nausea on both ends of the spectrum.

Another comment is that they don't recommend IF for weight management. Which is interesting..I wonder why? I also don't like that they are pitching this just to Women. I've never been a big fan of women only clubs. Or gender specific anything. If this is a good exercise, then both M/F could benefit. Whatevs..

I'm always interested in exploring something new for 30 days. I committed to this and Yoga for August.
I'm going to digest (albeit patiently) what they are pitching and then after reviewing the whole series, I'll share my thoughts on being mindful. I'm going to read the article tonight.

Welcome to Week 2 of the Mindfulness for Women Who Struggle With Weight mini-course series!
In our weekly emails you'll find either a video or an article focusing on using mindfulness in certain aspects of your life. You'll also find a compilation of articles and videos to help you expand on the week's learnings.

This week, enjoy an article discussing Mindful Eating, one of our trademark philosophies, by Marsha Hudnall, MS, RDN, CD and President & Co-Owner here at Green Mountain at Fox Run.
Now that you’ve started your practice of mindfulness with Shiri’s email last week, we invite you to bring this awareness of yourself and your thoughts to the table with you for the practice of Mindful Eating.

The list of things many of us have tried to manage our weight is long. Here's the short list:
• Diets. If one diet worked, there would never be need for another.
• Diets that say they’re not diets. Marketing at its best (worst).
• Supplements. The search for the magic pill continues.
• Fasting. Too much to say about that here but suffice to say it’s just not a good idea for most people when weight management is the goal.
• Surgery. Significant health challenges often result, as well as weight regain.
For the last 42 years at Green Mountain, we've encouraged a different approach: Mindful Eating.
It's worth adding to the list of things you've tried. You may just find that it is the magic cure.
Or at least part of it!

Mindful Eating Just Seems Like Magic

Mindful Eating isn't really magic. It's real. It works because you begin to pay attention to your true needs.
• You notice how hungry you are, and when you feel like you’ve had enough – not just when a diet rule tells you you’ve had enough.
• You think about what you really want to eat – so that you can meet your needs and feel satisfied.
• You figure out when you’re not really hungry for food but for something else.
Here's a really important point: You don't criticize your food or yourself, regardless of what you eat or whether you're hungry when you eat. That's key. Otherwise, you may create emotions that cause cravings or otherwise interfere.
If you've struggled with eating and weight. you may find these points confusing. You may:
• Frequently multi-task when you eat so that you don’t notice your appetite cues very clearly.
• Try to follow advice that tells you when and what to eat – which often doesn't match your needs. So when you eat differently, you feel like you've failed.
• Think some foods are off-limits – and they're often foods you love. So when you eat them, you feel like you’ve failed again.
Mindful eating just seems like magic because it helps you get rid of misguided notions like these and begin to eat in a way that truly meets your needs.

Key Steps for Women Who Struggle with Overeating & Weight

Consider these steps for beginning to eat mindfully. They help you tune in and practice eating in a way that meets your needs.
Eat predictably.
That means eating when you're hungry and before you get too hungry. Weight-worried women often wait until they're very hungry before they let themselves eat and that sets them up for overeating. If you’re not always clear whether you are hungry or not, the Hunger & Satisfaction Gauge can help.

Eat well-balanced.
That means eating a mix of protein foods, grains/starchy vegetables and fruits/vegetables throughout the day. That gives your body the nutrients it needs to be healthy, which will help you reach your healthy weight. The Green Mountain Guide to Supportive Eating gives you more information on how this works.

Eat what you want.
This step works to break the restrict/overeat cycle of eating “healthy” until that first bite of a “fattening” food passes your lips. If the idea of doing this is too threatening, work with someone who can help you feel safe as you experiment.
These steps are at the foundation of our approach at Green Mountain to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. They can put you squarely on the path to eating in a way that truly supports your health, your happiness… and your healthy weight, ending the up-and-down struggle that plagues the weight-worried.

Also note that we're hosting a Free webinar on mindful eating: Mindful Eating for Women Who Struggle with Weight on September 1st, 7-8pm US EST where we'll dive deeper into the practice and try some mindful eating exercises.

So according to all of that, doing LCHF/Keto the way I've been doing that is already succeeding at mindful eating... Maybe that's why I'm frustrated? I feel like a before the beginner type of beginning, but much like a kiddo entering a special program, I'm WAY behind in some things, and way ahead in others?

Low Carber Daily Forum

Mindfulness Experiment

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