March Mindfulness Challenge: Week 3 (3/15-3/21)
baconslave
Posts: 7,018 Member
Ye ol' challenge blurb! 
baconslave wrote: »Welcome!
Life is...well....it's LIFE, isn't it? It can be good. It can also be busy, frantic, and sometimes, downright chaotic. We are pulled so many directions but so many situations and distractions. When do we have time to breathe, let alone live in the moment?
So this month, I think it would be excellent to challenge ourselves to incorporate mindfulness into our journey to health. Plus, it works with the whole alliteration thing.
Morwenna Ferrier (writer for the Guardian) defines the new fad-term "mindfulness" this way: "The whole ethos of mindfulness is to encourage people to live in the moment. The theory goes that we are so busy trying to block out past worries and anticipate future ones that we rarely concentrate on enjoying what we are doing at the precise moment we are doing it. Devotees claim mindfulness can be applied to everything from walking and running to sex and eating." http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/23/mindful-eating-how-to-get-more-from-your-meals
But I challenge that it isn't only about enjoyment. It's about AWARENESS. That's how we diagnose the elusive issue we carry, the sneaky ones that fly under our radar, but continue to throw a wrench into our efforts. So much about success in weight loss and health is about healing our dysfunctional relationships with food and other things in our lives, so we are free from the impetus of stress and emotions that often spurs us to sabotage ourselves.
So in that vein, the challenge is to practice some form of mindfulness by pausing and observing what happens in our heads and bodies when we eat or exercise, to be aware. And maybe then we can enjoy our journey more and discover any hang-ups we've missed and lock them down.
How? I've created a list of links. Some repeat the theme but add something. There a couple that apply to mindfulness in general terms. But understanding the concept can help but aide us in applying it to our reason for being here on MFP.
Start with this, garnered from zenhabits.comhttp://zenhabits.net/mindful-eating/Benefits?
Reduced over eating. It’s been a while now since I went to bed feeling bloated and over stuffed. Which is great in itself but also means that my ‘muffin top’ is pretty much gone when I wear my favorite jeans.
Increased enjoyment of food. As a food scientist, I’ve always considered myself a big fan of eating. Now that I’m on the path to mastering the art of mindful eating, I am finding a new found respect for food and am gaining far more pleasure from meal times.
Improved digestion. Digestion begins in the mouth with the action of saliva. If food isn’t chewed properly it means that there’s more work for the rest of your digestion system. I may be imagining this, but I think I’ve also noticed I have less gas now that I’m eating mindfully.
Being satisfied with less. Linked with reduced over eating, the real benefit here is being able to trust yourself to feel satisfied after one or two squares of chocolate so there is no temptation to scoff the whole block. Suddenly there’s no need to deny yourself the occasional treat which makes for a far healthier relationship with food.
Ready to change the way you interact with food?
How to master the art of mindful eating:
1. Start small. Like all new habits, it’s best to set realistic expectations. Choose one meal or snack each day and commit to focusing on mindful eating at that time.
2. Stop multitasking at meal times. It’s really difficult to focus on eating if you’re doing other things. Set aside time for eating without other entertainment.
3. Only eat at the table. Another way to minimize mindless munching is to get into the habit of only eating when you are sitting down and able to give the food your full attention. No more snacking on the run.
4. Appreciate the appearance. While we’ve all drooled over gorgeous food porn in magazines or online, sometimes we forget about the beauty of the food we are about to eat. Taking the time to notice sets the scene for mindful eating.
5. Focus on each mouthful. Think about the flavour, texture and even the sound of the food in your mouth. Focus on how much you like, or dislike these sensations.
6. Chew. While it can be overkill to go to the monastic extreme of 100 bites per mouthful, make sure you chew your food enough so that it is well broken down before you swallow.
7.Use cutlery and put it down between mouthfuls. It’s much easier to take smaller portions when using a knife and fork. Of course if you feel like you’re having a ridiculous Seinfeld moment eating a chocolate bar with utensils, then skip this step but do put the bar down in between bites so you can focus.
8. Talk and share. One of the joys of eating is sharing a meal with loved ones. It can be challenging to incorporate mindfulness in a social situation but not impossible. Turn the focus of the conversation onto the meal while you are actually eating. Share what you are experiencing in terms of flavours and textures, likes and dislikes. At first this may seem a little weird but trust me, you’ll soon find yourself having fun with it.
9. Go for quality not quantity. By choosing smaller amounts of the best food you can afford, you will not only enjoy it more, you’re far more likely to be satisfied without having to over eat.
10. Make time to prepare your own meals, preferably from fresh ingredients. The cooking process can be as relaxing and enjoyable as eating if you let it. For me, the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly what has gone into my food makes any hassle worthwhile.
The links that follow might be helpful. I can't speak as to the helpfulness of the podcasts. Yet. I'm going to carve the time to investigate them and will nix them if they aren't really relevant. Please do share any links you personally come across, and I'll add them to the running list.
http://zenhabits.net/mindful-eating/
http://stress.about.com/od/dietandsuppliments/a/mindful_eating.htm
http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/mindfulness.htm
http://jamesclear.com/stay-focused
http://jamesclear.com/zanshin
http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/11/29/magic-of-mindfulness/
https://www.bulletproofexec.com/rick-hanson-forgetfulness-mindfulness-techniques-hardwiring-happiness-243/
I'd like to give a shout-out to @KnitOrMiss for helping me gather some links.
The weekly thread links will be also added to the challenge sticky at the top of the group for easy reference should it get buried.
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March 15, 2015
Unfortunately today is a Just existing day. Yawn, rainy day, work is going to be busy work and boring. Brought my lamb chop leftovers for lunch. Looking forward to that. It was really good for dinner last night. Tonight is a bday party for my uncle. Cake and ice cream are on the menu. UG. Planning on a small piece, supplement with strawberries. No alcohol tonight. Then give the cake away. I'll do a quick run after everyone leaves, hopefully that will mitigate the carbs and calories a little.
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 146.2
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - Perfect.
Calories - Good
Carbs - very low.0 -
Things are cruising on happily with my ground beef elimination experiment. Weight is still dropping. Other markers appear to be improving. I might need a little bit of sodium, but I'll add that to my water, because salting meat now tastes weird. :P
I may eliminate all but my morning coffee. I haven't been finishing the cups I pour/buy for myself lately. Water sounds better after the early morning.0 -
Hi there! I've been working on this and am happy to have somewhere to discuss it. I installed a little free app on my phone that sounds a chime every two hours between 9 and 7. Every time it chimes I'm stopping, taking three deep breaths and checking in with my physical self, my emotional self and my intellectual self. Dang, I feel stressed all of the time! At one point I thought, "I don't have time for this!". Who the heck doesn't have time to take three deep breaths?
Here's to more awareness!0 -
MAR 15
SW: 153.4
CW: 131.6
Cals: under
carbs: 22 net
Exercise: didn't happen
Sleep: Went to bed earlier but had horrible insomnia.0 -
Tomorrow is my first appt w/my new PCP. I can't wait for lab results! Very curious to see how keto has affected things. (They were pretty good before, ever since I reversed my prediabetes and high tri's when I first did a low carb diet, but I am curious to see any changes.)0
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Mar 15
SW: 247 (12/12, started keto)
SW: 214.2 (Mar 1)
CW: 206
GW for March: 206
GW for 12/31: 180
Be Mindful of:
Staying under 30 carbs daily -- Yes
Logging at least 1 day ahead -- Yes
Exercising 4 days per week -- 1 of 70 -
resetting my goals..
Limit participation in food based social media to reduce exposure to triggering food photos and food talk, which is disruptive to my own journey.
Back to 20 carbs or less.
Reduce pressure of socializing for now. take a breather from dating drama..focus on making home life more rewarding and restorative. .
Back to the basics. Tried and true.
I am going to be mindful of what influences I allow in my orbit for my own self preservation.
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resetting my goals..
Limit participation in food based social media to reduce exposure to triggering food photos and food talk, which is disruptive to my own journey.
Back to 20 carbs or less.
Reduce pressure of socializing for now. take a breather from dating drama..focus on making home life more rewarding and restorative. .
Back to the basics. Tried and true.
I am going to be mindful of what influences I allow in my orbit for my own self preservation.
oh my goodness that is so me. I can't do that either. I end up chronically searching recipes until I'm so "hungry" I snap. I can't look at food threads or recipe threads in any detail or I get majorly munchy.0 -
Hi there! I've been working on this and am happy to have somewhere to discuss it. I installed a little free app on my phone that sounds a chime every two hours between 9 and 7. Every time it chimes I'm stopping, taking three deep breaths and checking in with my physical self, my emotional self and my intellectual self. Dang, I feel stressed all of the time! At one point I thought, "I don't have time for this!". Who the heck doesn't have time to take three deep breaths?
Here's to more awareness!
Welcome! 0 -
macchiatto wrote: »Tomorrow is my first appt w/my new PCP. I can't wait for lab results! Very curious to see how keto has affected things. (They were pretty good before, ever since I reversed my prediabetes and high tri's when I first did a low carb diet, but I am curious to see any changes.)
This is great. Will you be sharing? The last time I had labs (a few years ago) and had been doing keto for a few months at the time the results were very, very good. I'm interested to hear how things go for you.0 -
baconslave wrote: »Hi there! I've been working on this and am happy to have somewhere to discuss it. I installed a little free app on my phone that sounds a chime every two hours between 9 and 7. Every time it chimes I'm stopping, taking three deep breaths and checking in with my physical self, my emotional self and my intellectual self. Dang, I feel stressed all of the time! At one point I thought, "I don't have time for this!". Who the heck doesn't have time to take three deep breaths?
Here's to more awareness!
Welcome!
Thanks!
Good morning!
Today I will stop and breathe at regular intervals and I will eat lunch without staring at the computer. This last one is a big deal for me. I always "work" while I eat lunch...and sometimes dinner...just saying that I'm not going to do that causes anxiety. There's something to think about.0 -
March 16, 2015
Today is Rebound day. @JodiSW - I love the idea of checking in with your physical, emotional and intellectual self. I also feel stressed all of the time! I'm going to try to compartmentalize tasks in hour increments. Otherwise my To-Do list is overwhelming today.
Last night's b-day party for my uncle did not go as well as planned. Yea, it was a good time, but I planned on no alcohol and that came undone. And yup, cake and ice cream. The good news is that I packed up all the cake and sent it out with the guests. The ice cream in the house is finally gone. My BF wanted seconds on cake and I told him no. I feel bad about that today, but he does need to lose a lot of weight. He'll get over it and hopefully thank me today.
I've got lunch and dinner planned and exercise.
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: Did not want to know.
GW: for March 142
Exercise - No
Sleep - Perfect.
Calories - Too high
Carbs - Too high.0 -
March 16 -
Height: 5'8-9"
Highest Weight: 186ish lbs (3 years ago)
Starting Weight this Year: 161.8lbs
Started Low Carb (Jan), followed by Keto (Feb), followed by Zero Carb (Mar)
Current Weight: 153.8
Goal Weight for March: 150
Ultimate Goal Weight: 140
Sleep: Gets better and better... Trying for Minimum 7 hours - got 6:49 last night, uninterrupted, and feel great today.
Exercise: Went back to Spin class last night after a week and a half since my first struggle at it - Tried to stay mindful and in the moment and had a fantastic class, kept up and didn't take extra breaks. Going back tonight! Woo!
My office weight loss challenge ends next Tuesday... I really hope I can drop to 151.8 at least so I can say I lost 10 lbs At the halfway mark, my team wasn't in the top three, so I don't expect we'll place, so now it's Me vs. Me! Egg Fast starts tomorrow! Well, plus ham and cabbage with my parents and grandparents tomorrow night for St. Paddy's... no green beer though!
Otherwise, I need to keep hitting spin, or start taking my road bike out - I have a week long ride in July that I am SO NOT READY FOR! Gotta get me legs and core stronger and build my endurance. Mindfulness is helping me to focus on my goals and fight off complacency and laziness... Eating zero carb has given me energy I never had, and a mental clarity I didn't know I COULD have... I'm feeling very grateful indeed!
Halfway through the month y'all!
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macchiatto wrote: »Tomorrow is my first appt w/my new PCP. I can't wait for lab results! Very curious to see how keto has affected things. (They were pretty good before, ever since I reversed my prediabetes and high tri's when I first did a low carb diet, but I am curious to see any changes.)
This is great. Will you be sharing? The last time I had labs (a few years ago) and had been doing keto for a few months at the time the results were very, very good. I'm interested to hear how things go for you.
That's great to hear! And yep, I'll share. I always enjoy reading other people's posts with their numbers.
They said I should get the results next week.
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MAR 16
Cals: Right around goal (1450 now)
Carbs: 26 net
Exercise: Sigh. Planned to do strength today. After fasting the first 4 hrs though I had a terrible headache for much of the day, on top of exhaustion from all my insomnia troubles.
I finally gathered my strength to clean the whole house tonight (since I'm hosting people in the morning) so that will have to count!
Sleep: Don't ask. :P I did talk to the PCP about my insomnia this morning though so I have some new things to try.0 -
Hey, I just thought I'd mention this in case anyone is interested. I'm assuming it's just in the US, but I have no idea. Anyway, I use the Starbucks app on my phone (IOS, don't know if any of this applies to others) and every week they have a free app download from the App Store. This week it's a guided meditation app called Meditation Studio. I think you would have to get the Starbucks app and create a log in there first to get the free app. Sometimes they give free music and stuff too so you might like it anyway to check out the free stuff. I don't know of any other way to get the weekly freebies.
Anyway, just thought I'd share. I haven't tried it yet, so I have no idea how it is.0 -
March 17, 2015 .
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: Did not weigh in - will wait for Friday.
GW: for March 142
Exercise - Started to, but got interrupted by work. So it was a half workout. Arg!
Sleep - Woke up at 4am and could not get back to sleep. I hate that.
Calories - OK
Carbs - OK
Today should be a good day, because I have it planned. Ground beef tonight for dinner
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Hey, I just thought I'd mention this in case anyone is interested. I'm assuming it's just in the US, but I have no idea. Anyway, I use the Starbucks app on my phone (IOS, don't know if any of this applies to others) and every week they have a free app download from the App Store. This week it's a guided meditation app called Meditation Studio. I think you would have to get the Starbucks app and create a log in there first to get the free app. Sometimes they give free music and stuff too so you might like it anyway to check out the free stuff. I don't know of any other way to get the weekly freebies.
Anyway, just thought I'd share. I haven't tried it yet, so I have no idea how it is.
Thanks! I downloaded it, but haven't tried it yet. Looks like they're all guided meditations, and you can make a sort of 'playlist'. Reminds me of the Yogaglo exercise library from the looks of it.0 -
Good morning everyone! Day three of my egg fast and mindful focus...
Yesterday I sat and ate lunch alone, quietly, no computer. Wow. Super freaky! I plan to do it again today. Taking deep breaths. I also invested in a Passion Flower tincture. I read that it was good for anxiety and insomnia. I struggle with anxiety and my doctor shared that, IHO, anxiety is the root of many eating disorders. Took it last night for the first time and slept like a baby. I don't know if it's the tincture or if I was just so dang tired. Also supplementing my magnesium since I'm on keto. That also has a relaxing effect.
Anyway, here's to a great day! Breathe...0 -
I don't know if this is mindful or not....Last night my mom made ham steak, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, and rice krispie treats....I had my ham, a very small portion of the potatoes and green bean casserole I was satisfied. I took a bite of the rice krispie and immediately it didn't taste well. So I went home and had a spoonful of PB....hit the spot....0
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March 17
Cals: Under goal
Carbs: 32 net (if I end up having the keto pumpkin shake I pre-logged. I'm full!)
Exercise: Yes! Pushed myself to do it even at the end of the day when I'm tired. YAYOG novice ladders.
Sleep: It was actually somewhat better last night.
Mindfulness: Working on this.
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March 18,
BW: LCHF 189 (5.1.2015)
SW: 147 (March 1st)
CW: 147. Just gotta laugh at this point.
GW: for March 142
Exercise - Lite. (again) body needs a good workout this weekend.
Sleep - Woke up at 1am to a phone call (seriously? -Idiot.) and 3am (pee break)
Calories - Great
Carbs - Great. Worked that ground beef in for dinner only. Pretty darn good.
Today should be a good day, Heck, It's FRIDAY!!! what's not to like.0 -
Good morning everyone!
Yesterday, paused a few times to take some breaths. However, I sat and ate my lunch in front of my computer without even thinking about it! I was driving home before I was like, Oh, wait a minute, I was supposed to have a mindful lunch...
Today is another day.
I'm listening (again) to a book on audible called "The Thin Woman's Brain: Rewiring for Permanent Weight Loss" and it seems to say that the key is mindfulness (it has a lot of other info too) to 'rewire' our neural pathways. Very interesting.emilybeaver wrote: »I don't know if this is mindful or not....Last night my mom made ham steak, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, and rice krispie treats....I had my ham, a very small portion of the potatoes and green bean casserole I was satisfied. I took a bite of the rice krispie and immediately it didn't taste well. So I went home and had a spoonful of PB....hit the spot....
Good for you! Your post made me smile though. I'm from Ohio originally and the meal you described is what my mom fixed pretty much once a week. That took me back!0 -
I know that is her go to meal when she wants us to come over and hang out. I use to eat like 2 huge portions of the cheesy potatoes. Not this time!0
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MAR 18
SW: 153.4
CW: 130
Cals: Ate right at maintenance today.
Carbs: 46 net
Exercise: Yes! 2.5 mile trail run/walk
Sleep: Good!! Over 9 hrs. Thank you, Benadryl.
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emilybeaver wrote: »I know that is her go to meal when she wants us to come over and hang out. I use to eat like 2 huge portions of the cheesy potatoes. Not this time!
Cheesy potatoes with hams sounds good. Maybe I'll make a cheesy cauliflower au gratin with ham in the next week. Nom!
Re: mindfulness, I keep breathing.
Dropped a few pounds of water this week while doing an egg fast. Transitioning off now with more variety but still very low carb and high fat. I have an event tonight and I'm going to allow myself to go off plan (mostly because there's no way to subtly stay on it...birthday dinner with 6 people at an Ethiopean restaurant). Planning on extreme moderation with intake. Lots of pausing. Lots of breathing. I'm going to try at least 5 breaths between bites...
Have a great day everyone!0 -
Been a challenging few days. My son made cake, then my husband got me hard cider from the local tap house, and I've not gotten good sleep for the past 3 nights. Thankfully I was able to get in some good activity and I even made sure to sit down at the table for a few meals, not every one, but the meals I did eat at the table made me feel better about my meal....and to be honest, made me very aware about when I was or was not hungry or full. This coming week I plan to focus on eating good protein packed breakfasts, increasing the water and omitting any soda (I was drinking it practically every day at work and I knew I should have been reaching for more water). The last piece is getting in 2 weekday runs and 1 weekend run. I'm planning to run another 10K in June and I want to be able to have a better time for that race and this will be my first race under my LCHF WOE.0
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MAR 20
Cals: ~1600
Carbs: Around 45 net
Exercise: Very full day, including walking around with a 20-lb weight on my hip and then chasing a friend's toddler for a while. No additional exercise today.
Sleep: Pretty good.
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BRobertson23 wrote: »Been a challenging few days. My son made cake, then my husband got me hard cider from the local tap house, and I've not gotten good sleep for the past 3 nights. Thankfully I was able to get in some good activity and I even made sure to sit down at the table for a few meals, not every one, but the meals I did eat at the table made me feel better about my meal....and to be honest, made me very aware about when I was or was not hungry or full. This coming week I plan to focus on eating good protein packed breakfasts, increasing the water and omitting any soda (I was drinking it practically every day at work and I knew I should have been reaching for more water). The last piece is getting in 2 weekday runs and 1 weekend run. I'm planning to run another 10K in June and I want to be able to have a better time for that race and this will be my first race under my LCHF WOE.
Running! This. We've had so much rain this winter and spring (rainiest on record) I have not wogged (I walk and jog intermittently) at all since September. I think it contributes a lot to my mood, motivation and mindfulness. Good for you on getting out there!macchiatto wrote: »MAR 20
Cals: ~1600
Carbs: Around 45 net
Exercise: Very full day, including walking around with a 20-lb weight on my hip and then chasing a friend's toddler for a while. No additional exercise today.
Sleep: Pretty good.
I want to know about the 20lb weight on your hip. Is it one of those weight vests? I've been thinking of giving that a try but it seems like it's so wicked obvious you're wearing one.
Weekend reflection
I teach at a community college and on Saturday we had our last class of the quarter. There was a potluck with home cooked food from all over the world (very diverse group of people). I ATE. And when I say that, I mean, when I look back on it, it was like my rational self wasn't there. Sure, I was talking to people at the same time, but I remember thinking that I needed to hurry and eat what was on my plate so I could get another plate. Yikes! And I did. I must have looked like I was shoveling it in.
What's most relevant to this forum is that I'm not sure that I would even have reflected on that or noticed if it weren't for my recent efforts to become more mindful about my eating. The next step is noticing it when it's happening.
Thanks again @baconslave for setting up this thread.0
