Pattern Awareness
stroutman81
Posts: 2,474 Member
Our brains love patterns. Its natural inclination is to reduce its operating costs when it comes to patterns of behavior that you repeat time and time again. Think about the complex task of driving home from work. There's a lot of processes happening in that commute. Driving a car is involved. Navigating is involved. Yet, you likely do it automatic to the point where you don't even remember it. You're busy listening to a podcast, singing your lungs out, or raging at the guy who cut you off.
Yet, your brain gets the job done.
Patterns can bite you in the booty. They create an itch that seemingly needs to be scratched. For example, if it's the weekend and you're driving the same route you'd take to work to get to the supermarket... you might turn right into the work parking lot rather than turning left into the supermarket lot. It just happens.
In the world of fitness and eating, a common pattern is snacking after dinner. If it's something you've always done (maybe since childhood), it feels downright uncomfortable not "taking that turn."
My question to you is, what patterns can you identify in your life that get in the way of acting in accordance with your best self?
Yet, your brain gets the job done.
Patterns can bite you in the booty. They create an itch that seemingly needs to be scratched. For example, if it's the weekend and you're driving the same route you'd take to work to get to the supermarket... you might turn right into the work parking lot rather than turning left into the supermarket lot. It just happens.
In the world of fitness and eating, a common pattern is snacking after dinner. If it's something you've always done (maybe since childhood), it feels downright uncomfortable not "taking that turn."
My question to you is, what patterns can you identify in your life that get in the way of acting in accordance with your best self?
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Replies
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It feels uncomfortable to stop eating before I'm stuffed - even though I hate feeling stuffed. I was a member of the clean plate club. No more! Now I'm using all kinds of "tricks" to know when I have had enough. It's not really in the way... but it slows me down.6
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kommodevaran wrote: »It feels uncomfortable to stop eating before I'm stuffed - even though I hate feeling stuffed. I was a member of the clean plate club. No more! Now I'm using all kinds of "tricks" to know when I have had enough. It's not really in the way... but it slows me down.
Great awareness! Thanks for sharing. What tricks do you find most helpful?0 -
It has become a pattern on my "rest day" (Thursday) for me to sit too long on the couch in the evening and for me to eat over my allotted number of calories. It's not so much that it completely undoes the work I've done all week, but it is definitely impeding my progress. By Thursday I'm exhausted from my workouts (and hungry), and I feel (at the time) like I deserve it.
I've got plans tomorrow night, so hopefully that will keep me from munching at home (although I'm going out). I think it will at least break the pattern.
Next Thursday, I can perhaps get some Christmas shopping done - so I'll get in some steps and not be sitting.
I'm all set to break the pattern, I believe. Thanks to the holidays, strangely enough.3 -
I have "set" breakfasts, lunches and dinners - I know how much is appropriate (I counted calories for two years) - and portion it out before I start eating. (Okay, I still clean my plate - I hate waste - but I serve myself the amount I want and need - I'm not eating to my parent's standards anymore.)stroutman81 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »It feels uncomfortable to stop eating before I'm stuffed - even though I hate feeling stuffed. I was a member of the clean plate club. No more! Now I'm using all kinds of "tricks" to know when I have had enough. It's not really in the way... but it slows me down.
Great awareness! Thanks for sharing. What tricks do you find most helpful?
(This is embarassing) Ursula Philpot (dietician, from Supersize vs Superskinny), in my mind, (so kind, so calm) "telling" me "you have had enough now"
Leave room for "dessert" after each meal. My body doesn't give me feedback for "pleasantly full", it just feels like "nothing" (I don't feel it when I fall asleep either, same thing), but when I can still eat a coffee cup of food, but not the same meal over again, I know that I have eaten enough, but not too much. (Fascinating that one coffee cup is the difference between "pleasantly full" and "overly stuffed".)4 -
The pattern of me sitting on the sofa with the television on and food at hand is one that I know is associated with my persistent obesity. Now, I take my meals at home at the kitchen table.
I handle the "after dinner" snack or dessert concept by scheduling a serving of prunes after dinner. It's sweet, about 100 calories, and good fiber. It satisfies a goal of having a fruit. It satisfies a goal of having fiber. It satisfies a goal of having a little bit more food.7 -
It has become a pattern on my "rest day" (Thursday) for me to sit too long on the couch in the evening and for me to eat over my allotted number of calories. It's not so much that it completely undoes the work I've done all week, but it is definitely impeding my progress. By Thursday I'm exhausted from my workouts (and hungry), and I feel (at the time) like I deserve it.
I've got plans tomorrow night, so hopefully that will keep me from munching at home (although I'm going out). I think it will at least break the pattern.
Next Thursday, I can perhaps get some Christmas shopping done - so I'll get in some steps and not be sitting.
I'm all set to break the pattern, I believe. Thanks to the holidays, strangely enough.
So do you think the pattern of eating too much on Thursdays has more to do with the longer sit time on the sofa or or maybe you're doing too much or eating too little leading up to that day? Obviously there are more factors at play, too... but figured I'd start with the obvious.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »I have "set" breakfasts, lunches and dinners - I know how much is appropriate (I counted calories for two years) - and portion it out before I start eating. (Okay, I still clean my plate - I hate waste - but I serve myself the amount I want and need - I'm not eating to my parent's standards anymore.)
Excellent! I think that's a great rule of thumb. Does this ever backfire... in that you start feeling restricted by a rule of "just one helping"?(This is embarassing) Ursula Philpot (dietician, from Supersize vs Superskinny), in my mind, (so kind, so calm) "telling" me "you have had enough now"
I actually love this! Very creative and I can see how it'd help. It's a facilitator of awareness and reflection.Leave room for "dessert" after each meal. My body doesn't give me feedback for "pleasantly full", it just feels like "nothing" (I don't feel it when I fall asleep either, same thing), but when I can still eat a coffee cup of food, but not the same meal over again, I know that I have eaten enough, but not too much. (Fascinating that one coffee cup is the difference between "pleasantly full" and "overly stuffed".)
Very interesting. So it sounds like you're saying you don't have really good awareness of the satiated sensation. But there's enough of a signal to measure in coffee cup size increments how close you are to enough. Is that right?0 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »The pattern of me sitting on the sofa with the television on and food at hand is one that I know is associated with my persistent obesity. Now, I take my meals at home at the kitchen table.
So you've dissociated the habit of television watching from the habit of eating. How's that working out for you?
I think it's a great guideline... to use the kitchen for food prep/eating and the rest of the house for other forms of self-care and living.I handle the "after dinner" snack or dessert concept by scheduling a serving of prunes after dinner. It's sweet, about 100 calories, and good fiber. It satisfies a goal of having a fruit. It satisfies a goal of having fiber. It satisfies a goal of having a little bit more food.
How often do you do this?
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Nice seeing you on the boards, Stroutman.2
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I do the snack after dinner thing but that's recent. I just eat sparingly all day so I can have more at night. I do feel like something isn't right if I can't have anything after dinner though. Things become habit to me really easily. I used to have a banana every morning and then when I didn't have one my body expected one. I just pushed through that feeling. Only tips I can think of is never sitting down with more than a serving of anything bc I will over eat if I do that.0
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Glad to see you posting again Steve!
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Been awhile Steve. Good to see you again.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Things tend to become habit very easily for me. This is good and bad. For me, eating after dinner, before bed has been something I've had to find a work around for. I CANNOT go to bed with an empty stomach. I will not sleep or I'll wake up at 3:00am starving and won't be able to go back to sleep unless I eat a banana or something light. For a long time I kept running over my calories b/c of my bedtime snacking. It has taken MONTHS of practice, trial and error, etc. to finally get to a place where I keep enough calories for a bedtime snack that it doesn't send me into maintenance calories. This didn't become a habit easily. I'm use to a large breakfast and I had to learn to cut that back so I can have those calories at night. I had to decide which was more important to me - a large breakfast, or being able to eat before bed. Sleep won out. LOL But even once the decision was made, I had to actively think about it and remind myself why I was making the change in my breakfast.
I think, for me, starting a NEW habit is much easier and I quickly adapt as opposed to CHANGING a habit. For some reason, the latter is harder for me.
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I lost 50lbs and hit maintenance for 2 years, I had set ways of eating: same breakfast, same types of food I'd take into work for lunch plus Greek yogurt and berries, same snacks
Only I changed jobs in September and my patterns of behaviour are no longer keeping me in my comfort weight range because somewhere, somehow I'm sneaking in too many calories or not burning enough ..I know this logically...I know this is the reason I'm now water weight fluctuating by the same amount but 5lbs up on my goal weight
And I know it but I'm finding it hard to amend my lifestyle back cos of habit and comfort zones and my patterns of behaviour feeling set
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I've taught myself over the past 16 months of mindful eating and 60 pounds gone, that I prefer to go to bed with an empty rather than full stomach. Not growly empty, but nothing to eat since I finished a satisfying dinner at 6 pm. If I break this pattern, I tend to lie awake and end up berating myself for overindulgence. Disappointed, not angry. I know better than to take in extra calories that I really didn't even want.1
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This is me, too. On the days I work out/am active I find myself to also be focused on my diet and goals. I drink a ton of water and eat a ton of kale and it's easy. But it's very hard for me to take very active rest days, especially with a desk job. I always feel like I deserve the rest and then all of a sudden I've watched hours of Gilmore Girls without getting up and have drank a half bottle of wine without realizing it LOLIt has become a pattern on my "rest day" (Thursday) for me to sit too long on the couch in the evening and for me to eat over my allotted number of calories. It's not so much that it completely undoes the work I've done all week, but it is definitely impeding my progress. By Thursday I'm exhausted from my workouts (and hungry), and I feel (at the time) like I deserve it.
I've got plans tomorrow night, so hopefully that will keep me from munching at home (although I'm going out). I think it will at least break the pattern.
Next Thursday, I can perhaps get some Christmas shopping done - so I'll get in some steps and not be sitting.
I'm all set to break the pattern, I believe. Thanks to the holidays, strangely enough.1 -
I will eat more if I'm genuinely hungry, and I will consider eating more just because it was deliciousstroutman81 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »I have "set" breakfasts, lunches and dinners - I know how much is appropriate (I counted calories for two years) - and portion it out before I start eating. (Okay, I still clean my plate - I hate waste - but I serve myself the amount I want and need - I'm not eating to my parent's standards anymore.)
Excellent! I think that's a great rule of thumb. Does this ever backfire... in that you start feeling restricted by a rule of "just one helping"? But most of the time, I'm content with what I've served myself. I may have to say "no", but that's allright.
I have been thinking about "restriction", what that really means. I read about "the power of enough" (book) last night - one big factor that distinguises "simple living" from "poverty", is choice. I used to eat loads of junk, and very unstructured, because I believed that I was executing free will. It didn't occur to me (until I found MFP) that eating real food and eating meals, doesn't mean that I can't eat what I like and when I'm hungry. (This makes me feel stupid, mixed with bitterness, insight and relief!)
Yes, it's weird, but correct. When I have something to compare with, I can feel how full I am. But just gauging, even considering how much I've eaten, isn't enough.(This is embarassing) Ursula Philpot (dietician, from Supersize vs Superskinny), in my mind, (so kind, so calm) "telling" me "you have had enough now"
I actually love this! Very creative and I can see how it'd help. It's a facilitator of awareness and reflection.Leave room for "dessert" after each meal. My body doesn't give me feedback for "pleasantly full", it just feels like "nothing" (I don't feel it when I fall asleep either, same thing), but when I can still eat a coffee cup of food, but not the same meal over again, I know that I have eaten enough, but not too much. (Fascinating that one coffee cup is the difference between "pleasantly full" and "overly stuffed".)
Very interesting. So it sounds like you're saying you don't have really good awareness of the satiated sensation. But there's enough of a signal to measure in coffee cup size increments how close you are to enough. Is that right?1 -
Good post OP
Snacking in the evenings was the worst culprit for me, but slowly I changed that and don't think of snacking then any more. Once I have my after dinner cuppa with whatever little sweet treat I fancy that's me done. Sipping water really helped along with a steely determination that I had to form a lasting new habit.2 -
I admit I never thought of patterns. It's simply been limiting my food intake, but in light of a pattern, just last night I was questioning why I wanted that bag of mini chips ahoy cookies just before bed. I wasn't hungry, at all, but I wanted them and ate them. It fit within my calorie budget, so not a huge deal, but why if I wasn't even a bit hungry?
My standard day: Workout>breakfast>get to work and get a coffee and breakfast sandwich (why? Just had breakfast!) >mid-morning snack doing paperwork>lunch>Get home and....eat lunch? (Why? I just had lunch 2 hours ago!) >Do stuff and have dinner a mere 2.5 to 3 hours after my 2nd "Lunch"> Hang out with wife and snack before bed, hungry or not....
Wow - I'm dropping weight, but seeing that typed out answers my question about how fast I'm losing it, or not lol. Thanks OP - I have some serious restructuring to do. Even with only a few pounds to go, this can make a difference in how I feel each day, and look, after tightening things up a bit.
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I'm sure others would see my patterns, but I don't.3
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I have noticed I have an issue with tasting/nibbling...it's so automatic but now that I log it's really apparent and scary!! How do I control this bad habit? I truly think it comes from being a mother of 3 and being to busy to sit down for a decent meal.1
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Traveling for work, if I eat the cookie on the airplane on my way to my destination, I end up being more lax the whole trip. The cookie gives me some sort of permission to not be as careful with food. A 120 calorie snack that leads to 500+ calories I wouldn't have normally eaten.2
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stroutman81 wrote: »
I'll troll the crap out of you if you slack.3 -
KyleGrace8 wrote: »I do the snack after dinner thing but that's recent. I just eat sparingly all day so I can have more at night. I do feel like something isn't right if I can't have anything after dinner though. Things become habit to me really easily. I used to have a banana every morning and then when I didn't have one my body expected one. I just pushed through that feeling. Only tips I can think of is never sitting down with more than a serving of anything bc I will over eat if I do that.
I think that's a good rule in general, really. If you start an open-ended meal or snack... like a brand new bag of Doritos sitting in your lap, the chance of stopping before too many calories are consumed are slim to none.
You say that you form habits easily. Does that work for good habits, too?
More importantly, what changed for you that led to the whole daytime restriction followed by my heavy calories at night? It sounds like this was a recent development.0 -
ronjsteele1 wrote: »Things tend to become habit very easily for me. This is good and bad. For me, eating after dinner, before bed has been something I've had to find a work around for. I CANNOT go to bed with an empty stomach. I will not sleep or I'll wake up at 3:00am starving and won't be able to go back to sleep unless I eat a banana or something light. For a long time I kept running over my calories b/c of my bedtime snacking. It has taken MONTHS of practice, trial and error, etc. to finally get to a place where I keep enough calories for a bedtime snack that it doesn't send me into maintenance calories.
You should be proud. Many people can't find it in themselves to allow for flexibility, trial, and error. Unfortunately... it's the only way to figure things out. So good on you for making the space and giving yourself permission to learn on the fly. That's really freaking huge.This didn't become a habit easily. I'm use to a large breakfast and I had to learn to cut that back so I can have those calories at night. I had to decide which was more important to me - a large breakfast, or being able to eat before bed. Sleep won out. LOL But even once the decision was made, I had to actively think about it and remind myself why I was making the change in my breakfast.
For what it's worth, I follow a similar pattern most days. I can sleep through a hurricane... so it's not so much about that. But I've learned that I feel my best, physically and emotionally, when I allot a heavier portion of my calories in the afternoon/evening compared to a more even distribution or whatever. At first it was a little challenging, since I, too, was accustomed to a large breakfast. But it didn't take long for a new pattern to be formed. Once I built out a number of options for satiating, energy-sparse breakfasts... it became second nature. It evolved from a skill I was trying to develop to merely something I do to feel my best.I think, for me, starting a NEW habit is much easier and I quickly adapt as opposed to CHANGING a habit. For some reason, the latter is harder for me.
The research would agree with you.
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I lost 50lbs and hit maintenance for 2 years, I had set ways of eating: same breakfast, same types of food I'd take into work for lunch plus Greek yogurt and berries, same snacks
Only I changed jobs in September and my patterns of behaviour are no longer keeping me in my comfort weight range because somewhere, somehow I'm sneaking in too many calories or not burning enough ..I know this logically...I know this is the reason I'm now water weight fluctuating by the same amount but 5lbs up on my goal weight
And I know it but I'm finding it hard to amend my lifestyle back cos of habit and comfort zones and my patterns of behaviour feeling set
At least you're aware of it. Armed with that, you can start figuring out a way to adjust. Do you track your intake? If so, has that unearthed what's different compared to before?
Same number of meals/snacks?
Generally same amount of physical movement across the week?1 -
I've taught myself over the past 16 months of mindful eating and 60 pounds gone, that I prefer to go to bed with an empty rather than full stomach. Not growly empty, but nothing to eat since I finished a satisfying dinner at 6 pm. If I break this pattern, I tend to lie awake and end up berating myself for overindulgence. Disappointed, not angry. I know better than to take in extra calories that I really didn't even want.
Nice work so far! You should be proud.
It sounds like your preference for not eating after dinner is more emotional than physical. Would that be accurate?1 -
This is me, too. On the days I work out/am active I find myself to also be focused on my diet and goals. I drink a ton of water and eat a ton of kale and it's easy. But it's very hard for me to take very active rest days, especially with a desk job. I always feel like I deserve the rest and then all of a sudden I've watched hours of Gilmore Girls without getting up and have drank a half bottle of wine without realizing it LOLIt has become a pattern on my "rest day" (Thursday) for me to sit too long on the couch in the evening and for me to eat over my allotted number of calories. It's not so much that it completely undoes the work I've done all week, but it is definitely impeding my progress. By Thursday I'm exhausted from my workouts (and hungry), and I feel (at the time) like I deserve it.
I've got plans tomorrow night, so hopefully that will keep me from munching at home (although I'm going out). I think it will at least break the pattern.
Next Thursday, I can perhaps get some Christmas shopping done - so I'll get in some steps and not be sitting.
I'm all set to break the pattern, I believe. Thanks to the holidays, strangely enough.
Instead of telling yourself that you deserve to let loose on these days, what else could you start telling yourself that might trigger different emotions and thoughts? Ones that actually serve the version of yourself that you'd prefer to be?0 -
This is me, too. On the days I work out/am active I find myself to also be focused on my diet and goals. I drink a ton of water and eat a ton of kale and it's easy. But it's very hard for me to take very active rest days, especially with a desk job. I always feel like I deserve the rest and then all of a sudden I've watched hours of Gilmore Girls without getting up and have drank a half bottle of wine without realizing it LOLIt has become a pattern on my "rest day" (Thursday) for me to sit too long on the couch in the evening and for me to eat over my allotted number of calories. It's not so much that it completely undoes the work I've done all week, but it is definitely impeding my progress. By Thursday I'm exhausted from my workouts (and hungry), and I feel (at the time) like I deserve it.
I've got plans tomorrow night, so hopefully that will keep me from munching at home (although I'm going out). I think it will at least break the pattern.
Next Thursday, I can perhaps get some Christmas shopping done - so I'll get in some steps and not be sitting.
I'm all set to break the pattern, I believe. Thanks to the holidays, strangely enough.
Half a bottle? Amateur.1
This discussion has been closed.
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