Pre-Challenge Activity #5: Mindful Eating vs. Emotional Eating

kaliswalker · September 2023

In contemplating what Pre-Challenge Activities to explore for the 2023 5% Challenge a suggestion was made to explore EMOTIONS and their relationship with food … in chatting a little further and doing a little research, we came up with the title: Mindful Eating vs. Emotional Eating.

There are lots of articles written about this topic. One article which I will reference here (you can all read the full article yourself) discusses the fact that you can (and should) honor your hunger, enjoy what you eat and recognize when you are full.. It explains differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger.

Toward the end of the article, it discusses the HALT technique which is explored and explained. Please visit: https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/nutrition/mindful-and-emotional-eating

Another interesting site ~ Food Insight discusses mindful eating and also gives you information on HOW to eat mindfully. It also offers a fact sheet called the ‘Mindful Eating Fact Sheet’ that you can download (or print to put into a prominent place where you can reference if often).
https://foodinsight.org/your-guide-to-mindful-eating/

> > > > Of course, any and all of these recommendations NEVER, EVER supersede recommendations from your healthcare provider. We are all individuals and are all at different stages of life (and health) which sometimes dictate what we can and can't eat. If you are under a physician's care and a meal plan has been recommended for your specific needs, please continue following your doctor's orders! < < < <

📓Your assignment: PRE-CHALLENGE ACTIVITY #5: Mindful Eating vs. Emotional Eating

For this Pre-Challenge Activity ~ read the articles to help you to determine what your relationship with food really is.

?? ~ Are you a mindful eater or more of an emotional eater? If you are more of an emotional eater, consider trying the HALT Technique.

Consider visiting the second website and download (or print) the Mindful Eating Fact Sheet and become familiar with its contents.

For the duration of this Challenge, consider displaying the fact sheet in a prominent place: in your kitchen-on the refrigerator, for instance. Or, perhaps in the bathroom - near the mirror so you will see it when you get ready in the morning. Consider putting it in the bedroom on your dresser or taped to your closet door so that you will see it as a reminder of where you want to see yourself in the near future.

Use this pre-challenge activity to explore to take control of the emotional aspect of eating and transform that into mindful eating. Consider how you will practice eating mindfully vs. emotionally. If you have a day where emotional eating becomes the focus of your day, don’t beat yourself up, instead - acknowledge it and strive to restart for your very next meal.

Feel free to add your comments to this thread outlining your mindful eating vs. emotional eating plan and incorporate that to set yourself up for a successful 2023 5% Challenge (if you blog, you may add the link to your blog here or you may simply wish to copy/paste your writing here - or do both!), but please consider sharing!!

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PLEASE NOTE: The Seasonal 5% Challenge Teams are very active. You will be expected to participate to the best of your ability.

ALL challenge weeks run from Saturday through Friday - you will be expected to record your exercise and Living the Good Life points based on weekly Challenge Themes. You are expected to record these points daily or at least as often as you can during the week but no later than 11:59 pm each Friday (your local time). In addition, you are expected to weigh in one time per week by 11:59 pm every Saturday (your local time). Your individual team leaders and/or team mates will help to answer any and all questions about where to record your points.

🔮Our individual 5% Challenge Teams are currently being set up.

✉️You will be invited to your individual team soon, in enough time to get to know your team leaders and team mates. Until then, get to know some of the Challengers that will be participating right along with you.

📢Announcements will be made when invitations to your individual teams are sent. Please visit this team, the 2023 5% COMMUNITY TEAM often as this will be the best source for up-to-date information.

Previous Pre-Challenge Activites (consider reading/participating in one or all of them):

Lessennan · September 2023

This topic caught my attention because I’m a comfort eater.
I start with a plan for the day, get it spot on most days till evening time then whether bored, overtired, stressed or anxious I hit the sweeties, quarter pound packs and eat mindlessly till they’re all gone.
On the recommendation of a member in another group I am on, I’m reading
Allen Carr’s Easy way to quit emotional eating. I’m finding it quite insightful

Eating isn’t always an option in a single occupant household. What I need is to switch off the media, eat more slowly and savour not hoover my food and remind myself that emotional eating usually involves junk food from childhood learning when grandparents presented a bag of candy because you’d been good or were sad to cheer you up or reward you

macrat12 · September 2023

I'm more of a mindful eater now.

sgod50 · September 2023

I have a few rules in place that help me with mindless and emotional eating.

1. I don't eat in front of screens. This is where 'robot arm' kicks in for me and I'll just eat and watch, eat and watch...
2. I always plate my food.
3. I track everything I eat.

azhkrgrl · September 2023

Practice mindful eating by taking at least 20 minutes to eat each meal without any distraction e.g.in front of the telly or on my laptop/ipad.

cmoak54 · September 2023

Goal for improving mindful eating:
Truly understand what being hungry is, I don't think I really know.
Check my hunger level- too often it is based on what time it is, not on if I am hungry or not.
Control emotional eating, work on the very bad habit of being a closet eater... when I am alone, I want to "sneak" snack food. This I am pretty sure goes back to my youth and I have gotten better the last few months, but it still pops in occasionally. To work on this, I will focus on getting more steps that take me away from the pantry.

EmPea888 · September 2023

I am such a comfort eater and I'm totally appreciating the HALT message. My mindful eating plan is:

Plan my meals a full day in advance (and share with my food plan buddy)
Any variations need to be shared before I start eating
Daily prayer, meditation & journalling
Chew 20-30 times. Knives and fork down between mouthfuls.
Review my food diary daily - where is the room for healthy adjustment?

amberlinamk1 · September 2023

My whole life I have been a mindless eater but I have been working hard the last few years to be a mindful eater.

15Katharina06 · September 2023

Emotional eating is a real problem for me. There's a lot going on in my life and I want it that way. But unfortunately sometimes I'm not realistic enough and then I compensate with sweets and then of course I quickly consume a lot of calories. I stopped drinking alcohol and don't smoke anymore. So eating as compensation is okay for me. I just have to find a balance in everyday life.
In the future, I would like to concentrate on eating at mealtimes, take my time and chew enough. And don't eat too little either.
healthy snacking in the evening and only buying something to snack on if you really have to

cory17 · September 2023

I am definitely an emotional, comfort, destressing eater but working on changing that. I always bring breakfast and lunch with me to work, and work on lots of fiber to fill up. Have learned to have something ready for after work at home and that facilitates not mindlessly munching. On weekends I have to keep busy. My dh likes to sit together in the pms with the TV which is right by the kitchen island and fridge. If I keep occupied with something kindof mindless (thinking going through papers to shred or crochet), planning to reduce the urge to keep looking for something else to eat.

epivan · September 2023

It's been an incredibly stressful spring/summer and I've resorted to the emotional eating to cope WAY too often. Need to get the mindful eating back on track.

tjharleygal55 · September 2023

I remember being extremely stressed one night during one of the 5% challenges. I got up and started walking toward the kitchen. While doing so, I texted my 2 sisters (who were also doing the challenge) telling them that I was about to open a pack of Oreos. I asked them to “Help Me”. (They both live out of state, so what were they going to do?) My one sister sends a text with a picture of a cowboy aiming his gun straight at me and she writes, “Step way from the Oreos right now!” 😂 I laughed so hard. There was no way I was going to eat any cookies that night. What she did was perfect. She broke up my stress level with humor and I no longer felt the need to eat anything. It made me realize that if I change my mindset onto something else, I can beat the feeling. Another thing I found helpful was in one of the articles that Kali recommended reading. It said if you feel like eating, eat an apple. If you aren’t hungry enough to eat it, then you are not hungry enough to eat. Now, I like apples, but when I’m in an emotional eating state, an apple just isn’t going to do it. So, if an apple doesn’t sound good enough, I try not to give into the craving.

lavalily · September 2023

I "forget" to eat when I'm busy or involved with an activity. My goal is to continue concentrating on eating regularly throughout the day according to the five food groups. I don't tend to snack on sweets or things that aren't good for me, so that's not a concern. I just tend not to eat anything at all, so I'm going to make sure I get my eating habits under control!

Dianedoessmiles1 · September 2023

I was an emotional eater, but now I am balanced. I've realized if I eat enough food at mealtime, I do 1000% better. I never allow myself to be hungry. I also eat if I am a little bit hungry I'll grab something for a snack.
I've been going through so much as it is if I ate emotionally I'd be over 300 lbs!! Food is fuel not for covering emotions.

Chubbynomore10 · September 2023

I must have millions of tastebuds…..I taste some foods on the underside of my tongue. Therefore, tasty recipes with low fat and few calories are the key for me. Lots of veggies and spices…..Heaven! Fortunately, there are a lot of good recipes out there, and I stay busy changing them to suit my needs and taste. I find that the tastier the food is, the less I need to satisfy me. I am a mindful eater now.

roan4wrd · September 2023

I typically am a FAST eater - the tips to slow down, name the flavors and textures and engage the senses will be good for me to do. I have been an emotional and stress eater, too. I feel I have been judged for what/when/how much, too and the fact that I do ENJOY food. Part of my mindfulness focus will be to take pleasure in food, surroundings and company and disregard negative vibes directed at me. I will eat healthy in the right amounts for me. I plan for this journey to be one of lasting effects.

joywilson383 · September 2023

I’m more of a emotional eater.

vexedangel678 · September 2023

I have always been an emotional eater, but am working every day to improve that and become more mindful. I've gotten better about binging after I get home from work, and now my big hurdle is multitasking while I eat.

ironhorse046 · September 2023

After reading some posts and reading of a book suggestion, I started my own book search on emotional eating. I found "The Emotional Eater's Repair Manual". Here I thought I had all my childhood scars, emotional and physical trauma under control. Turns out, I had them buried and apparently, not dealt with. I'm 20 pages in and I feel like the book was written for me alone. Yup, I have a little work to do!

katiecondy1 · September 2023

I am going to get that book..thank you..
Emotional eating is a big BIG issue for me..why do I eat something that I know will make me feel bad later..cause at that moment it makes me feel good?
Forgetting to eat...eating too fast.. food just is not the number one item on my list and often is a matter of realizing that I had not eaten that day . Need to schedule meals and plan meals..urgh..not something I want to do but must.

130StrongerEachYear · September 2023

PRE-CHALLENGE ACTIVITY #5: Mindful Eating vs. Emotional Eating

For the last couple of weeks, planning and controlling meals just became too difficult with my mom's health challenges...and family coming in and out and bringing mostly unhealthy food. I had been eating healthy for about 5 months and it had become a healthy routine... I did eat chips and sweets that were available... I did actually realize they did not taste as good as I remembered and I did not feel as good as I had eating healthy. Yesterday I did refocus on healthy eating and I feel better physically today.

This lesson will stick with me as I navigate losing mom and everything I will need to do in the next couple of weeks. Healthy eating makes me feel better. I will remember this.

cormierannie · September 2023

i find that i am an emotional eater during stressful times. i am working to become a more mindful eater.

paceka2 · September 2023

PRE-CHALLENGE ACTIVITY #5: Mindful Eating vs. Emotional Eating

First, thank you for providing two wonderful sources of information for us to ponder on. I have downloaded the Mindful eating guide - I have also just recently completed a session on Mindful eating.

I would say that I am more of a mindful eater than an emotional eater. Although I have realized that during these past couple of years while I have been dealing with so much pain I do tend to occasionally want something that feels good - ice cream comes to mind. Now that the pain is subsiding I plan to pay better attention to what I am eating and why.

TwistedSassette · September 2023

PRE-CHALLENGE ACTIVITY #5: Mindful Eating vs. Emotional Eating

I am definitely an emotional eater! This is one of my biggest challenges on my health journey. I am particularly bad for it when I'm alone, and I struggle a lot with leaving food unfinished (I'm a member of the clean plate club). Coupled with this, I struggle to identify emotions because I was raised to not show emotions, so I learned to mask and push them down so much that I don't actually know how to identify what I'm feeling (this, I am told, is childhood emotional neglect, and I'm still working through the ramifications of that). I have heard of strategies like HALT before, but they haven't really worked for me because I can ask myself what I'm feeling, but I can't answer it and that frustration just builds more and makes me want to eat more. Vicious circle.

So what can I do to overcome my emotional eating? I plan to serve myself smaller meals so that it's ok to finish it all, but also I will not be eating from open packets/containers any more. I need to serve myself a satisfying portion and eat that, otherwise I'm likely to eat the whole packet. Meanwhile, I will be looking more into CEN and what I can do to help myself learn to identify and regulate my emotions.

ThursLins · September 2023

Pre-Challenge #5 Mindful Eating vs. Emotional Eating

I've done lots of mindless & emotional eating over the years. We've recently changed to eat low carb. I like to get as much food prep done at a time as possible. One day I'll be cutting up a bunch of fresh veggies, another day I'll be cooking up meats. This gives us more time for the outdoor activities that we like and having food ready to eat at a moments notice. I like that we're both meal planning.
There's still the urge to snack, especially in the evenings. There are healthier options, now, already prepped. Old habits die hard.

nbruns83 · October 2023

I'm a mindless eater only in the evenings. I eat a healthful breakfast, cook a healthful meal at mid-day, and only give in to snacking in the evenings when using my computer, watching media, or when socializing. So I really need to engage the LGTL goal of No Evening Eating (NEE).

Evamutt · October 2023

I used to be a mindless eater in the form of potato chips mostly but since I've lost weight I'm very mindful of my snacks & plan them. I also plan my meals. I was a fast eater( mostly because we only had 30min to eat at work) but have slowed down & drink sips of almond milk/water in between bites & try to take my time. I'm not an emotional eater, I drink more coffee when I'm upset & it's hard to eat. I was never much of a snacker (except potato chips) but my problem was I ate large portions till I got full, not full to the point of feeling sick, just full. so now, after I eat my portion I wait 15min then it "hits" my stomach & I'm no longer hungry. My other problem is when I'm out longer than I planned, like today, & didn't have my planned snack, I'm so hungry when I get home I get tempted to wolf it down & over eat. It was hard not to do that today

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Pre-Challenge Activity #5: Mindful Eating vs. Emotional Eating

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