Benefits of Mindful Eating

During the past few days of mindfully eating meals, I did not want to stop eating when I felt comfortably full, perhaps because I focussed on how much I enjoyed the food, RATHER than how my stomach felt. So in the future I plan to pay more attention to my stomach cues than the taste and textures of food. When I really enjoy the tastes and textures, I don't want to stop eating before my plate is empty. So I need to serve myself comfort conscious portions in order to feel comfortably full after I finish my plate. I'm still not always comfortable with stopping and leaving food on my plate at home, even though I usually do that in restaurants. I suspect some childhood connection. LOL

HOWEVER, mindfully enjoying the food during the meal prevents after meal nibbles, tastes, and 'on second thought' desserts. I really get tired of tasting and chewing after focussing ONLY on the food (without distractions of tv or reading) during a 15-30 minute meal. So when I'm finished with the meal, I don't want to taste anything else.

Another benefit of mindfully enjoying every bite of food is that I slow down, which does wonders for my already challenged digestive system. When I try to eat slowly, I seem like I'm following some 'diet rule'. However when I get lost in the tastes and textures of my food, I just naturally eat slowly. Obviously, 'getting lost in the taste of food' is something I do when I eat alone, rather than with others. I'm still learning how to balance conversation and socializing with eating and enjoying my meal.

I've tried mindful eating several times during my IE journey. I will eat mindfully for a few meals (usually when I eat alone) and notice the benefits. However, after a few days or weeks, I eventually return to mindless eating while I watch tv or read. Amazingly during this attempt at mindful eating, I noticed that I really LOVE just focussing on the food and my stomach sensations. Now I feel 'cheated' when I can't just focus on the food, because I eat with someone else. I guess that says a lot for 'try, try again'. LOL