Food journaling can be a really powerful tool when it comes to eating mindfully. Imagine you are writing a description of your meal for another person. Imagine that they will never see the meal, so you want to describe it in detail. How does it look, smell, taste, what’s the texture like, how did you feel when eating it - cover all your senses and focus on enjoying the meal. Notice when you start feeling full.

This is eating mindfully.

Eating in front of the TV, or laptop, spooning in mouthful after mouthful without thought can lead us to eat well past satiety, without every stopping to think about how the meal tastes.

Make your meals the highlight of your day. Take your time, put your cutlery down and at least once - try to write a journal.

Purpose

Focus on WHAT YOU EAT but also WHY? This is to become mindful of your choices.

To further extend this theme we want you to ask yourself "What is the purpose of this meal?"

What benefit will this meal give me?
Why did I choose these foods?
Will I feel better about this choice tomorrow?
Does this choice move me closer to my health and fitness goals?

Just like random training brings random results, the same can be said for meals.

If you are journaling, try to make some notes on the purpose of your meals:
Was it to fuel you for training?
Was is for recovery?
Was it to keep you feeling satisfied through the day?
Was it because you were hungry?
Was it for enjoyment?
Was it a social function?

YES, sometimes we can eat certain meals for the pure enjoyment factor!

Look at your meal, find the purpose, find the meaning.
If there is a consistent theme of fuel, health, recovery, you're on the right track.

BOREDOM EATING

Have you ever noticed that your purpose for eating is boredom?

Are you trying to kill time, procrastinate from doing work or study?

Are you stressed, emotional, angry, lonely?

Is eating filling a void for you?

Here is a strategy to try and overcome boredom eating.

Note: Boredom in this activity can be replaced with stress and emotional-based eating.

List the habits, behaviours and activities you enjoy doing that have a positive effect on your health (mental, social, physical, emotional). OR habits you'd like to try and build that have a positive impact
Set an intention and write it down. Next time I feel bored, instead of eating I will ..... (insert positive behaviour)

Eg. Next time I feel bored, instead of eating I will: do 15 minutes of mobility

OR

Next time I feel lonely, instead of eating I will: call a friend or family member

OR

Next time I feel stressed, instead of eating I will: read 10 pages of my book

By keeping the cue and the reward the same and merely changing the routine you implement, it can go a long way towards habit change.

Also, you're killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

Building a new habit that has a positive impact on your life whilst breaking an old one.