Mindful Eating Day 3

Goal: Eat your favorite foods and get rid of restriction.

Journal: Which foods do you periodically overeat because you have subconsciously restricted them in your mind? How would allowing yourself to eat these foods in moderation allow you to truly enjoy your food?

Hrmmm, that's an interesting question.  I think I've come a long way in this in the past few months even.  Chocolate is probably the one the one that I overdo the most for this reason.  Ice cream. Oreos.

Back in August 2010, I made a "contract" with my husband to motivate me to be healthier.  One of the stipulations was that I get to have 3 desserts/sweets per week.  It's really been about the perfect moderation.  It's enough that I watch what i eat, but at the same time, I don't feel super restricted and crave those things all the time.  if I want one, I just have to think-- do I want to use one of my dessert allowances for the week on this, or would I rather wait a day or two, or until next week?  It's never a matter of "I can't have that," but rather, "do i want this now?  or later?" Today I had my first dessert or the week-- chocolate covered pomegranates.  I LOVE those!

It was really hard the first month or so.  But now, I'm really comfortable with where I am.  Allowing myself to enjoy these sweet desserts occasionally has helped me to enjoy them MORE and be healthier.  It's great!  When I eat formerly "restricted" foods in moderation, I can enjoy it more precisely because it isn't over-indulgence, and it doesn't leave me craving it all the time.

I've also learned to enjoy more variety in my food.  I've learned that vegetables really do taste good. I like them.  And fruits, too.  I've tried new recipes.  And some of those foods I was eating all the time, when i've gotten a craving for them and decided to eat it-- I realize that it really didn't taste as good as I remembered.  Then I'm never bothered with craving it again.  It's very freeing to live and eat with out total restriction, but with goals and moderation.