Mindless Eating Vs. Mindful Eating

I ate a handful of masala peanuts today. And then another handful. And then another one. And this on a day when I started a new exercise programme (more on that later). I exercised, had a healthy breakfast, and later binged on peanuts. Why?

Let’s see. At first, I got upset with myself for doing it. Then I decided it was a good opportunity to analyse my behavior. This time I’m in for good. So I’ll take my goof-ups and use them.

So, why did I binge on masala peanuts? Firstly because they were there in plain sight. Since I don’t wanna eat stuff like that, I shouldn’t have left it out there in plain sight or anywhere I could find them, for that matter.

But most importantly, I ate so many because I was reading a book and munching on the side! I wasn’t really paying attention to the peanuts, I was engrossed in the book. And I kept eating.

And I realized that happens with me a lot of times. I eat in front of the TV, very often while reading a book, sometimes even while I’m talking on the phone. And it’s usually when I’m snacking on something. Because when I have lunch or dinner, I serve up a plate and don’t go for seconds. It’s the snacking that does me in.

So one, I snack on the side, and two, while snacking I don’t have any control over portions. Since I’m not paying attention, I stop only when the whole packet or whatever is over.

What I snack on is another issue altogether. For now, the lesson I’ve learnt is mindful eating – I resolve not to eat on the side. When I eat, I’m gonna pay attention to my food, and focus on eating. And secondly, even while snacking, I'm gonna serve out a portion and refrain from seconds. That should do it.