6 Simple Steps to Using Mindful Eating with your ClientsBy Megrette Fletcher, MEd, RD, CDE

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However,physicalhungerwillnotgoaway,evenifyoutrytodistractyourself.Also,hungerwillonlystopwhenyou eat. If you are hungry, a small snack can cause hunger to go away instead of it growing into an undeniable urgetoeat.Whenphysicalhungerispresent,youhavetomovepastnon-eatingtothenextphaseinthecycle.

The Preparation PhaseThepreparationphaseofeatingiswhenyouprepareamealorsnack,ormakeafoodchoice.Thepreparationphasecanbehoursbeforeyoueat(likewhenyoupackalunchinthemorning)orminutes,suchasorderingatarestaurantorselectingfoodatabuffet.Thepreparationphaseincorporatestwocriticaldecisions:whattoeatANDhowmuch.Inthepreparationphase,youcanbringmindfulawarenesstoeitherwhatyouchooseorhowmuch you choose. The key to mindful eating is choice, and it starts by asking, “Do I want to focus on what or howmuchIeat?” There isn’t a single answer to this question, which is why mindful eating allows you to make iteachandeverytime.Howcanyoumakesomanychoices?Tounderstandwhattoeat,youwillagain“check in” andaskquestionsaboutyourcurrentthoughts,desiresandneeds.Questionshelpyoulearn,“What do I wanttoeat?” “Whatwouldtastegoodtome,rightnow?” “Whatwouldhelpmybody?” Inthisphase,seektofindabalancebetweenyourknowledgeofnutrition,yourpreferences,andyourcravings(3)forthefood available. Now that you know what you want to eat, ask, “Howmuchfoodwillfillbutnotoverfillmyhunger?” Hunger is aneffectiveguide(4)toknowinghowmuchfoodtoselect.Ifyouarenotsurehowtoevaluateyourhunger,useahungerratingscale.Therearemanytypesofhungerratingscales.Somehavebeendesignedforchildren(5)(freeexamplesyoucandownload:https://mindfuleatingforkids.wordpress.com/keep-learning/professional-handouts/)andothersforadultsorpeoplewithdiabetes.Mosthungerscalestypicallystartat10(starving)andgoto1(notatallhungry).However,therearemanythatwillincorporatebothhungerandfullnessinasinglescale,startingat1(starving)andgoingto10(stuffed)with5representingacomfortablelevel.Usingahungerratingscalewillassistyouindetermininghowmuchfoodyouneedtofillbutnotoverfillyour current level of hunger.

The PauseThepauseisthenextaspectofthemealanditisdescribedbymindfuleatingexpertsasthemostpowerfulmomentinameal.Why?Thisistheplacewhereyoucansetyourintention.Yourintentionwheneatingisamazinglypowerfulbecauseitcreatesthemoodandtheoutcomeforanaction.Youcancreatetheintentionalthoughttoeateverythingorchoosetopauseoftenduringthemealandstopeatingwhenyouarecomfortablyfull.Thissmallshiftinthinkingisanothereffectiveweaponagainstmemoriesof“The Clean Plate Club,” which manypeoplewereforcedtojoinaskids.Changingthischildhoodbehaviorischallengingbecauseformanyitrequiresyoutoredefineyourdefinitionof“being good” thatwasassociatedwitheatingeverythingprovided.Ifyouarestrugglingwitheatingpastfullness,mindfuleatingcanhelpyoureplaceoldthinkingwithnew,moreeffectivethoughtsandbehaviors.Thesecancombatthetinyvoicethatwhispers,“It’s the last bite” or “I have to eat everything.” At the Meal PhaseItishardtobelievebutthisisthefirsttimeyouareactuallytakingabite!Areyouamazedtorealizethatthefirstthreephasesarenotabouteating?Thesefirstthreephasesareallmentalchangesandtheydirectyoutowardrecognizingpsychologicalandphysicalhunger--towardthinkingaboutwhatandhowmuchtoeatandsettingaclearintentiontofillbutnotoverfillyourstomach. Realizethatwhenyouareatthemeal,hungerispresentanditisseenasaninvitedguestwhowillbeleavingthe meal soon. With each mouthful, hunger is easing himself out the door. Joining the guest of hunger is anotherdinercalledsensory-specificsatiety(6).Thisistheguywho,whenyouareeatingbrownM&M’s,whispersthatthecoloredM&M’swilltastebetterorwillofferyoumoreenjoyment.Sensory-specificsatietyreferstoadecreaseinsensorypleasurederivedfromconsumingaspecificfoodordrink,relativetotheconsumer’slikingforunconsumedfoodsanddrinks(7).Forexample,ifyouwerepresentedwithjustavery

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largesteakfordinner,andnothingelse,youmightexperiencesatietyearlierthanifyouwereeatingasmallersteakwith3sidedishes.Justlikehunger,satietyisaguestatthemealandthesetwoguestsseemtowantdifferentthings.Sensory-specificsatietywantstosatisfyyoursenses,butreallydoesn’tcareabouthunger.Jan Bays writes in the book Mindful Eatingaboutsevenkindsofsensoryhunger(8).Understandingthatyoursensesalsowanttobefilledandstimulatedatamealcanhaveaninfluenceontheamountoffoodeaten(9).This guest is searching for a variety of foods that are sensory stimulating and eating only one food at a meal, orthesameoldfoods,isboringforhim.Lookforoptions,ideasandwaystochallengeyourselfsuchashavingtwoorthreevegetablesonyourplate,andnoticeifeatingmorevegetablesfeelsmoresatisfyingthanifyouhadonlyonevegetable.Thislittletipcouldbehelpfultorememberinthepreparationphaseofeating.Engageandplaywiththeguestofsensory-specificsatiety.Youcanincreaseordecreasethenumberofchoicesofaspecificfood,forexamplevegetablesordessert,tolearnifhavingasinglechoiceorchoosingbetweentwoorthreeoptionshelpsyoumeetyourhealthgoals. Now,let’sturnyourattentiontotheguestofhunger.Hungerisoftendescribedasbothaphysicalneedforfoodandapsychologicaldesiretoeat.Focusingonphysicalhungercanhelpyourecognizewhenitistimetostopeating.How?Rememberthathungerisleavingthepartywitheachbiteyoutake.Imaginehungeras if it were a sound that becomes fainter and fainter with each and every bite until it is silent. The moment whenphysicalhungerendsiswhenyoushifttothenextphase.Manypeoplenoticethatphysicalhungerendssoonerthanpsychologicalhungerdoes.Thedesiretokeepeatingisacomplexprocessthathasmanyinfluences.Mindfuleatingisn’tdefinedbyyourbitesizeorspeedofeating;however,slowingdowncanhelpyoubecomemoreawareifthedesiretokeepeatingisdrivenbyphysicalorpsychologicalhunger.Justlikeinsports,forarefereetoreviewacallorplay,heorshewillwatchaslow-motionreplay.Slowingdownwheneatingincreasestheeasewithwhichyoucanobserveyourbehaviorsandchoices,helpingyoumakethe“right” call.

End of Meal PhaseTheendofmealphaseisabouttryingtofindacomfortableleveloffullness.Iffullnesswereasound,itwouldstartoutquietandgrowlouderandlouderwitheachbite.Aneffectivestrategytofindingacomfortableleveloffullnessispausingwhenhalfofthemealhasbeeneatentonoticetheshifttofullness.Somepeopleassumethatyoustopeatingwhenhungerhasended.However,thisisnothelpful.Whenhungerhas ended, you don’tstopeating.Instead,youshiftyourattentiontofindingfullness.Iliketodescribefullnessasabelovedguest,andyourgoalistohelpyourguestbecomecomfortable,notuncomfortable.Itisarelaxedtime:noneedtorushorpushfoodontoyourguest!Ifyouarenotsureifyourguestiscomfortable,talkwithyour guest, ask questions: “Areyoucomfortablenow?Wouldanotherbitemakeyoumorecomfortable?”

Clean Up Phase When your “guest” hasreachedacomfortableleveloffullness,itistimetostopeating.Thelastphaseisthecleanupanditisalotliketheinitialnon-hungereatingphase.However,becausefoodisaround,therearealotofenvironmentalcuestoeatifyouarenotmindful.Creatingaclearintentionisimportantinhelpingyouresistthetemptationto“have a bite”.Thissenseofjoywillstopopeningthedoortootherfeelingslikediscomfort, guilt and frustration. Keepthereasonwhyyouarenoteatingclearinyourmind:thatis,tomaintainalevelofcomfortandenjoymentthatisassociatedwithnoteatingpastfullness.Thismeansdesirestosneak in a few bites or not waste foodareinconflictwithyourcurrentpleasantexperience.Beingpresentandfocusingonyourcurrentexperienceofcontentmentcanhelpyoumaintainyourenjoyment,resistingadditionaleatingwhichcausesyouto become uncomfortable. Instead of eating, direct your thoughts to effective ways you can be around food. Ideasincludepackingupanyleftoversorpreparingmealsforyourlunchordinnerthenextday.

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8. Final Critical Thinking Question:In the above mindful eating article, the act of eating was divided into six distinct phases where only two aspects included the consumption of calories. Consider the below, answering the questions in bold for the exam:

• Consider how breaking eating into six phases that include both non-eating and eating sections couldassist clients in understanding food and eating choices and/or struggles. (Note: this is reflection only;no answer required).

• Now, reflecting on your own counseling, does having six phases of eating create more educational andcounseling opportunities for you to share with your clients? Briefly (1-2 sentences), explain why you

feel this is true (or untrue).

• In the last graphic, the Six Phases of Eating was made into a continuous cycle that describes eating.Reflect on your own counseling. Now, list at least one benefit to seeing eating as a continuous

cycle.

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