Have you ever eaten something you shouldn’t have and felt crappy about it?

Well, that was me last week. It was a night of zig-zagging between the girls’ activities, and we were on the go. I thought I was in control, but it quickly backfired when my choice of fast food was vetoed, and I found myself going through the drive-thru at Wendy’s.

I was annoyed that I wasn’t getting what I wanted (like a 2 year old - I know!), and I let my emotion take over during my order. Oops! I order a fried chicken sandwich, WITH bacon, fries AND a freaking Dr. Pepper!! Whaaaat???!

I went home, ate it kinda angrily as fast as I could, and felt disgusting even as I licked the last bit of mayo off my finger. Yep-- I’m putting it all out there, folks. It happened.

I had feelings of anxiety and guilt while I ate it, and bottom line was that I really didn’t enjoy it at all. What in the heck just happened here, I thought? What a waste of a “free meal”!

Now, you know for a fact that I eat my fair share of earned “free meals” and enjoy every bite guilt-free! But, the difference is that they are planned for the most part, and I feel none of those yucky feelings while eating them.

I tell you this because this is a prime example of mindful eating. But why does mindful eating matter? Mindful eating helps you recognize your emotions and physical sensations, helping you pay attention to your eating experience.

When you are mindful of your eating you are aware of the following:

• WHAT you’re eating

• How FAST you’re eating

• How HUNGRY/FULL you are

• How APPRECIATIVE you are of the food

• How the food MAKES YOU FEEL

Some triggers or reactions to times when mindful eating can be challenged are when you are:

• Tired

• Lonely

• Stressed

• Bored

• Frustrated

To try to be more mindful of your eating, ask yourself these questions at your future meals:

• Do I appreciate the food in front of me?

• Why am I eating this food?

• Am I eating slowly and chewing each bite?

• How am I feeling while eating this food? Would I want to feel this way again?

• How satisfied am I when finished with this meal?

Although my Wendy’s situation was not awesome, it did make me appreciate my mindfulness of eating, because I will avoid making that mistake again. Mindful eating definitely helps me make better choices the majority of the time. <3

What will you learn the next time YOUR eating goes bad?

Your biggest cheerleader,

Nat

#mindfuleating