The 4th activity in the Am I Hungry? 7-day Mindful Self-Care Challenge is Fearless Eating.
Guilt, shame, and judgment are powerful fuel for the overeating cycle. Mindfulness is about observing the present moment without judgment. The intention for fearless eating is to observe the sensations you experience while eating your favorite food without a critical mind.
Fearless eating: Eat what you love
- Make a list of foods that you really love, including those you rarely allow yourself to eat without guilt.
- Select one of the foods for this activity. While deciding, it’s important to understand what you really want. Are you craving something
crunchy or smooth, cold or warm, sweet or salty, and/or heavy or light? Do you want something that brings you fond memories, or perhaps something you’ve told yourself many times that you can’t have? Notice when thoughts like “bad food” or judgments arise about the calorie, fat, sugar, or carbohydrate content. Let the judgments go and allow yourself the freedom to select any type of food you really want.
- Purchase one serving of the food from a store or restaurant. Notice when you really, really, really, really want the food you’ve purchased (This Four Really Test helps you distinguish between eating something because it’s just there and consciously choose to eat the food without any strings attached.)
- Eliminate distractions and sit down to eat.
- Once have the food in front of you, admire its color, shape, and texture.
- Close your eyes and think about why you chose this particular food. Can you recall a pleasant memory or experience you’ve had with this food? Try to recall who you were with and what was happening as you were eating. Again, if judgments or unpleasant memories arise, let them go. Bring your attention back to the present.
- Smell the food as you breathe slowly in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Does it smell strong, sweet, bitter, or spicy?
- Gently take your first bite. Close your eyes and chew slowly observing the flavor of the food as it dissolves in your mouth. Does the flavor taste stronger than the last time you remember eating it? What is the texture like? How does the taste change the longer it lasts in your mouth?
- When you finish take a couple moments to observe how you feel. How do your feelings about this food change when you are taking time to appreciate each bite?
- If you struggled with this activity, ask yourself, “What was I thinking when I was eating it?” Thoughts like, “I shouldn’t eat this,” or “I’m going to eat it all in case I don’t get another chance,” can continue to drive overeating.
- Use this process with other foods on your list.
Learning to eat the foods you love fearlessly will help you rebuild trust in your ability to listen to your body wisdom.
Based on Chapter 5 of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat.
Enjoyed this article? Here are three more that you might find helpful:
Deprivation: A Hidden Trigger for Eating
I can’t eat what I love without overeating!
Fearless Eating: 3 questions to decide what to eat