Mindful Eating Contract

Why be original 24/7 when so many people have already come up with great things? With everything that is currently going on in my life (moving, starting fall classes, interning in a 5th grade classroom), I don't have time to come up with new and brilliant topics (not that my stuff is New or Brilliant, but you know what I mean). What I can make time for, however, is to write down other things that people have already written. That way, I save time, and everyone benefits.

So, here is something that I found from the book I mentioned last time- Eating Mindfully by Susan Albers, psy.d. It is called the Mindful Eating Contract, and it is a list of "rules" that you can apply to your own eating-related habits and thoughts.
Here, directly from the book (I love that blogs allow us to plagiarize), the Mindful Eating Contract (p.55):

1. I agree to eat mindfully. I will eat with diligent thought from this point forward. 

2. I agree to change my attitude toward eating completely, on a full-time basis. I understand that diets don't work. 

3. I agree to think about what I eat moment to moment. 

4. I agree to consider each bite on multiple levels by taking into account the taste, texture, quality, 

bodily reaction, and sensations I experience when I eat.

5. I agree to eliminate my diet mentality. I will do this by rejecting dieting advice and books, and by becoming nonjudgmental of myself. 

6. I agree to be nonjudgmental of other people's eating habits, weight, and body shape. 

7. I agree to have compassion for myself. 

8. I agree to be mindful of my speech. I will eliminate terms like "restricting" or "forbidden food" from my vocabulary, and I will start using words like healthy, organic, natural, and energizing, both in my thoughts and conversations. 

Go for a bike ride instead of stressing about food.

9. I agree that being healthy and living mindfully is my number one goal. 

10. I agree to accept myself and my body as is. 

11. I agree to be aware of the unique eating challenges I face.

12. I agree to accept how uncomfortable, scary, and wrong it feels to let go of dieting. 

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Why do I like this? Well, it exemplifies how I try and think about food and my body each day. I went through long dieting phases in high school, and for the past four years or so, I have practiced letting go of that mentality. I can say that refocusing my attention from weight loss to overall health, has made me a healthier and happier person than before. If you find yourself constantly dieting or trying to change the way that you look, ask yourself "why"? Many of us believe that losing weight is the answer to everything. "If I were just ten pounds thinner, than so-and-so would like me." "If I looked like her, people would admire and respect me. . . ." Good and bad things happen to people of all shapes and sizes (example: super models poop, and they occasionally have diarrhea just like the rest of us). Think of the people in your own life who you love and respect. Do they have perfect bodies and perfect eating control at all times? No, they do not.

Mommy and Me- camping and EATING!

If you find yourself constantly under eating, overeating, or feeling guilty about food, it's time to check out some resources. Food is a necessity for life, and you must eat it in order to flourish and grow. Why be stressed about it when you don't have to be? Listen to your body, enjoy the food that you eat, and move on to bigger and better activities. Thoughts?
Talk to you soon!
Love,
Dana

Eat like a kid again- they know what's up.