Mindful munching
Age doesn't matter. Weight doesn't matter. Education doesn't matter. Income doesn't matter.
We are all incredibly vulnerable to eating mindlessly.
Polishing off the packet just because it's there, finishing the plate because that's how much is served. Too bad the pack size and plate sizes have increased over the past few decades because with increased portions being served up, this mindless eating slips our bodies into a dangerous weight gain cycle.
A food and eating awareness diary is the best way for you to improve your mindful munching.
Food diaries work best if you write down what you eat and drink at the very same time that you pop the items into your mouth. If you leave the record keeping until you walk out of the food mall or until the end of the day, more and more error will creep into your records.
That error rate can be as much as 50% forgotten (that's half). You are probably eating/drinking twice as much as you wrote down! An unbelievable fact but research confirms it.
If you have a smart phone or tablet, use the built-in camera to take snaps of the food/drinks before you start to consume them or, failing that, snap a shot of the evidence, the empty wrappers, packaging or barren plate at the end.
Photos are a quick and reliable way to record and prompt your memory. Place an object of known size (such as a pen, wallet, sunglasses) beside the food so you better judge the food's actual size. This size memory jogger works well with plated or served meals but you can use a camera-phone just about anywhere, so try this extra method to improve your mindful munching.
A new free eating awareness diary will arrive soon. Please return in a few weeks.