Are You Eating on Autopilot?
Have you ever finished your plate and not remembered eating it? How about eating so quickly that you feel like there’s a rock in your stomach later on? When we’re always on the go, rushing or just stuck in some poor habits, it’s easy to skip over the actual enjoyment of our food!
While we need food to survive and it’s a source of enjoyment, we don't always eat because we're hungry or even pay attention when we are eating. This is where learning the habit of mindful eating can help us truly enjoy our food and be in tune with our bodies.
What actually is Mindful Eating?
I really love this simple definition of mindful eating by Dr. Michelle May:
Mindful eating is eating with intention and attention:
Eating with the intention of caring for yourself
Eating with the attention necessary for noticing and enjoying your food and its effects on your body [source]
Mindful eating is not about counting calories or grams of protein, fat, or carbs. It’s also not strictly about losing weight. Mindful eating is about becoming aware of the experience of eating. It's the practice of paying attention to each bite, appreciating the flavors, and listening to our body’s hunger and fullness signals.
Mindful eating encourages a slower, more thoughtful approach. Instead of eating on autopilot, it invites you to engage with your food fully.
When you make a habit of mindful eating, you’re less likely to overeat or make unhealthy food choices. You start noticing how different foods make you feel and naturally gravitate towards nourishing options. This simple shift can lead to better digestion, increased satisfaction with meals, and overall improved health.
How to Practice Mindful Eating Even When We’re Busy
Like any habit, mindful eating takes practice; it’s never a once and done thing.
It’s also not an all or nothing thing.
It can be helpful to start by paying attention to what and when we're eating. You might be surprised at how often you reach for a snack when you aren't really hungry. You might notice that you gravitate towards sweet or salty foods or that you tend to eat lunch when you’re super hungry.
Beyond the what and the when, you can notice how you’re eating. You might realize that you tend to eat in the car or at your desk a lot, or standing in the kitchen. You may notice that you eat quickly with not a lot of chewing or pausing between bites.
To keep it super simple, you can also try the STOP method that the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recommends:
Select – select your bite using your eyes and nose (as opposed to aimlessly stabbing with your fork).
Taste – take time to notice the taste, texture and temperature of the bite of food.
Observe – how does chewing food sound? How do the taste and texture change as you continue eating?
Pause – pause before your next bite. Consider putting the utensil down between bites. [source]
For me, pausing between bites is a huge help, but you might focus better when you notice the taste and texture of your food. Give yourself the freedom and flexibility to experiment with noticing your food. Play around with it and see what works best for you.
Even if you only do one of the suggestions above, you’ll be bringing more mindfulness to your meal.
My favorite tips and tricks
I already mentioned pausing between bites, but here are a few other tips and tricks that I’ve picked up over the years:
Try to eat using your non-dominant hand
Put your fork down between each bite of food
Try using chopsticks (if you aren’t used to it, it will really help you slow down!)
Aim to chew each bite of food 20-30 times before swallowing
Before serving yourself seconds, enjoy a glass of water and pause 20 minutes to assess how hungry you actually may be
Eat sitting down, ideally at the table (not your desk, couch, or bed)
Offer a prayer of gratitude and blessing both before the meal and after
One final thought: practice all of this with holy curiosity.
This isn’t about judging yourself, your food, or your choices. It’s about bringing awareness to your meals.
Navigating eating habits can stir up a lot of different emotions for us, so I encourage you to be gentle with yourself and invite the Lord into your mindful eating practice.
Want More?
If you’re curious to learn more about mindful eating, I invite you to join the next Healthy Habits Reset! We start on November 11th and spend 10 days focusing on whatever healthy habits you feel like you need support with. There’s a more in depth mindful eating handout that I share during the 10 days, too. 😉
Finally, a few other resources that you might want to check out are:
