Holding Back From Overeating

‘My doctor told me I had to stop throwing intimate dinners for four unless there are three other people.’ – Orson Welles

These days, food is more available, more affordable, more plentiful and more wide ranging than ever before.

It's easy to overeat, to eat more than you need. Some people have a sweet tooth; others prefer savoury. Some pile up their plates; others continually nibble.

Perhaps you eat even when you're not hungry and often you continue eating even after you're full, mindless of the process of eating and the sensation of being full. You can eat an entire meal, a whole sandwich or cake and not taste more than a bite or two. This is because your mind and mouth weren't present, weren't tasting or enjoying, as you ate.

If you do give it any thought, maybe you think you should or must finish what's on your or even someone else's plate. Otherwise, the food will be wasted.

How and what you eat has a lot to do with habit, repeating past triggers, thoughts and feelings about food and eating again and again. Mindfulness increases your awareness of these patterns without judgement and creates space between mindless eating and mindful eating.