Unconsciously snacking?

Is it possible to not actually know if you are eating something? Absolutely yes! I caught myself yesterday eating some peanuts and not even comprehending until the second handful! Yikes! This caused a little drama in my brain. Not only was I eating without being hungry, I was eating on auto, not in the moment, but completely unconscious of what I was doing. What was interesting is that I had said in 2023 that I wanted to focus on being more present. Being more in the NOW. I truly think most of us run our lives on auto and sometimes miss some of the best moments. You know, to stop and smell the rose, it will not always be there. Anyway, the drama of not being in the now was less concerning at the moment as the eating unconsciously. Yes, I was definitely not doing any of the things that I might encourage others to do. Eat when you are hungry, eat your food slowly and enjoy the flavors and textures and be fully engaged. Oh wow, I bombed with the peanuts. I am not even sure I tasted them!

I have always been a snacker but when I wanted to sharpen up my habits and be healthier, I decided to stay away from what I like to call “grazing”. I used to have the tendency to not eat much at mealtime but graze all day. I realized for me that this was healthy due to my choices of snacks which was Triscuits, cheese and pretzels. Fast forward to now, I eat much better at mealtimes and do much less grazing. I encourage my clients who want to lose weight to not snack. This is simply because I want them to be fully aware of what and when they are eating and making sure they are truly hungry. I am almost glad this happened because if someone said to me “but Janie, I had no idea I was eating the candy” I will definitely understand that is possible. So, this is twofold. We can be more present and be more aware of habit that might not serve us well. Being more mindfulness in all that we do.

Eating slowly and enjoy the textures, and appreciate the taste and smell is now something I encourage. It is so beneficial. When I was going through the health coach certification, they asked us one time to time our lunch. Yes, I always knew I ate fast but I ate my lunch so fast that I was too embarrassed to admit my time. I was then told that we should take at least 20 minutes to eat our meal. Mine took less than 5 minutes. Yes, I was quite shocked. So, I am leaving this at let’s all be more present and in the now, and stop and really appreciate and enjoy the food! It is quite an experience AND takes lots of practice. I am still practicing mindfulness and mindfulness eating!

Have a beautiful day...A picture of my orchid that makes me smile each morning!