Mindful Eating and food relationships.

Mindful eating???? What? Hi guys, everyone this blog will now have a few posts now and then about eating and exercising and changing some ingrained habits for improved, increased health as well as lots of fun and pure simple joy.
Needing to reshape myself due to overeating and stress during my studies and issues at home in 2013 and 2014 I no longer fit into some of my best and favourite dresses, so something has to be done.

I have a target: a particular size 12 ( SMALLISH 12) navy lace swirly dress that I wish to dance in at Summer school at St Andrews this August ( 2- 9 th August).Such a specific target or goal always helps enormously, but also my plantar fasciitis is back with a lot of pain when walking and dancing and being overweight makes it worse so dispensing with 19 lbs or so should make it a whole lot better. Essential for a week of dancing morning, noon and night! ( St Andrews!)

So having dieted a lot in the past 4 decades I am trying an entirely different approach albeit with similar elements to 2012: I am doing it with Weight Watcher's support systems.
The best bits from that are the weekly public weigh-ins which make you think during the week and sometimes stop what you would otherwise eat without thinking. Secondly there's the support and ideas from the group as I stay for the half hour of chat and sharing.
Thirdly there's the cost of it, I always do better if I can save money by sticking to a plan!
So if I do it properly I will reach goal sooner and save attendance fees...

WHAT I am doing DIFFERENTLY:

 From not eating breakfast or 3-4 pieces of toast ( 12 propoints) I have gone to the porridge option, made with water- I have now learned how NOT to let it explode in the microwave- and I add fruit or chocolate drink powder: Options Belgian choc is a favourite.

 I am reading these books:

 LOVING Andy's book and the online meditation option! I have now meditated for 10 minutes 5 times and it's working! Calmer and clearer, decisions made easier.

 BLUEBERRIES! Used to hate them but found if cooked with lemon and 50/50 Canderel and 1 teaspoon sugar they become deliciously fabulous.

 I know it doesn;t look so pretty but it IS delicious, blueberry porridge.

 How about a prawn stir fry? Yummy.

 And I have discovered this:

 Now it's a 5 propoint meal: a little cheddar, herbs and some tomato puree?

 And for my birthday my daughter baked me this WW fig and muscavado cake:

 It was so lovely we ate it before a photo could be taken, oops.

 Porridge with pineapple!

 The making of a mushroom risotto:

 Voila! A mere 20-30 minutes later a lovely 8 propoint meal.
Then on a Sunday I made Brocoli and Stilton soup: a Nigella recipe but can be fitted into WW.

 And on another day: pasta again.

 It's very unappealing before the sauce! Both in seeing it and eating it.

 With a little pesto and vegetables! Crunch, yum.

 An eggy and red pepper lunch!

 Strawberries and crunched up Amaretti biscuits with Strawberry Fruitopolis yoghurt.
Now this is where mindful eating comes in. NO DISTRACTIONS!
Just you and your food, seeing it, smelling it, tasting it, feeling it, chewing slowly and really ENJOYING it. A loving relationship with the food you are eating.

 Green beans steamed to perfection: wow, yummy! I was amazed to discover how fast I always eat. Even when chewing I'm lining up the next mouthful as if it's a race! And I always did it WITH something else. ALWAYS. Usually TV or a book to read or a magazine.Or at the computer at work, clicking way and munching mindlessly. Never just me and the food.
Maybe I hardly even noticed the food! And usually surprised when it's finished . ''Already!
Where did it go? Oh I MUST have some more. I'm still hungry? ''
Always so RUSHED! And distracted. Not focused, not calm , not paying attention. Panicky rush as if the food will be taken away any minute. ( Not that it ever was)

Pasta again, Linguini this time, with paprika flavour-pots and a tad of crumbled stock cube,
Should have been with the beans but this way I had TWO bowls to eat slowly and mindfully.
This was a little peppery on the tongue which I was not sure about, but delightfully chewy.
It's only been 2 .5 weeks thus far but there have been positive reading on the scales at WW ( 2 meetings to date) and there's 4 lbs that's no longer ''on'' me.
Let's continue the journey.