BDS: Day 5 (August 10 & 11)

[mare]

I was foiled before when I thought I had missed the slow and mindful step, it is today. Phew!

I like what I wrote a previous time so I am copying it here with minor edits -
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Today we start the work on a pair of "hows" for long term success:
1. Eating s...l.....o......w.......l.......y.
2. Eating mindfully, ideally noticing every bite.

You're already eating while sitting, which is going to make it easier to make progress is on #2 than eating while moving or standing. Now it's time to add in a way to have this be at a pace that (eventually when you are following your diet at the same time) lets you feel satisfied with less.

As an aside, if you've been getting comfy using these threads to recap instead of really reading the book carefully, I strongly encourage you to change that today. This chapter is a good one and from personal experience and reading these threads from the last few rounds, this skill is a tough one for many of us. Not only is it a habit breaker but it can bring up feelings of anxiety, resentfulness, or uncomfortable realizations.

Today's new tasks:
1. Read over the options for slowing down and choose one that will work for you and start implementing it today. If you catch yourself speeding up, you still get credit just for noticing and then slowing down.
2. Notice every bite. This is easier when you slow down but still requires minimizing other distractions such as children, tv, internet, magazines, etc.

Again, if the thought of slowly eating the food on the diet plan you picked on day 2 sounds terrible, pick a new diet plan today too.

Now let's hear those credits, plans for the task, and responses to this (emotional reactions are fine, rebellion is not. Remember, we're here to do, not dabble.)
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I will add that when I attended the workshop for professionals at the Beck Institute last summer, it was brought up that this tip was hard for the majority of clients. It was also noted that it is weird that people who want to be able to experience more eating above just about anything else in life resist having the experience of eating last longer. Further this happens in general, not just when eating something one doesn't want to think about later (e.g., for me a whole can of Pringles).

[texasless91]

I do eat rather slowly and am always the last to finish meals. The mindfully part is a different matter and I know I need to work on that one. I am notorious for having my phone, computer, a book, a catalog or magazine, or something else in front of me when I eat. The TV is typically on during dinner and I need to learn to tune it out (turning it off is not an option for others in my household). I think I have improved a bit on this but still have a long way to go.

[hipmom]

Aug 9, 2016 18:29:04 GMT -5 mare said:

As an aside, if you've been getting comfy using these threads to recap instead of really reading the book carefully, I strongly encourage you to change that today. This chapter is a good one and from personal experience and reading these threads from the last few rounds, this skill is a tough one for many of us. Not only is it a habit breaker but it can bring up feelings of anxiety, resentfulness, or uncomfortable realizations.

Sitting here with my book and said to myself "Hip, you've got to catch up on your reading and not just depend on Mare's and others' posts in the threads."  Then I opened the new thread and read ^^^. mare are you a mind reader?!

[jonik]

This is a "habit" I have still not managed to make a habit 100% of the time. I have a naturally thin sister who eats S-L-O-W and when I am with her I let her pace me. Unfortunately she does not live close. In the past I have changed where DH and I eat supper. Time to do that again; it reminds me what I am there for. So, away from the kitchen counter and back to the table for us! Just the change in space reminds me to make a change in pace!

Excuses to eat fast in the past:
*My food gets cold. (Oh well, I can either re-heat it or not finish it if it does not taste good anymore).
*I have so much to do, I don't have time of this. (Really? I'm not that important that I everything I do can't wait until I am finished eating).

So, I will practice this skill again and get my head 100% back into the Beck game. Join me...

[ontosomething]

This is definitely a work in process for me. 

I was in the military and there I learned to eat fast during basic training and other schools I went to or I wouldn't consume enough food to fuel my body. 

One thing that I try to do is time my eating to eat slower than my husband. He is a slower eater than I. 

Once I get that down then I can determine if it is slow enough but I thought I needed to start somewhere. 

Eating mindfully is also a work in process for me. I like to do stuff, read, watch tv, etc. while I eat. But when I do slow down and really pay attention to what I eat I find it much more satisfying. 

I need to think if there are any ARCs that I can write about this. 

[Deleted]

I read this one on the train today. This will be a challenge, but one I'm looking forward to.

Today's credits:

1. Stayed positive all day/no self pity.
2. Left some food behind at lunch today when I was full.
3. Resisted the urge for Chinese food for dinner.
4. Walked with purpose and good posture all day - carried myself well.
5. Started looking at long distance running training plans again.
6. Finally entered my last three weeks of expenses in my budget software.
7. No mints at work (we have a big candy dish full of butter mints.)
8. Acknowledged my eating standing up and what triggered it. Moved on.
9. Read my ARC three times.
10. Read a day ahead in Beck to see what is next.

Aiming for 15 credits tomorrow.

[wendy]

Definitely need practice on this one. I'm not sure if it's because we only get 30 minutes for lunch including travel time so in order to finish I eat quickly. Or is it because I eat breakfast at 6 AM and by 1:00 I'm really hungry. Maybe I'll try a Protein shake before lunch so I am not so hungr

[meeshers]

We're starting to eat at the kitchen table instead of in front of the TV. If I eat at the same pace as Jessica, I've got this behavior made! I guess I shouldn't be encouraging her to eat faster but 1.5 hours at the dinner table was a little painful, especially with the lack of stimulating conversation.

[melbre]

Eating slowly is no problem- I've been doing it my whole life, much to the annoyance of my family, friends and coworkers. 😄
But, eating mindfully is more difficult for me. I always have the tv going, or I'm on the computer or iPad. I will work on this by limiting screen time. I will put my untensils down and take drinks of water or unsweet tea between bites of food. I will also check my hunger level periodically during meals to see if I'm hungry enough to keep eating, instead of finishing everything on my plate.
Today's credits include:
-Read ARC & other cards
-Read Beck chapter
-Ate everything while sitting today
-Skipped snack because I wasn't hungry (even though I had that feeling that I "wanted something to eat")

[rhubarbarian]

This one will take effort for me this week. I'm at a conference and we have limited time for meals. But I'm pretty sure I won't starve if I have to abandon an unfinished meal to go into the next workshop.

[karla24]

mare : yes, you are a mind reader I had started the book when I bought it, just to get an idea, and then school started up for my kids and I started to teach my normal program again and so I am a bit behind on rereading more carefully. But, I did buy myself a small pretty notebook for response cards and a bigger one to track /plan my days (food, activities, credits, thoughts) AND a fountain pen to have a nicer time writing
No time to list credits right now, but I have been conscious about them.

I, too, am and always have been a slow eater. Will need to work on mindful, we eat breakfast and usually dinner as a family, which doesn't always go so smoothly, and I eat lunch on my own, but often in front of the Internet, catching up on news and social media.

[lindabee]

Today's credits:
Read the chapter in the Pink Book
Read ARC twice
Ate sitting down
Weighed myself
Ignored the candy sitting on the kitchen table before going to work this morning
Did break open DH's bag of potatoes chips but counted out only one serving

As to eating slowly - this is one thing I really struggle with. I have to be hyper aware that I have to slow down. It's hard but I can do it.

[lumberjack55]

This is a difficult one for me, too. To eat more slowly, I will put down my utensils between bites and drink water between bites. To try to remain mindful, I will read my ARC before meals. Breakfast is hardest for me, probably because I'm always hopping up to get the next part of the meal ready.

Credits from yesterday:
Read my ARC twice.
Did not snack
Ate all meals seated.
Had one scoop of gelato for dessert even though I wanted more
Did not have a drink before dinner.

[sunmoonstars]

Good morning. Almost home from our long trip. Even after all the other beck rounds, I still have yet to obtain lasting success with this. Isn't it odd how even when eating slowly, that mindful, appreciative eating can be such a challenge?

I don't think the word "mindful" is motivating enough for me. "Appreciative," which just came to me is better. Not only should I be grateful for the food itself, but for any of the following: it tastes good, will nourish me, give me energy to accomplish my goals and leave me feeling satisfied and stronger. I'm going to see how this approach works.

[lisabee]

I started eating slowly and mindfully (I like "appreciatively") yesterday. It is going to be hard for me because I do eat so quickly. I will work at it. I added a small vase to the kitchen table and I set my place after each meal (ready for the next one) and those are my reminders to eat slowly/mindfully.

[Deleted]

Joining the rest of you who have trouble with eating slowly and mindfully (I like "appreciatively" too!). I do OK for awhile but so far it hasn't become automatic. I'll keep at it.

Credits from yesterday:
1. Read my ARCs 3x.
2. Got in over 14K steps, including an invigorating hike with friends.
3. Didn't follow up the hike with a beer, though having one sure sounded good!
4. Emailed my coaches.
5. Checked in on the boards.
6. Didn't finish a glass of wine that I decided wasn't worth it.
7. Tried a slow breathing time-out.
8. No bun with my brat.
9. Drank a boatload of water.
10. Stepped away from the taco dip!

[Byrd]

I need to give this a lot of thought. I love to read.
I'll start with the chapter.

[ermabom]

I am a work in progress on this skill. I have slowed down A LOT from when I started but if I stop paying attention, I speed up again. I time myself with other people in the house - DH is a very fast eater. My dad is slower. I want to be slowest. But my SIL is a very slow eater and I check myself with her when we meet.a few times a year. It is a good calibration for me.

I used the Eat Slower app last time I worked on this seriously. But I found that it is not working on my phone. So I downloaded a EatSlowly app that allows me to set how long I want a meal to last. It counts down. It also keeps a history so I can measure myself over time.

Putting utensils down when I notice I am going too fast also works for me. I use that in restaurants. At home we mostly eat with our hands as we eat Indian food.

Credits:
- Read ARC 2x
- Sat and ate all meals
- Stopped snacking quickly when I noticed I was doing it (2 small cookies later)
- Was able to wait for lunch after having a protein drink for breakfast. The past week had me starving at 10:30 and having a tough time waiting for lunch at 12:30
- Took a whole 30+ mins to eat my 2 slices of pizza for dinner. My goal is now 45 mins.

[pirouette]

I hate eating slowly. End of story. This one will always be work for me. I do have a plan, though. Today I will eat a bite, then two sips of water, repeat. I think that's the only way this is going to work for me.
I've been good with the sitting down part, so I'm very proud on that count.

Credits-felt the draw of the peanut butter jar, avoided it
Took a short walk when I got home instead of flopping directly on the couch.
Stopped eating when I felt full (almost never happens for me).

I haven't been directly reading my ARCs despite having them readily available, but I have been reciting some of them mentally to keep me focused, and discussing them with my coach. It is working, but I probably need another method to keep them visible. I may buy a dry-erase board this weekend and put it in my bathroom or near the door so I see it on a reagular basis.

[sweetmarsh52]

Sitting down and eating slowly are the two tat I have trouble with. I have a tendency to shove it in while standing as I'm trying to get everything done.

[grovers39]

Yesterday's credits:

Read ARC twice
Ate all meals sitting down 99% Popped a bite of cucumber in my mouth. Getting better though. I usually take a bite of lunchmeat when making hubby's lunch.
Drank 8+ glasses of water
Added another reason to my ARC
Ate slowly
Did not snack after work

[sarahsota]

This will be the first one that's not easy for me. I always have food on my fork while I have food in my mouth, always finish before everybody else, always clean my plate...but I'm looking forward to breaking those habits.

My Credits yesterday were:
I sat every time I ate
I said my ARC's out loud while looking in the mirror
I exercised
I made myself think positively most of the day
I took my dog for a walk
I drank a Diet Pepsi after dinner instead of snacks and felt proud of that

[lani]

I do like to savor my food, but at times I will shovel it in.  I've only had one meal since reading the chapter and took sips of water in between bites and put utensils down from time to time.  Will work on being aware more of the time.

Yesterday's credits:

Read ARC 3 times with concentration
Created giving credit Response Card
Posted on Beck thread (this really helps me)
Re-read Credit chapter
Wrote in my notebook
Ate all meals sitting, one sitting and slowly and mindfully

[teddytiger]

Good morning! This is definitely my area of greatest need. I've decided to think about it this way-since I'm trying to stick to 3 meals, that means I have less eating opportunities. Therefore I should make each one last. Some of the things I'm doing:
-sitting
-chewing at least 30 times (I have a tendency to chew a few times and swallow)
-drink water between bites
-savor the food while chewing
-put down utensils between bites or put the actual food down if it is something like toast w/pb
-take smaller bites

All of these things together slow me down a good bit. I have credits from yesterday:
1. Read my cards
2. Sat to eat all meals
3. Stuck to 3 meals (although I found myself "adding" to my meals-need to watch out for that slippery slope!)
4. Ran & walked

Have a great day everyone!

Phyllis

[whiskeytango]

Everybody is doing great! I feel a bit half-assed so far, but so far here are my credits:

1. I am becoming more aware of eating while standing and have started to curb that
2. I signed up for a 6-week body transformation challenge- it starts in 2 weeks.
3. I've read my ARCs daily, and repeated them to myself periodically.
4. I've checked in here and posted instead of just lurking.

Today I will get more fully assed with this! Take more opportunities to rack up some gold stars I may even pick up some gold stars and a notebook!