As a first step to becoming a Responsible Eater, I spent some time becoming a Conscious Eater. I did this by spending a week observing my eating habits, paying close attention not only to my food choices, but also to when I ate and when I stopped eating.
i.e. Did I start eating because I was hungry, because it was mealtime, or because somebody else was eating something that looked good? Did I stop eating because I felt comfortably full or did I wait until all the food on my plate was gone? If I went back for seconds, was it because I was still hungry or because the food tasted good and I wanted to eat more of it.
Was I choosing food that had the most nutritional value for my body? If not, what was motivating the choices I was making?
I set aside all judgements during this process; I just made a mental note of the facts that were important for me to be aware of.
Once I was more consciously aware of what my eating habits were, I was ready to begin modifying them while making healthier food choices. Gently easing myself into lifestyle changes that I could adapt to – not forcing anything onto myself that I was not ready for. This put a stop to the personal sabotage that was my custom. Now that I was working With myself, there was no reason for sabotage.
The next step in the process was to become better informed about my food choices by learning to read the nutritional labels on the back of packages. Although I am a fan of natural foods, it’s pretty hard to boycott packaged foods altogether.
Whenever I find myself unwilling to go with the healthier choice, I give myself over to enjoying the food I have chosen to eat against my better judgement. Now that I am no longer taking time out to beat myself up for poor choices, I find myself much more willing to quickly resume my healthier plan of eating.
