We’re down to the last five days of the month. I woke up this morning thinking how easy it is to run out of steam right at the end of a project like this, and wondering what extra effort I might need to put forth to get the rest of the way to the goal, which was to give time and attention to this blog every day in July.

I was also thinking about how I’ve struggled for the last couple of months to get rid of the weight I gained while I recuperated after my eye surgeries. I’m close to that goal, but the last couple of pounds are hanging on tight. I’ve been banging away on my exercise routine as hard as ever, but with a lot going on in my work world, I’ve stumbled in the commitment to eat well. Too much snacking, too many poor choices, too many stray calories. Not enough veggies, whole grains, and lean meats.

So I asked myself, “What can I do with the five remaining days of July?” I have ideas for a few more blog posts. We’ll see if it’s enough to carry me across the finish line. But what else can I do in my sprint toward the end of the month? I decided to turn my focus to the practice I call “eating with intentionality.” For the last five days of July, I plan to pay more careful attention than ever to every bite of food or drop of drink that goes in my mouth. I’ll write it all down, and I’ll take my own advice about making sure that I eat only when I’m hungry. It’s a challenge. But we’re talking about five days. I know that I can do this for five days.

What’s the goal you’re working on? What could you accomplish toward that goal if you gave it everything you’ve got for five days? Ignore all the distractions—it’s only five days, after all—and give your time and attention to the facet of your life that needs them most right now. Five days of eating well, five days of exercising at your full capacity, five days of writing poetry, or making art, or doing yoga, or cooking nutritious meals.

Then come back here to the comments area and share with us what you’ve done.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’m an emotional eater. I’ve learned this about myself over and over again, but sometimes the realization doesn’t set in until 10 or 15 minutes after the food goes down. Here’s the process:

1. Experience mildly negative emotion—frustration, boredom, anxiety, irritation.
2. Seek comfort in food.
3. Later, realize that I ate for the wrong reason.
4. Feel disappointed in myself.
5. Repeat process starting at step 2, ad infinitum.

I’m trying to train myself to anticipate step 3 before I act on step 2. This is the heart of my philosophy of “eating with intentionality.” I try to evaluate every single impulse to eat by asking the question, “Am I really hungry?” Sometimes my awareness that the answer is no is enough to give me a push in another direction.

But sometimes the answer is “no, but…,” and then it’s important to consider the follow-up question, “Then why do I want to eat?” When I have the strength and the presence of mind to ponder this question, I’m often surprised by the answer:

• I want to eat because I don’t relish the next thing on my to-do list.
• I want to eat because I had a bad day yesterday.
• I want to eat because I didn’t get the phone call I was waiting for.
• I want to eat because I don’t know what else to do next.

And so on. (See more Bad Reasons to Eat.)

If you’re an emotional eater like I am, try to cultivate the habit of asking, “Am I really hungry?” And don’t beat yourself up when an act of impulsive eating gets past your vigilance. One snack isn’t going to ruin the progress you’ve made, and wasting your energy on guilt or shame will only reinforce the cycle you’re trying to break. Recognize the emotion that’s troubling you, give yourself a pat on the back for paying attention, and renew your commitment to the changes you want to make in your life.

Last Saturday I took part in a workshop at Studio NiaMoves called “Exploring Mindful Eating.” Personal chef and food consultant Adam Miles talked about how human beings develop issues with food, and what we can do about it. His premise is that we start out with an instinctive ability to eat right, eat only when we’re hungry, and enjoy what we eat, but that we pick up bad habits, bad information, and a twisted relationship with food as we grow up. We learn to eat the wrong things, for the wrong reasons. But we can unlearn.

Adam is kind, soft-spoken, and charismatic (and slim). Having spoken to him on the phone once, I arrived at Studio NiaMoves already prepared to like him, and he made it easy. He started the session by asking each of us to talk about a food memory from childhood and a food issue we’re dealing with now. This seemed to be a tough exercise for some people, and Adam took care to thank each of us for sharing. When it was my turn, I said that I felt as if I have a good handle on my food issues these days, and that I’d only come to see what new information I might pick up, since there’s always more to learn. (I hope I didn’t sound like a self‑satisfied jerk.)

After the group sharing, Adam talked about his own experience of growing up, putting on weight, developing bad eating habits, and then cycling through lots of fad diets and self-destructive behaviors. He talked about how he got through it by eventually coming up with his philosophy of “mindful eating.” And then he outlined that philosophy. It’s mostly about choosing natural, unprocessed, healthful foods and giving eating the care, time, and attention it deserves in our lives. It’s also about being gentle with ourselves when we stray from better choices.

Toward the end of the workshop, he demonstrated a couple of easy recipes for smoothies—one fruit, one veggie. He surprised me by putting kale in the fruit smoothie and avocados in the veggie one. Although they were palatable, I can’t say that I plan to add them to my regimen. I need something I can sink my teeth into.

He said a lot more, but I was too captivated by listening to Adam speak to take any notes. I’ll just add that enjoying the support of the group and Adam’s energy and enthusiasm were worth the price of admission. I encourage anyone who’s working through issues with food—which is most of us, I think—to take his next class if you get the chance.

Adam doesn’t have a web site, but he expects to offer future workshops at Studio NiaMoves. To receive announcements, subscribe to the NiaMoves mailing list and select the category “Nutrition ~ Mindful Eating ~ Workshops.” Or become a fan of Studio NiaMoves’ Facebook page, or follow Nia’s Kristie Bryant on Twitter.

Good Reasons to Eat

• Hunger