Forget About Months…What Can You Do in Five Days?

The July Project: Day 27

Five, count 'em, five

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 …[MORE]

Eating With Intentionality: Ask the Hard Questions

The July Project: Day 13

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 …[MORE]

Mindful Eating with Chef Adam Miles

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. …[MORE]

Bad Reasons to Eat

  • Anxiety
  • Loneliness
  • Boredom
  • Fatigue
  • Nervousness
  • Irritability
  • Fear
  • Impatience
  • Frustration
  • Habit
  • Opportunity
  • Shyness
  • Tradition
  • Distraction
  • Stress
  • Peer pressure

Good Reasons to Eat

  • Hunger