Mindful Eating on Thanksgiving–You Can Do It!

Mindful eating is a term that gets thrown around a lot. Sure, I know that I shouldn’t inhale my pizza at warp speed or plop myself in front of the TV with a bag of chips. But as the holidays (and the stress that comes with them) approach, my knowledge of mindful eating goes out the window. Three hours into stuffing my face with Thanksgiving dinner, I can barely button my pants.

So, in a conscious effort to cut back on the pecan pie, I’m reminding myself of the principles of mindful eating. No better time to appreciate my meal and savor the experience like Thanksgiving. The Center of Mindful Eating gives tips on how to make eating a positive and nourishing experience. Here’s how:

Be aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities available through eating and preparing food.

Choose to eat food that is both pleasing to you and nourishing to your body by using all your senses to explore, savor, and taste.

Acknowledge your responses to food (likes, neutral, or dislikes) without judgment.

Recognize physical hunger and satiety cues, and let them guide your decision to start (and stop) eating.

I’m glad to have the reminder of how to mindfully eat. Thanksgiving isn’t the only time I eat on auto-pilot–on more than one occasion have I realized I’ve eaten an entire bag of cookies without noticing I’m full. This Thanksgiving, I’m planning on slowing way down during the meal, so that I can enjoy the people around the table more than the mashed potatoes.

How are you spending your Thanksgiving holiday? Are you as nervous as I am for the free-for-all at the dinner table? What are your tips to keep from overeating?

By Marcy Franklin, Natural Solutions

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Laura S.

4:44AM PDT on Apr 16, 2013

Mindful eating should be for every day, not just for holidays.

April 16
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Angie V.

11:15PM PST on Mar 7, 2013

Thanks...

March 7
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Ram R.

9:50PM PST on Feb 5, 2013

Thank you

February 5
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Danuta W.

3:48AM PST on Jan 19, 2013

thanks

January 19
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Paula S.

7:06PM PST on Nov 19, 2012

I think mindful eating on a holiday works best if you eat for enjoyment and stop before you feel like a pregnant hippo. Been doing that the past few years and it works really well.

November 19
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Winn A.

5:05PM PST on Nov 19, 2012

Thanks

Michele W.

9:32AM PST on Nov 19, 2012

Rosemary P.

12:14PM PST on Nov 18, 2012

Mel thank you for this conscious reminder.

November 18
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Bonnie W.

10:53AM PST on Nov 18, 2012

I like the simple reminders that encourage us to notice our own bodily signals about what and when to eat, and how much. I also appreciate the comments about connecting with the other diners more than with the food. It's a mixed-up world right now, and we do seem to need reminders about how to live gracefully.

rene d.

9:30AM PST on Nov 17, 2012

Thanks!