Day 3 - The Two-Time Sit Down

Last night I was exhausted. Sometimes the hardest part of the day is actually coming home when there are many tasks still ahead; making dinner, helping Cammie with her homework, reading the bedtime story (and since we are in the middle of a great story it takes about an hour before we can put it down) and maybe having a moment or two of pure sitcom heaven.

It occurred to me as I was driving home from work that the best time to consciously interact with my food was now. If I could gently and curiously approach my relationship with food at a time when I was most fatigued and willing to consume my desires then I would no doubt be mastering the art of awake eating.

Most of us are busy, tired and drained and it is precisely for that reason that we tend to get home, plop ourselves on the couch and eat into oblivion. I developed an exercise called The Two-Time Sit Down that is designed to help us understand our true physical and emotional needs with food. Here is a breakdown on my website if you want to give it a try. 

The first time I did this exercise was an accident. I was at work and eating a salad with delicious turkey pastrami on top. It was the perfect balance of crunchy, crispy and hearty during a busy day. Half way through I had to take a phone call that ended up lasting over an hour. When I hung up the phone and looked at the salad I was no longer hungry. I had energy; the kind that is light and free. But my body did not need more fuel - it was already well amped up. I put it away for later. The weird thing was that if I had not received the call I had the full intention of eating every last bite. 

Essentially The Two-Time Sit Down Exercise entails eating half of your meal, going and doing something of purpose and coming back to the other half of the meal to see if your relationship with the food has changed at all. What you find may surprise you!

I made a green bean and tuna salad when I got home. By the time the dish was ready I was very hungry. I thought to myself, 'Do I really want to do this exercise now? Maybe I will just pile more on my plate than I usually do, so that I know I will get enough even when I divide it in half.' Alas, I fall prey to honesty. I have to do this right even when it is most inconvenient. I reminded myself that no matter how much I do or do not eat I will always give myself permission to honor my desires. The point is just to feel. I must be awake to sensations no matter my disposition.

I served myself my usual amount (the amount I would eat including going back for seconds and thirds if applicable). Then I divided the amount in half on my plate. I focused on eating the first half slowly and with intention. I applied The Awake Eating Method (read more about it here) to truly absorb and take in every morsel. I loved placing half of an olive with just the right ratio of green bean, tuna and tomato to make the perfect salty, savory and citrusy bite. By the time I was done with that the first portion I still wanted more. I wanted to have more of that perfect balance of flavor ignite on my tongue. Instead I did the next step in the exercise which was - go do something!

My daughter and I did jumping jacks and squats for fun. I swept the floor. I took my dogs outside. I could feel my body settle a bit and my stomach, although not stuffed full, was content and taut. By the time I was done with my tasks another 15 minutes had gone by. I sat in front of the second half of my meal and checked in. The food still looked good. My stomach was by no means empty but there was still something lacking. I rated myself at around a 5 on the hunger fullness scale. I was not hungry but not full. I still felt ungrounded. I ate the rest of the meal.

What was amazing was allowing myself time to digest and absorb the first half of the meal calmed my body. No longer was I eating with a sense of urgency. The second half of the meal was the best for me because I allowed myself to dive in slowly. I ended up leaving a couple tablespoons of food leftover on the plate. I knew when I was done.

During my training and research into Intuitive & Awake Eating I discovered a lot about myself. Even though I ate ‘healthy’ food and took care of my body, I really had no idea how much I did not listen to it. I find that this is true for most, if not all, of us when it comes to how we eat. We eat however much we put on our plates. What we put on our plates is really just a product of the quantity and variety of food that we see in front of us. We serve portions that we have experienced made us ‘full’ or ‘stuffed’ before. We eat based on how empty, deprived or lonely we are inside. Sometimes we see our empty plate and want more taste, texture and substance yet never check in with our body to see if what we are searching for is a physical or emotional need. Sometimes, like last night, our hunger is a desire for nourishment beyond the meal.

The reason why intuitive eating is the center of my nutrition practice is because it is truly the foundation for a happy life. Intuitive eating is like learning how to interact in a healthy relationship. You can learn how to identify the perfect mate (career, build, weight, personality, values, character traits and all) but if you do not learn how to participate fully in the relationship then what is the point?! We learn how to identify supposed 'good' and 'bad' foods but never learn how to have a joyful and easy relationship with food and body in the first place.

Try The Two-Time Sit Down Exercise and investigate your relationship with food. Use my suggestions above or begin keeping a to-do list with you where you can write down the things that you would like to do in your day. When you employ this exercise just bring out your list and choose from the many things that you could do. Some other suggestions: take a bath, draw a picture, call your parents, write that email, clean out the fridge or make love!

Give this first step in Awake Eating a try and let me know how it goes!

Nat