Action Plan for Stress-Free Eating



I watched a great interview the other day with Stacy Halprin. Well the interviewer kinda sucked but Stacey was great and I am jazzed about getting her book. It's billed as an inspirational and motivational guide to help people maintain the weight loss after weight loss surgery. Perfect. I'll take it. Hey and I gotta support a fellow NYer. This entry is from her Action Plan for Stress-Free Eating. Good stuff.

• Eat while sitting down in a relaxed atmosphere.

• Eat at a comfortable pace; stay conscious of the process.

• Chew every bite many times before swallowing.

• Set your fork or spoon down on your plate between bites.

• Take a moment to feel grateful for the food and the person or people who prepared it for you.

• Pay attention to the internal signals that tell you when you are full.

• Savor the flavor of each mouthful of food.

• Remember that food should be valued for its nutritional traits. Continuing to eat after the point of satiety overloads the digestive system, resulting in a buildup of toxicity in your physiology. (It takes twenty minutes for your brain to know that your body is full)

• Eat freshly prepared foods.

• Sit quietly for a few minutes after finishing your meal. Focus your attention on the sensations in your body.

• Don’t watch TV, drive, or have upsetting conversations while eating.

• Don’t eat out of boxes or bags. Put your food on a plate or in a bowl.

• Don’t eat while highly emotional.

• Think of your capacity for food as an “appetite gauge”—where number 1 on the gauge means you are famished and 10 means you are completely full. Eat when your gauge is around number 2 or 3.

• Eat to a schedule. Do not eat erratically due to high levels of stress and a busy life.

(adapted from Stacey Halprin's book "Winning After Losing")