6th May 2011

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it. Margaret Thatcher

Looks like another beautiful day on the way and I’m going to at least go and get to spend an hour in it with Alfie in a bit and enjoy the fresh air. Got quite a busy day with an important meeting tonight so I’m hoping my massage this afternoon will take my mind off it all.

What did you eat yesterday? Was it delicious? Did you know that when you eat what you want and allow yourself to truly experience the please, you feel satisfaction and contentment, which allows you to STOP eating when you feel full. Numerous studies support this, I’m not just making it up to make us feel better. Eating pleasurable food when you have a physical drive to eat won’t trigger consistent overeating in ‘intuitive eaters’. Remember if you are consumed with guilt, you don’t enjoy (or even experience) the food.

Just because you’re eating to lose weight doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your food, if you avoid the foods you truly desire you often wind up eating more of everything else in a never-ending question for satisfaction. So the next time you want that chip butty – go for it! I did last night although I had an oven chip wrap mmm it was phenomenal even mom commented, “You’re really enjoying that aren’t you”, so the look on my face or the noises I was making must have given me away!

I could have opted for a jacket potato, a wiser choice some may say but that would have resulted in me continuing to search for satisfaction which usually means an ongoing grazing session. No it’s been almost 12 months since I committed to choose food I love, I no longer choose “what I should have”, and my weight hasn’t suffered because of it. And before you ask, no I don’t choose to eat junk all the time, the other night I really got a craving for tomato soup and I even get them for salad leaves!

For me it’s not just about choosing food I truly enjoy eating, it’s actually paying attention to it as I eat it. Okay so I admit I don’t manage that 100% of the time, but I do try to do it as often as I possibly can. For example someone made me a tea loaf last night and I adore it, so I’m going to have two slices for my breakfast and really, really enjoy every mouthful, it’s full of sultanas and cherries and will have just as much fibre in it as a bowl of bran flakes I’m sure. And if it hasn’t, who cares!

So even if its just for today, aim to be fully present for your meals, eat with awareness, why not set a table and sit down and enjoy your food, even if it is just a cup of tea and a cake!

Enjoy your Friday, I know I will.