Body Image

Love Your Body by Eating Mindfully

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Written by Leah May, Human Nutrition Dietetic Intern

Take a moment to relax. Close your eyes, if you wish. Take a deep breath and begin to notice what you feel in your body. Are you holding tension anywhere? Allow yourself to soften. Take a few more slow, deep breaths. Next, turn your attention to your stomach. What do you notice? Are you comfortable or uncomfortable? Does your stomach feel empty, neutral or are you satisfied (or even stuffed)? Is it difficult to decipher what your body is saying to you?

Mindfulness practice can be beneficial in many aspects of wellness, and one way to get in tune with your eating is by using mindful, or intuitive, eating. Mindful eating is an anti-diet approach to food that your mind AND body will thank you for.

Mindful eating includes:

  1. Listening to your body and stopping when full
  2. Eating when our bodies tell us to eat (i.e., stomach growling, energy low)
  3. Eating with others, at set times and places
  4. Eating foods that are nutritionally healthy
  5. When eating, just eating (no multitasking)
  6. Considering where food comes from

One way to start noticing your body’s internal cues related to hunger is by using the “Hunger and Fullness Scale.” On a scale from 1-10, from empty to stuffed or sick, the goal is to stay within 3-7. Check out this Mindful Eating handout to learn more.

In addition to paying attention to your body’s hunger cues, there are a few ways to begin implementing mindful eating. First, slow down. Eat slower than usual, which may mean giving yourself more time to eat. Take smaller bites and chew your food thoroughly. While you are chewing, tune in to your senses. What does your food look like: color, shape? Does your food make a certain sound: sizzling, popping, crunching? What does it smell like, and what flavors do you taste; is your food sweet, salty, savory, or sour? Is your food hot or cold? What textures are in your food; is it rough, crunchy, smooth, light, or creamy?

Do you ever find yourself eating when you aren’t hungry? One strategy you can try is the NOW technique. NOW stands for “Need or Want” and this is a way to ask yourself if you are physically hungry and need food, or if you want food due to boredom, stress, or even social situations. Consider a few activities you might like to do instead of eating when you are not hungry. For example:

  • Chew gum
  • Read a book
  • Play a game on your phone
  • Walk your dog
  • Color or draw
  • Brush your teeth
  • Sudoku or crossword puzzle
  • Use silly putty or play-dough

Sometimes it feels difficult to celebrate our bodies, especially when it comes to our relationship with food. Don’t forget to be kind and compassionate toward yourself. It may take a while to notice your hunger cues, or what your body is telling you. Mindful eating takes time and patience!

In honor of next week’s Love Your Body Week (Feb 24-28, 2020), consider choosing one or two of the tips above to start implementing in your daily routine. Use the Hunger/Fullness scale to help gauge where you are at when you eat today. Listen to your body by slowing down and using your senses. Try the NOW technique to find alternate activities when you are not hungry. Mindful eating is a great way to show your body love and respect!

Additional Resources

How to Address Diet Talk Around the Holidays

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Written by Janele Bayless, LPC, RDN

Holidays can be fun and relaxing, as well as stressful and overwhelming. As people gather around the table to celebrate holidays and feast on food, a variety of topics may come up, including comments about food and dieting. While it’s common to bond over food, discussions around dieting can be triggering for those struggling with body image and eating concerns, or trying to practice intuitive eating. Below is a variety of scenarios with responses that could help as you navigate the holidays.

If people make comments about your body or food choices, try phrases like:

  • My body and my food intake are not up for discussion.
  • This isn’t something I want to talk about right now.
  • Those comments make me uncomfortable. Let’s talk about something else.
  • Remember when I told you how I’m working on listening to my body around food and feeling better in my body? Those comments make it hard for me, let’s talk about something else.

When someone tries to talk with you about their diet:

  • Say something like “It sounds like you’ve found something that works for you” and then change the subject.
  • If the conversation is really triggering and bothering you, excuse yourself from the conversation and go elsewhere to give yourself a break from the diet talk.
  • If you feel comfortable, you can share more about why you’re no longer dieting, what you’re doing instead, and how you have been feeling so far.

When you order a salad and someone says “Oh! We’re being good today, aren’t we?”

  • You can say,“Eating a salad doesn’t make me a better person – it’s just what I’m in the mood for.”

When you want dessert after dinner and someone says “I can’t eat dessert or I’ll gain X pounds if I eat that.”

  • You can say,“That’s not how bodies work. Our bodies can use all types of foods and this is what sounds good to me right now.” Or, “I used to think that too, but ever since I’ve been listening to my body about what it really wants and needs, I’ve been able to enjoy my dessert – and all foods! – so much more.”

When someone asks if you want to join them in a cleanse after the weekend:

  • You can say,“No thanks! Those never make me feel good – I always feel tired and irritable, and restricted. I’d rather eat foods that nourish and satisfy me. But if you want to grab lunch afterwards, I’d love that.”

When an account you follow on social media posts a calorie-based meal plan, transformation photos, or a list of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods:

  • You can unfollow them and fill your social media feed with diverse, body positive and non-diet accounts.

If someone says, “If I ate like that, I’d be X pounds more/less.”

  • You can say,“We all have different food preferences and needs – this is working for me today.”

If someone starts talking about their new diet/weight loss plan:

  • You can change the subject and say,“Speaking of new things, have you watched that new show ______ on Netflix? It’s so good!”

If someone says, “I’m going to be bad and go up for more food – that dish is just so good!”

  • You can say,“Don’t be silly, there’s nothing ‘bad’ about eating! If you still want more, you should have more, the food is amazing!”

If someone says, “My problem is I can never stop eating once I start.”

  • You can say,“I’ve been working on tuning into my internal cues around hunger and fullness – it’s been such an eye-opening experience to really feel like I can give my body what it needs and wants, and feels more satisfying.”

While these situations may not always be comfortable or convenient, having different responses ready can help you feel prepared and experience more freedom and peace with food as you navigate the holiday season.

What are your favorite go-to statements in response to diet talk/culture? Email nutrition@osu.edu to share. Happy holidays!