It is always so fun to watch the reactions of the people who have been dieting all their lives when I give this first "exercise" in my "Don't Weight for Healthy Eating™ " classes and on-line groups. After years of thinking of food as "bad" and appetite as the enemy, this exercise is quite shocking. It is harder to do than you might think, but it is fun. Savor Your Food This is a tough exercise. At first it will seem simple. Usually it will be enjoyable. But it will still be tough. You will be surprised at your reaction when you try this. You may discover things about yourself and your feelings that you did not know. Your first eating exercise is:

Whenever it seems reasonable,

Savor Your Food

Enjoy the aroma.
Appreciate how delicious it looks.
Really taste it.
Swirl it around all your taste buds.
Experience it!

As you try this, you may find that you are more satisfied when you eat. You may be more satisfied with less food because you are really experiencing what you were eating. Most compulsive behaviors are about tuning something out. Often people eat to numb or distract themselves. This exercise is the opposite of compulsive eating. You are not tuning out. YOU ARE TUNING IN! This time, food is not an escape, it is a tool for self-discovery.

If it makes you more comfortable, you can also focus on noticing when the next bite of food does not taste as delicious as the last. At that point, when eating is not as enjoyable, you can ask yourself: "Why eat any more?" You may be surprised at your answer to this simple question. You may begin to tune-in to your emotional needs and understand yourself better if you answer this question honestly and often.

Be patient, this is not easy. You will not savor your food all the time. Sometimes you will just scarf down a lunch because you are hungry and need to get back to work. That is fine. That is normal eating too. Sometimes you will savor your food, tune-in to your emotions, and come up with a better way to meet your needs. That is fine too.

If this is your first time experiencing this exercise, just try it. You may have emotional reactions. You may have physical reactions. Would it be good for you to write on this? If you are not a writer, do you want to draw or paint or blotch paint to match your emotions? Do you want to move or dance or pound or scream? EXPRESS YOURSELF in any way that works for you.

If you have already focused on this, what do you want to do with it next? Here are some possibilities: 1.) Notice what helps you to be able to savor your food … and DO IT! 2.) Notice what effect savoring your food has on your healthy eating … and write about it, or express yourself in some way. On the Workbook Page are some spaces in which you may choose to write about your savoring experience. (If you choose to draw, paint, scribble, etc., just include that expression in your notebook too.)

Other Workbook Lessons

Workbook Basics
(Do these lessons FIRST before
continuing to Weekly Lessons)

Weekly Lessons
(Do these lessons AFTER
you have finished all the
Workbook Basics)

If you want to print out your entire Workbook,
Download the Wookbook [PDF, 140K, Adobe Acrobat required]

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Life & Wellness Coaching

Health Coaching

Plus Size Fitness

Healthy Eating

Philly Area Services

Sign up for Kelly's Healthy Living eNewsletter

About

Lifestyle Coaching

Plus Size Fitness

Healthy Eating

Success Stories

eNewsletter

Kelly’s Choice Shopping

In the News

Health Focus

Contact Me

Public Speaking

Become an Affiliate

Wholesale

Savor Your Food

Exercise

Other Workbook Lessons

Sign up for
Kelly's Healthy Living eNewsletter