Eat cake and still LOSE weight

Yes, it really IS possible — thanks to ingenious tips in the second part of our revolutionary mindfulness diet

WE KNOW it’s all too easy to eat without thinking. Who hasn’t absent-mindedly scoffed biscuits, crisps, bagels and muffins or curled up with a bar of chocolate when stressed or sad?

But this ‘ mindless eating’ is the route of ill-health and obesity, as it leads us to make unhealthy food choices and to over- eat without even realising.

With so many subconscious messages going through our brain every time we pass a deli or open the fridge door, it’s no wonder diets are so difficult to stick to.

But studies have shown practising mindfulness, and specifically, eating mindfully, is a simple and brilliantly effective route to long-term sustainable weight-loss.

It sounds strange, but it simply means being truly present in the moment and focusing on what you’re doing, rather than just eating unconsciously.

In last Monday’s Life & Style, we showed how a few short and simple daily mindfulness exercises can give your brain the space it needs to unravel deeply entrenched food habits, and to form the groundwork for new healthy- eating behaviours that really can help you lose weight.

Our work as a clinical psychologist and nutritionist at the Duke University Centre for Integrative Medicine in the U.S. has shown that by combining the forces of health psychology with nutrition, in the form of mindfulness practice and healthy eating guidelines, we can break the cycle of yo-yo dieting and put you back in control of when and what you eat.

Better yet, it’s scientifically proven to work.

Today, we’ll show you how to learn the difference between true hunger and its many imposters, and we’ll give you a mindfulness toolkit to help you navigate the choppy waters of restaurant dining — as

well as teaching you the clever psychological trick to make a piece of chocolate cake taste the best it ever has . . .

ARE YOU REALLY FEELING HUNGRY?

MANY people recognise extreme hunger, but have trouble sensing its more subtle signs; others are so hypersensitive to hunger that they end up grabbing food in a panic at the slightest pang.

Hunger and fullness are not black and white, there are subtle gradations of both. But while the sensations of extreme hunger and fullness shout loudly, moderate hunger and fullness signal in whispers. It can take practice — mindfulness practice — to notice them.

Set aside ten minutes for this mindfulness exercise the first time, and then use it for a quick check before, during and after each meal and snack, until you are brilliant at recognising your own hunger/ fullness signs:

Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Breathe slowly in and out until you feel a sense of looseness and ease.

Take a moment to cast your mind over your body, from your toes to the top of your head, noticing any places holding unnecessary tension, tightness or stress.

Bring your awareness to your stomach (rest your hand below your breastbone slightly to the left). Notice how your belly rises and falls with each breath.

If your mind wanders from the physical sensations of what is happening in this moment, notice what it is doing. Is it creating judgments about your body? Surfacing old stories or beliefs? Just let them be, and return your attention to the physical experience of your body in this moment.

Now direct your awareness to the stomach and the deeper sensations inside. You might notice warmth or coolness, some degree of emptiness or fullness, or movement. Just notice whatever is there — or not there. There is no right or wrong, you are just observing what your body has to tell you.

Notice how hungry or full you are. 1 = very hungry (you feel ‘starving’, weak and might have a headache and be light-headed or jittery) 2 = moderately hungry (you have gnawing hunger pangs) 3 = mildly hungry (a slight emptiness in the stomach) 4 = neutral (no sensations of hunger or fullness) 5 = moderately full (you’re not hungry, and you may notice the very first signal of stretch in your stomach) 6 = very full (your stomach feels a little stretched) 7 = much too full (you feel stuffed, slightly sick and your stomach is distended).

To be healthy and lose weight, you should only start eating at number 2 and always stop eating at number 5.

Reflect on the sensations that help you find your hunger rating. And with the next breath, begin to expand your focus back to the room. Then open your eyes.

YES, YOU CAN GO OUT FOR DINNER

PRACTISING mindful eating might mean saying no to the apple pie your relative made just for you, bringing your own lunch to an allday work conference when all your colleagues choose pizza, or asking for sparkling water instead of wine at a party.

It is possible to eat healthily when you’re out for dinner, but it’s not easy. The key is to have a strategy before you go in:

FIRST, check the menu online at home, and begin to plan what you’re going to order.

SPEND a few minutes sitting quietly, envisioning the occasion. Close your eyes and visualise yourself choosing food that sounds appealing and refreshingly healthy. Think about how good it will feel to leave the restaurant without being stuffed and bloated.

REMEMBER that you are going to be mindful of your food choices because you want and deserve to feel radiantly healthy and energetic. Think about what you’ll say to the waiter.

WHEN you’re at the restaurant, take a deep breath and remember the images that came up for you during this visualisation to help you stick to your plan.

AVOID the triggers for mindless eating by tuning in to the smells, sights and feelings of connection with the people you are with and slowly savour the taste of your food.

TRY putting your fork down after each bite, eating with your non- dominant hand or taking a long, slow, deep breath between bites to slow your eating. This gives your brain the chance to catch up with your hands, so you can register that you’re satisfied before you end up over-eating.

HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT MINDFULLY

CAKE, treats and sweets are not banned, but if you do indulge, they should be fully appreciated, enjoyed and eaten very slowly.

The mindful eater will only eat just enough to get maximum satisfaction, and knows exactly when to stop.

When we eat food with a particular flavour — sweet, salty, sour or bitter — the pleasure we receive builds, peaks and then starts to decline, due to chemical reactions in the tastebuds.

The peak prior to the decline is called ‘ taste satiety’ and this triggers a shift in the brain. The point at which we reach taste satiety will depend on the size of the bites we take, how hungry we are, the speed at which we eat and the flavour mix in the food.

A doughnut has the same number of calories whether you eat it in three bites or ten, but the satisfaction you get from it — and how much you end up eating — can vary radically, depending not just on the speed of your eating, but also on the size of your bites.

When it’s working normally, our taste satiety mechanism tells us we’ve had enough of that particular flavour, but the message will be subtle and you have to slow down and pay attention to hear it.

This mindfulness exercise will help you become more aware of different tastes, teach you how to fully appreciate them and slow down your eating — not just giving you a better sense of when you have eaten enough, but making you likely to feel satisfied more quickly and stop earlier. Or at least turn down a second slice.

Here’s how to get the most out of your treats:

Put a small slice of chocolate cake in front of you, close your eyes and rest your hands on your stomach, then take four or five deep, easy breaths.

Draw your attention to what’s going on in your stomach and mouth. Notice physical sensations, thoughts or emotions. Whatever you experience, just observe it, don’t judge or criticise it. Don’t try to change it; just separate out the emotion or thought from physical sensations you might notice.

Open your eyes and pick up the plate. Continue to be aware of any thoughts or emotions that pass through your mind. Look at it as if this were the first time you had ever seen cake. If you were a painter, how would you paint it? Notice the shape, the size, the colours, the way the light reflects off the icing.

Now move your attention to the smell of the cake. Place it under your nose, close your eyes again and notice the scent. Where in your nose do you smell the chocolate? What aspects of it can you smell? Milk? Vanilla? Tobacco or an earthy scent?

Now rub a few crumbs on your lips so you get just a hint of flavour. What do you taste? What do you notice about the texture? Is it smooth or gritty? Melting or not?

Now put a piece on your tongue, but do not bite it. What do you now notice about the flavour? Move it around your mouth. Does it taste different in various parts of your mouth? Allow it to melt on your tongue. What do you notice as it melts? Just allow yourself to be fully present. What do you notice about your saliva? About your mouth itself? Does the flavour change over time as it melts? In what way?

Take as long as you like to chew and eat the cake. Can you feel it move out of your mouth, into your throat? Into your stomach? Be aware of any thoughts or emotions that pass through your mind, distinguishing them from a sensation such as taste.

BRAIN TRAINING

TRY to practise this exercise whenever you eat ‘pleasure’ food at home. If you’re out and about:

PUT down your fork between bites and ask yourself repeatedly if you’ve had enough — and when you have, stop.

TAKE small bites or cut your food into tiny bite- sized pieces, then take your time to attend to the flavour of each bite.

EXTRACTED by Louise Atkinson from The Mindful Diet: How To Transform Your Relationship With Food For Lasting Weight Loss And Vibrant Health by Ruth Wolever and Beth Reardon (Atlantic Books).

With practice, you can learn to feel fuller quicker – and enjoy treats without the guilt