Me Eating Mindfully

Dieting is suppose to be about strict rules and careful tracking. I’ve tried that before and it didn’t work. I do try to eat mindfully. Here are some guidelines, you could call them rules that I follow when I’m not fasting. Really I’ve followed these the past ten years at least in an attempt to slow down the weight gain.

1. NO MUFFIN RULE – This is the one thing follow that I would consider as a rule. As a foodie I generally detest Muffins. It’s like a cake wannabe. With a few gourmet fresh baked possible exceptions I can’t believe anyone would voluntarily eat a muffin when a cake, cookie, brownie, pie, or virtually any other sort of baked good is available.

This rule translates into the YUMMYINESS/HEALTH EFFECT filter I try to run eating decisions through. Basically, I’ll eat almost anything, but if it’s really unhealthy then it better promise to be an almost orgasmic taste sensation. If it’s readily available in my hometown then something really unhealthy wouldn’t qualify. The worst category of consumption to me is liquid sugar calories. The last time I consumed anything of the sort was a coffee freeze at the Camellia Grill in New Orleans which is a yummy treat that regularly goes on food shows.

2. Be Very Careful with Carb Based Liquid Calories – I very, very rarely drink alcohol. I also drink beverages with significant non-fat calories only with extreme hesitation. I’m more lenient with milk then straight sugar, but it’s still quite unusual for me. When I’m not fasting I try to have places use heavy cream.

3. Avoid Filler – Filler to me constitutes cheap carb based ingredients that bulk up meals. Classic examples include mashed potatoes, corn, bread, french fries, rice, beans, and pasta. Stuff like sweet potatoes or whole wheat I still consider filler. Mashed cauliflower or some vegetable based substitute I don’t consider filler. I actually try to make it a point to eat vegetables first.

4. Make it a point to eat the vegetables – Sometime if I eat Chinese I’ll order sauteed Bok Choi to eat along with my meal. This both provides micronutrients and fills me up. It might be an effort if it’s a poorly prepared broccoli, but it really helps with eating and notably can delay the onset of hunger. I really like PF Changs because they have lots of vegetable sides. (Some of which probably have too much added sugar).

5. Minimize amount of Bad Parts if Possible – I love Chinese Dumpling. Unfortunately the wrappers aren’t great for you. So I cut off about half of every wrapper. It doesn’t noticeably impact the eating experience. Most dumplings seemed overwrapped anyway. Similarly, if I eat a sandwich (a rare event), then I’ll try to pick off as much bread as I can.

6. Coatings and Topping are Better – If a nutritionally undesirable ingredient is present in a dish, I’ll generally give it more leeway than if it was the main ingredient. Basically, this maximizes the yummyiness effect since there is more surface area. Just like in cooking you get more saltiness when you top with salt then when it’s mixed in. So a molasses glaze is something I consider less damaging then molasses flavored.

7. If you eat something bad be okay with it and enjoy it – When I decide to eat something I enjoy it even if I know it’s not good for me. Don’t feel guilty. I’ve seen a lot of people get caught in a circle of denial where they eventually just stop thinking about their food because they feel so bad about eating. This seems to lead to a downward spiral.

This is part of the reason I’m so anti-muffin. They are basically a delusional food choice. Their nutritional content doesn’t differ much from cake. It’s at least honest.
8. Don’t Overcategorize – I basically have four levels of food goodness. First is safe which is real vegetables, cheese (some people have a problem with this) meats, and healthy oils. Second is watch it; which is Salad Dressing I don’t know the oil origin of, berries, fried food that don’t have higher category fillers, nuts since you can overeat them so easy, safe levels with coatings. Bad, I include in this category solid sweets, fat containing candy, fruits, bread, and starchy stuff. Then there is a basically poison category which I include soda and sugar beverages, pure sugar candy like jelly beans, and juice.

9. Remember When there are good friendly homemade substitutes – Pasta I can nearly always come up with a good version between shirataki noodles, zoodles, or for red sauce just cook with eggs. Cauliflower likewise can be good for many potato dishes, fried rice, and pizza crust. 

So aside from eating windows that’s essentially how I think about eating when I’m not fasting. Note this is what I’m doing and seems to be working for me as long as I fast. Women especially may need to be stricter since I’m a large man with a very high (tested) Resting Metabolic Rate.