Funny thing: If I ever happen to be awake at 5 a.m., I am ravenously hungry, to the point at which it hurts unless I put something in my stomach. If I go back to sleep or sleep past that point: no hunger.
Breakfast: Granola with Fage and berries; plus coffee with milk and tea. The sugar in the granola definitely cuts the sourness of the yogurt. Time spent eating: 7:40. Early breakfast is definitely the best time for eating meditation.
First Starbucks of the year, on the bus on the way to work. I definitely use coffee to combat hunger. I expected it to be foul: I’m no Starbucks fan but it will do. It always tastes burnt to me. But it was pretty good, though after a few sips, Starbucks basically desensitizes me to the taste. Out of habit, I had poured in whole milk and I could really taste it–so much for mindfulness.
My co-worker seems to be starting a Mindful Lunch Club. Today there were five of us, one who wasn’t even eating but came over because, she said, she is totally behind what I’m doing. I don’t know how mindful I’m being at these lunches, but at least eating with others slows me down, and I love to see what they’ve brought.
Lunch looks good enough to eat again: minestrone, frittata, and baby spinach. I realized I was short on greens yesterday. Time spent eating: 23:02. When I was reheating it in the microwave, a co-worker I didn’t know came in to get coffee and said, “Smells good.” One of today’s lunch buddies said, “For healthy food that looks pretty good.”
And then I just got really snacky all afternoon. I decided I should only eat meals mindfully and away from my desk; snacks at my desk are fine, though I should still try to be slow and mindful. I don’t know. I don’t think it went so well.
First: a heart-shaped chocolate that tasted like Red Hots candy inside, but not hot. Time spent eating: 2:54. That’s right. Almost 3 minutes to eat one little chocolate. Well, answer me this: Why chew chocolate? Is there any reason to chew it? It’s a food for tasting not for filling you up. Chocolate should sit in your mouth and melt away slowly. Try it.
Then some cashews: 25 to be exact. Time spent eating: 3:36. Cashews don’t melt in your mouth but they are fun to chew.
Then a banana. Sorry, it really took a beating in my backpack. It was fine under the peel. Time spent eating: 2.24. I eat faster as the afternoon wears on.
Then the whole-wheat pita I forgot to eat at lunch. I just felt like munching. Time spent eating: 4:32 but just because it was sort of dry and chewy.
Next up: Ye olde cottage cheese and pineapple. Sorry, this looks really watery and nasty from sitting in my lunch box. Untimed but I can assure you it didn’t take long.
Then, shockingly, I wasn’t even hungry for dinner, so I just had a Cara Cara orange. Time spent eating: 2:30. Too fast.
And then chocolate No. 2. Time spent eating: 2:29.
Chocolate just makes me want more chocolate. I think I’ll go back to being more strict about eating meditation tomorrow.
