Mindful eating on satellite radio

I just recently re-signed up (I know, I just slayed the grammatical way of putting that) for satellite radio.  For a long time, I didn't have it because when hubs and I switched cars (2 years ago) when I got my new j0b, the sedan didn't have capability to carry Howard 100-- which is what I love to listen to on satellite.  If there was no Howard 100- I would never pay for radio.

I picked the stupidest week to re-up because the Stern show is on vacation- bleh!
So I am listening to some other alternatives-- and last evening I stumbled upon a very annoying but a little informative discussion that was being held on Oprah radio between Geneen Roth and the whoever the host was (don't really care- she wasn't great.)  One note before I begin: so much for a commercial free experience- this particular show went to commercial break approximately every 75 seconds. GRRRR.

That said: I heard Geneen Roth talking about her mindful eating/ blessings of your experience blah blah yada yada stuff.  If you are an experienced blogger, you may recall much hoopla and arguing over the whole mindful and intuitive eating business a few years back.  Many people think that mindful eating is a load of horse manure.

I am on the fence, and as I am aging: I can see I am mellowing from needing to be in one corner or the other about opinions. So I will start out by saying that I am not a 'spiritualist' nor to I subscribe to religious practices (though am culturally very identified as a Jew fo' sho'.)  When I hear talk of God, blessings, prayer: I begin to shut down. That stuff is not meaningful to me.

So I was annoyed by a lot of what I heard from Roth-- I think she is a bit too touchy-feely-blessed-be for   little old me.  However: I was fascinated to listen to just a few of the sentences that actually had verbs I could use (Roth was really hesitant to fess up and say: "Do this"- she preferred a lot of preachy stuff that I didn't go for.  It sounded like: "You can't just fix this problem in a moment, you need to really, really get into your relationship with food, feel it, know it and accept your self.  See your issues as blessings and allow the process to occur."  Writing this causes me to throw up in my mouth a little, having nothing to do with my band.)

But the parts that I liked, as an action oriented girl, were the sentences with the verbs.  Apparently, Roth has identified 7 working steps to eating or something like that. (I'll be hitting my local library to check out a book by her- though I may not be able to make it through her preaching.)
These steps included eating when seated in a peaceful place, undistracted.  Eating only when hungry and stopping eating when SATISFIED.

I love that part: stop when 'satisfied' and I truly love (not being sarcastic, here) the idea of looking to 'satisfaction ' rather than 'fullness.'  I am not entirely sure of what 'satisfaction' is supposed to consist of according to Roth, but to me, I guess when the meal feels like 'enough'-- and you are not bloated and full.

To do the above: you really need to pay attention to what you're eating, and really check in with yourself and you can't ever eat when rushed or without time to find a space to do it in as an act of goodness to yourself (or something like that.)

In the end: I took away a reminder to that TASTING and savoring food is definitely key-- and slowing down is also an imperative.  Even nearly 3 years out from surgery, I still like these reminders-- and while I am really maintaining my weight in this mid 160's zone for some time now (with some struggles where I got a few pounds higher and then got it off)-- I still would ideally like to take off another 10 or even 20 pounds.  But I also want to accept myself and be satisfied with some pretty great weight loss accomplishment and give myself a break and not berate myself for staying the same.  I am much healthier than when I began in terms of losing weight from an all time high of 203.

No matter how simple the basic formula for weight loss in can be boiled down to be (total calories burned must be more than that taken in or used up in activities)-- the execution is the devil .  Or the devil is in the details of the execution of said plan.
And so putting all of the good advice out there together in a working solution that works for me is what is key.

I will never lose weight without paying attention to my over consumption on a day to day basis-- and I think I am maintaining my weight better and more easily now because I am keeping closer track and being more accountable.  And I am exercising more thanx to my nikefuelband.
But it definitely turns up the heat on my review of systems to think AS I am considering what to eat and how much to really say "Do I want this?" and "Am I hungry" and "Am I satisfied" and trying to eat to meet that need.
Intuitive eating can really be screwed up and an excuse for a lot of bad behavior if misinterpreted. It should not be a license to 'treat yourself well with food' and eat 15 cupcakes. Rather: intuitive eating seems to mean the ultimate respect for yourself to really take the time to choose foods that are healthy and satisfying and that make you feel good as you eat them and after you're done.

It may seem like a lot of hooey- but I think it adds value to an overall plan to think about what I really want to eat, whether I want to eat, whether something tastes good enough to eat and when to stop based  on 'am I satisfied' at this point- by slowly eating and checking in frequently.