Mindful Eating

I was talking to a friend the other day about our respective low carb eating plans, and we were sort of comparing notes on what works well for us, what is particularly tempting to us ... that sort of thing.

Anyway, I told her one major difference in my eating over the past year has been that I am now very mindful of everything I eat -- what nutritive value it has, the approximate (if not exact) carb count, and where it falls on my personal "low carb scale." I believe each low carber has to find their own way to some extent, with regard to what works best for their body and what they can live with comfortably and healthily. What works best for me might not be optimal for you, and vice versa. But in my personal journey of doing that -- figuring out what I like, what I don't, what promotes weight loss, what causes a stall, what I just can't live without -- it has made me very conscious of everything that passes my lips.

I can't tell you how many years I went, eating mindlessly. No idea what was really coming into my system. Furthermore, I truly did not want to know! I'm such a "comfort eater," and I have eaten so many times in my life just to make myself feel better!

So, to me, a big blessing of this way of life is just being mindful of what I eat. Even if I choose to indulge in a higher-carb food, I do it fully aware of the approximate (or exact) carb count and the consequences of eating that particular item. I think that's a gift.