Can Zen Practice Fight Obesity?

According to this Buddhist Channel article, mindful eating can change eating habits, reduce binge eating, increase the enjoyment of food, and help us to be clear about when we have had enough.

I'm trying to lose weight. Last week, I walked almost two miles every night after work. I have workout tapes that I use. But what's interesting to me is that I find that when I'm caught up in my "I'm focused on losing weight now" mode, I'm not practicing as much. I'm tired from walking and working out the night before, so I'm not waking up early enough for sitting practice in the morning.

I also notice that for me, my weight loss efforts tend to focus 90% on being more active, and maybe 10% on changing the way that I eat. What this article reminds me of, is that the way that I eat means more than just the foods that I pick. How often do I really just sit down and eat without thinking about the next thing I have to do? How often do I try to center myself before I sit down in front of my plate? How often do I mindlessly pick something for lunch based on convenience instead of picking something my body will really appreciate and use well?

Among other things, mindful eating means not gorging absent-mindedly while doing something else like watching TV or chattering away, and learning to tell when you feel full enough or that you've reached "taste-specific satiety."

This is the phenomenon by which, after four or five bites, taste buds lose their sensitivity to the chemicals in food that make it taste good. It is taste-specific satiety that explains why the first bites of chocolate taste better than later ones and why, when you cannot manage another bite of steak, you have plenty of enthusiasm for ice cream. Once you recognize that you're losing the pleasure of a certain taste, it's easier to stop eating it.

This article is a lesson to me. Slow down. Taste your food. Notice it. Appreciate the textures, the scents, the warmth, the coldness. Really pay attention. Breathe between bites. Notice your body. Bring the same present moment awareness you cultivate on the cushion to each and every mealtime... not just formal meal times (breakfast, lunch, dinner) but the moments when you want to snack.

When you want to snack, notice what you are craving. Are you hungry? Do you just want the taste of something sweet or salty? What about that Hershey's bar... Do you have to eat the whole thing just because you opened it? They do section it off into nice tiny bite sized rectangles. Next time I think I need chocolate I might just take one section at a time, slowly, and try to notice when that sweet craving is actually satisfied... try to notice when I cross the line between enjoying a little chocolate and eating it because it's there.

Comments

[Friendly Dragon]

There is another approach. Any notion of struggle, of fighting in meditation practice is counter productive. Sure, being mindful and aware in all we do - habitual behavior - including eating habits is cultivating discipline. But underlying this is confusion about 'appearances'. An antidote is recognizing the 'emptiness of appearances.':-) When you look in a mirror what you perceive is a 'reflection' a 'representation' of your body. Truth is you do not know your body:-) What you have is an IMAGE of it in your MIND. There are folk who are in reality quite thin but have an inner image of being obese = a confusion about reality. Have you ever caught a reflection of an image in a store window and do a 'double-take' as there is a delayed shock of recognition that the reflection was your own? Or going through photographs proceed to destroy several because you feel so strongly the representations are 'ugly' i.e are not in accord with the image of yourself you have 'in Mind'? The practices involved in the Six Yogas in Dzogchen deal with issues of the Illusory Body, Dream Yoga and the Emptiness of Appearances. When you sleep, and dream, do you ever SEE your body? You may notice that in dreaming, you can actually 'change form':-) And this is not limited to 'human form'. Become a shape changer - it is playful, working with mind content. It can lead in the 'waking dream' we call life, to surrender to being who you are - OK for the obese - rather than fighting fatness PLAY at identifying with elephant or whale - beings in nature who are naturally large. We can learn to be gentle - don't have to be so hard on ourselves. If there is interest, explore the literature on dream yoga and the illusory body. Enjoy.

[chalip]

This was such good food for thought for me. Thanks Friendly Dragon...

[Bopni]

One practice that helps with weight control is the effort to consume all meals before mid day. I find that when I eat later in the day, or am required to eat a full meal at dinner, the meal seems to weigh heavy on me. When limiting meals to mid day, if I get hungry later, at 8 or 9 pm, I eat a bit of cheese to taper the hunger, and then sleep well, to awaken to a good breakfast and zazen.