Dietitian Confessions: Why Mindful Eating Works for Weight Loss

Dietitian Confession: Hi, My name is Lacy Ngo, and I am a registered dietitian who has struggled with weight and weight obsessing. Here is a little background: I graduated cum laude with a B.S. in human nutrition and then went on to get a master’s in human nutrition as well. I knew all the science and best practices for weight loss, but I still had seasons of struggles. You can read more about my weight loss journey in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. So my confession for today is I am a Dietitian, and I was able to stop food obsessing AND, in the process, lose weight through Mindful Eating. In fact, for the first time, weight loss came easily, and I was able to keep it off. Here is why mindful eating worked for me. Learn more about how to incorporate mindful eating into your life in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life

18 weeks to a healthier, happier, more purposeful life cover

Mindful Eating Works Because Mindful Eating is About Enjoying your Food

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mindful eating, mindful eating for weight loss
Mindful Eating Helped me Lose 55 Pounds

MindLESS Eating

Before understanding mindful eating, it helps to understand mindLESS eating. I think the best way to explain this is with a little story about when one of my clients realized mindLESS eating was his major weight loss barrier. During a nutrition counseling session, this client revealed that his “aha” moment occurred one day while he was at work. He told me that while he was walking past a coworker’s desk, he took a chip off of her desk and ate it without asking. The coworker jokingly said, “Hey! Don’t eat my lunch!” His response was eye-opening for him. Do you know what he said? “Did I just take that chip? I didn’t even know I did it!” He began to realize how often he mindlessly ate without even thinking, and how this affected his weight. Did he even enjoy that chip? No, he didn’t even know he had eaten it!  He is not alone; many of us do it.

Mindful eating is about ENJOYING your food!

eat photo
Photo by Joshua Rappeneker

Mindful Eating Helps with Weight Maintenance

Mindful eating has been helpful not only with weight loss but also with weight maintenance. Although mindful eating might be a new concept for many, dietitians have been using at least some aspects of mindful eating with their clients for years, and some have found mindful eating so successful that they almost exclusively focus on mindful eating and hunger cues to help with weight loss.

Mindful Eating Helped ME Lose Weight

eating photo
Photo by Sole Treadmill

 Less Need for Willpower

After my last baby, I was tired of the weight loss, and willpower game.  I could lose weight with willpower again, but what was I going to do when the willpower wore off like it always does? I was getting tired of weight obsessing! And as a dietitian, I knew not only is weight obsessing not healthy, but health comes in many different sizes. After seeing the research and success of mindful eating, I decided to stop focusing on the scale and focus simply on mindful eating. Ironically when I finally stopped weight obsessing, I lost 55 pounds, and it was the easiest 55 pounds I have ever lost!

With Mindful Eating, No Food is Forbidden

With Mindful Eating, I never feel deprived. I rarely feel the need to cheat because I am ALWAYS permitting myself to enjoy eating. I’m not at war with food anymore. I overeat less and feel guilty less often because, with mindful eating, no food is forbidden. I no longer binge eat because I experience pleasure with food all the time! If I do splurge, it isn’t “over the top”  anymore. In other words, I rarely stuff my face until I am painfully full.

Being mindful is about being aware of your food as you are eating, and being aware of how your body is feeling. My body never feels good after overeating less nourishing foods, and I can’t enjoy the rest of my day when I feel so uncomfortably full. When I mindfully eat, I slow down and notice my fullness sooner. The focus is on how I am feeling, not my weight. Since I no longer weighed myself, the only reason I even knew that I had lost that much weight is by seeing the weight at the doctor’s office.

With Mindful Eating, Food Doesn’t Have the Power over You Anymore

Not only is mindful eating helps with weight loss, but is often helpful for people struggling with binge eating and food obsessing. When people are constantly dieting, they are constantly obsessing about food. When there are no forbidden foods, food doesn’t have that power over you anymore. Mindful eating works because you don’t feel deprived; you enjoy your food; there are no forbidden foods; you feel less guilt, and it takes less willpower.

About Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN

Lacy Ngo is a registered dietitian who has experienced the positive effects of mindfulness in her own life. She has also completed mindful eating training and teaches mindful eating classes in her community. Ngo is the author of several faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating books including, Faith, Mindfulness and Nutrition, The Nourishing Meal Builder, and Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals.

The Nourishing Meal Builder

The Nourishing Meal Builder
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood-boosting, immune-supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.

The Nourishing Meal Builder and the included Nourishing Meal Builder Cards take the stress out of cooking nourishing, healing meals! Motivated by her son’s illnesses and her symptoms, Lacy Ngo became passionate about providing an easy strategy that busy families could use to implement research-based nutrition into their daily lives.
After incorporating these strategies into her own life, Ngo was even more convinced that faith-based mindfulness and nutrition can change lives:

-Her mood improved
-Her seasonal allergies stopped showing up in the fall and spring
-Her energy improved
-Her acne went away
-Her family got sick less often
-Her son’s behavior and anxiety improved use to implementing research-based nutrition into their daily lives.

What’s included in The Nourishing Meal Builder?

Lists of nutrients and foods that boost mood; promote cognitive function, focus, attention, alertness, and memory; support the immune system; aid in weight loss; and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and even seasonal allergy symptoms
-A simple Meal Plan Checklist
-A faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating guide
-Printable Meal Builder cards

The Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook

If you are looking to lose weight with Mindful Eating then you may want to purchase the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook. This ebook contains a detailed freezer meal plan and weight loss guide.

Meal planning, weight loss, freezer meals ebook
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals eBook

The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook has 22 Chapters full of helpful information and tips including:

  • The “What is Preventing You From Living a Healthier Life?” interactive quiz
  • The Mindful Eating Guide
  • The Importance of Faith
  • A Complete Healthy Freezer Meal Plan: You will learn how to cook all of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for a whole month in ONE day. Don’t worry, I don’t just give you a bunch of recipes and tell you to cook them in one day. The ebook includes strategies and “Pro Tips” on HOW to efficiently cook your meals in one day.

    The goals of cooking all of your meals in ONE Day are:

    • More daily free time,
    • A decreased grocery bill,
    • Healthier meals for the whole family,
    • Less daily stress, and
    • Weight Loss/Weight Maintenance

Learn more about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook here.

To Find out how to Mindfully Eat, click here

Other Products you May Enjoy

Resources:

Today’s Dietitian

The Center for Mindful Eating

Mindful eating, Mindful eating for weight loss, lose weight with mindful eating
Why Mindful Eating Works for Weight Loss

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35 Clever Portion Control Hacks

In this post, I have included EVERY portion control tip I have collected over my 15 years as a dietitian. I also included links to some of my favorite portion control tools and products! So here they are, 55 of the best portion control tips to stop overeating.

*Don’t try to follow all of these tips. Just pick a few that will work for you. In fact, some tips will not work with each other. 

The Best Portion Control Tips: What REALLY Works According to a Registered Dietitian

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1. Drink More Water. Most of us need to drink more water. One way to drink more water  is to fill up a large water bottle and drink from it throughout the day

I like water bottles that help you keep track of how much water you are drinking like the 30oz Inspirational Water Bottle With Time Marker + Measurements | Goal Marked Times Fitness Sports Bottles Best For Measuring Your H2O Intake, BPA Free Non-toxic Tritan (Think Positive Purple)

2. Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables first.

Sometimes we leave little room for the fruits and vegetables because we pile up the plate with other foods first.

3. Split your plate into sections:  Half the plate fruits and vegetables, 1/4 the plate meat, and 1/4 the plate starch.

Most meals are either divided into food groups like meat, carbohydrate, and vegetables. Sometimes our food groups are combined into recipes like in spaghetti. If you have a combination food, which is usually a meat, a starch, and maybe a few vegetables mixed in, then fill half your plate with only vegetables and fruit and half your plate with the combination food. Combination foods include foods like spaghetti or casseroles. If you are eating any vegetables that are not plain vegetables like squash or broccoli casserole or fried okra place these foods on your combination side of your plate.

If you like this tip, but want to take the guess out of plating your food, you might want to try the Precise Portions 2-Go Healthy Portion Control Plates, Pack of 2, BPA-Free, 3-Section Plate with Leak-Proof Lids, Dishwasher & Microwave Safe, Helps Manage & Lose Weight, Metabolism & Blood Sugar. This plate takes the guesswork out of portioning. You can even use the lid to prevent you from piling the food to high. The lid also makes the plate very portable. You can pack your  lunch for work using the portion plate!

4.  Limit the amount of sides you cook.

Don’t cook too many things.   All you need is a starch, meat (or combination food) and 2 vegetables or a fruit and vegetable. In other words, if you have rice, corn casserole, dinner rolls, hamburger steak, and salad for dinner then good luck trying to fit it on your plate. Even if you put a little of each on your plate you are going to eat way too much. All of a sudden your plate is piled high. Bottom line, if you have too many options, you often tend to eat too much.

5.  Buy a portion control plate.

These are plates that already have the portions divided for you on the plate. All you have to do is put the appropriate food on the appropriate spot of the plate.


6. Drink water as soon as you wake up in the morning. Seriously water is essential for our health!

7. Use your fist to measure out your snack size. Eat a fist-sized snack and then listen to your body to see if you are still hungry.

This is an easy on-the-go portion control tip.

8.  If you are full, stop eating.

Mindful eating is a helpful technique when it come to listening to your hunger cues and filling satisfied at the end of a meal. If you are full after you finish eating, but you are still wanting more. Do something else you enjoy for a few minutes. Then see if you still want something else to eat. Have you ever noticed that children are often ready for eating to end so that they can play? Their life doesn’t revolve around food. We can be like children again and really enjoy our lives. So if you enjoy looking at social media or texting a friend or looking at home décor magazines. Give yourself at least a few minutes to do something you enjoy after you eat.

9.  Get seconds of vegetables. Vegetables are nourishing powerhouses!

10. Drink water before a meal and with meals to feed your thirst along with your hunger.

11. After cooking, freeze or refrigerate the food that you aren’t going to eat right away.

12. Before going back for seconds, wait 10 or 15 minutes. Notice your hunger cues.

You might not want seconds after all.

13. Have an afternoon prep day. Make 5 meals and 5 snacks in a bags or containers.

If snacks and meals are already bagged and pre-portioned it helps with portion control throughout the week.

14. Eat slowly and put your fork down.

Put your fork down between each bite. Chew each bite and swallow before picking up your fork for another bite. Pay attention to the flavors in each bite. Enjoy and notice each bite before going for the next bite. Take a sip of your drink before picking your fork back up. It takes your brain 20 minutes to realize that your stomach is full so take your time. (see How to Mindfully Eating for Portion Control)

15. Every time you eat a meal, sit down.

Avoid stand while eating. Your body better processes that you have eaten if you sit down and slowly enjoy your food.

16. Hold a conversation while you are eating and eat slowly.

17. Eat your meals at home on a smaller plate like a breakfast plate or child’s plate or be sure to leave “white space” or open space on your plate. And make your plate look appealing. The eating experience involves all of your senses including site. 

18. Use a breakfast plate as your personal serving plate.

If you have trouble appropriately plating your food try this tip. Fill a breakfast plate with food and then take half of the food off of the breakfast plate and place that food on another plate. After you eat from one plate, pause to see if you are hungry before getting more food from the other plate. If you are full, save the other plate for the next meal. This physical act of have to re-plate your food, forces you to pause to notice hunger cues before putting more food on your plate. For more portion control ideas like these read Migrate Fletcher also wrote a book entitled The Core Concepts of Mindful Eating: Professional Edition

19. Pause and Pray before you eat.

Pause and look at your plate. Think about your plate and how it looks before you eat. Would someone else think that your portion size looks appropriate? Then while pausing, pray and thank God before taking my first sip and bite. Remind yourself to be mindful of God’s presence. Eating can becomes an act of worship. Remind yourself that you are taking care of God’s creation (you).  Remember the words from 1 Corinthians 10:31, which says, “so whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Wow! What a great reminder!  Also look to 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 to remember that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that we should glorify God in our body. When we mindLESSly eat, we miss the opportunity to be in awareness of God’s presence. Finally, take your first sip of drink and only then begin eating. (See Mindful Eating)

Below is an example of what one of my mindful eating experiences:

“I could see the steam coming from my freshly cooked brown rice bowl as I set down at the table. I was hungry, and the aroma from the spices made me feel excited about what I was about to eat. But I didn’t start yet. First, I paused and took a moment to notice this gift from God. As I paused, I looked down at my food. The green of the broccoli, brown of the brown rice and beans, and orange of the sweet potatoes reminded me of the colors of God’s earth on a beautiful bright spring day. I am overwhelmed by the miracle of food, and I thank God. Our bodies and minds need certain “things” to thrive and miraculously, thanks to God, these “things” grow straight out of the ground!
Now I am ready to take that first glorious bite. As I bite down, my mouth explodes with the flavors of fresh garlic and spices. I can feel the gritty earthiness of the brown rice, which is yet another reminder that I am eating food from God’s beautiful earth. It tastes like sweet nourishment as if my body is flourishing with each bite. I can feel the creaminess of the black beans as my mouth breaks up the outer skin. I continue to pray with each bite, thanking God for the “things” God gave us to help us thrive- the fiber, the vitamins and minerals, the antioxidants, and protein.
As I eat, I enjoy God’s company. I tell God that I want to glorify Him in all that I do, including eating, and thank God for providing the energy and nutrients I need to go into the world and spread God’s love.
I continue to mindfully eat, making a conscious decision to be present with God and my food. With each bite, the stress of the day just melts away. This is a chance to rest my body and decompress. I can feel myself relaxing in God’s presence.”

20. Try eating at least two vegetables with every lunch and dinner.

21. Notice your hunger cues.

Think about how your stomach feels when it is empty. When you are hungry, your stomach will feel empty; you may get a headache or feel weak. If you don’t have any of these physical hunger cues, think about why you want to eat. Then when you do decide you are hungry and you decide to eat, be mindful of the food you eat (not mindless). Really taste and chew and think about what is in your mouth and going down your esophagus. (See How to Mindful Eating )

22. Use small bathroom cups for portion control of empty calorie foods.

23. Include high protein and fiber foods in your meals that help increase satiety.

Protein foods like a handful of nuts and fiber foods help you feel full longer. Foods with healthy fats such as olives, salmon and walnuts help you feel satisfied as well.

24. Always have vegetables on hand.

Sauté a big bag of frozen mixed vegetables in olive oil and garlic. Add some red pepper for additional flavor and separate into portion-sized containers for the refrigerator. Then fill up half your plate with these vegetables at dinner.

25. Keep track of how you are feeling and what your are thankful for with a journal or prayer journal

26. Avoid eating meals while doing other things like surfing the Internet or watching television.

You eat more when you aren’t thinking about the food, and you end up enjoying the food less and tasting the food less when you are doing other things while you are eating. Enjoy and pay attention to your food.

27. Take 30 second breaks sporadically during your meal to access how full you are.

This will also slow down your eating, which makes you feel full faster. Better yet, take 30 seconds throughout the meal to pause and remember that you are God’s creation. By eating, we are taking care of God’s creation and when we mindfully pause, we are taking the time to appreciate God’s gift of food as well.  (See How to Mindful Eating to Lose Weight)

28. Pounding out your meat will make your healthier portions look visually more appealing. Your meat will also be tender!

29. Save a portion of your food for leftovers.

If you love eating and find yourself wanting to eat more even after you are uncomfortably full, tell yourself “this isn’t the end of a meal. It’s just a pause or a break.  I can have more later. I still get to eat all of this food, I am just taking a break until the next meal.” Even if you only have a small amount left, SAVE it for leftovers. Too often we say, “Well, there is not enough to save so I might as well eat it.” Don’t fall into that trap. Add all your leftovers together and you will have a good meal. In other words, if you love eating and find yourself not wanting the meal to end, think of the end of the meal as just a break from eating. You will resume eating at the next meal.

30. Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal.

31. Have 1-2 sides at your meals.   Too many side options can promote overeating. When you have too many side, your plate can easily become overly full even with a small amount of each side on your plate.

32. Eat veggies galore.

Eat veggies for snacks. Eat a large quantity of veggies at meals and smaller amount of your favorite foods at meals.

33. When eating a sandwich, take one piece of bread off, and eat an open face sandwich.

You still get the flavor and texture of the bread, plus you will actually taste the yummy toppings even better.

34. Don’t serve the food at the dinner table.

Keep it in the kitchen or better yet; measure out your food to fix your plate and then put the food away in the refrigerator before you eat.

35. One day a week or even better one day a month, cook all your food for the week or month.

You can find out how to efficiently cook a month of healthy meals in Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals

Then go ahead and pre-portion your food before freezing them. Now you are making your very own healthy homemade pre-portioned frozen dinners. If you want to thy this, you can purchase [10 Pack]3 Compartment Meal Prep Food Storage Containers with Lids/BPA Free Bento Lunch Boxes/Divided Portion Control Container Plates-Microwave, Dishwasher Safe, Free Cutlery

The Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals ebook

If you are looking for a more detailed weight loss meal plan then check out the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook. This ebook not only includes more mindful eating strategies and techniques, but also provides a detailed freezer meal plan and weight loss guide!

Meal planning, weight loss, freezer meals ebook
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals eBook

The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook has 22 Chapters full of helpful information and tips including:

  • The “What is Preventing You From Living a Healthier Life?” interactive quiz
  • The Mindful eating Guide
  • The Importance of Faith
  • A Complete Healthy Freezer Meal Plan: You will learn how to cook all of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for a whole month in ONE day. Don’t worry, I don’t just give you a bunch of recipes and tell you to cook them in one day. The ebook includes strategies and “Pro Tips” on HOW to efficiently cook your meals in one day.

    The goals of cooking all of your meals in ONE Day are:

  • More daily free time,
  • A decreased grocery bill,
  • Healthier meals for the whole family,
  • Less daily stress, and
  • Weight Loss/Weight Maintenance

Learn more about the Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals eBook here.

What Others are Saying about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meal” ebook

“I have lost 17 pounds since I started eating these freezer meals. They are healthy AND taste great!!! We are now eating at home more, which has made a huge difference!”

“As I read this book, I kept thinking, ‘this is so much more than a freezer meal cookbook! Lacy needs to be a life coach! She has such a positive outlook on life!’ “The Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook is so uplifting and encouraging!”

“I can actually see a decrease in my grocery bill since I started eating these freezer meals, and my kids love them! We are eating healthier now. Plus, we are eating more meals together as a family!”

Click here to learn more about the Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals ebook

If you liked these portion control tips, you may also enjoy these other posts:

Hacks for Eating Healthy While Eating Out

How to Mindfully Eat to Lose Weight: A Step-by-Step Guide

Over 40 Clever Healthy Snacking Hacks 

Want More?

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

This blog is hosted by Bluehost.

“So What Does a Dietitian’s Diet Look Like?”

Ahh lazy summer days…. Summer is the time for relaxing in the sun, exploring magical and exciting places and dining on delicious cuisine while on vacation. This summer has been full of all kinds of wonderful deliciousness. Yet half way through the summer I began to notice a few little changes. I was getting a little softer and my stomach was beginning to hang over my shorts a little more. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think we should stress over every imperfection, and we shouldn’t panick over every little weight fluctuation. But we should practice awareness and notice when we need to tweak our lifestyle a little before we go down an unhealthy hill. If we get to the bottom of that hill, the climb is going to be much harder than if we make the changes quickly.

I have often told my clients that when they notice they are begining to have unhealthy habits then it might be time to re-take the diet assessment and come up with solutions to our weight control weight loss barriers. And I have found re-assessing my own diet helpful as well. So I decided it was time to do just that. People often ask me “as a dietitian, what does your diet actually look like, and can you please explain in detail?” So here it is, my plan as well as how I developed my plan.  I took my own assessment to develop my plan.

This is what this dietitian’s diet looks like.

So Step-by-Step here is what I did:

Step 1:

I took the “DIY Diet Assessment” located here. In other words, I answered the questions.

Step 2:

 After taking the assessment, I discovered my major barriers.

(Below is a picure of a portion of my own assessment. I went through the assessment and circled all my issues. I jotted down my answer with a pencil. Excuse my sloppy handwriting.)

I noticed that my meals and routine varies from day to day. For some meals, I eat by myself. For some meals, I cook for others. Also, we have been known to frequent restaurants on busy nights.  With such a varying routine, I needed some tips that would work in every scenario. Eating too much can be an issue in all of these situations so I looked at the “Portion Control” post, the “Calorie Counting” post, and the “Mindful Eating: Step by Step Guide” for possible solutions.

I also noticed that I nibble on my children’s uneaten food, especially in the evening. According to the assessment, if this is an issue, I should look at the “Snacking for Weight Loss” post.

Since I do cook at home, I wanted to find a few ideas on the “Grocery Shopping for Weight Loss,” the “Reducing Calories in the Foods I Already Eat” and the “Reducing the Calories AND FAT in the Foods I Already Eat” posts.

I also eat out regularly, so I clicked on the “Eating Out” link as well as the already selected “Portion Control,” “Calorie Counting,” and “Mindful Eating” posts.

I go to social events often so I needed to check out the “Social Gatherings Weight Loss Tips” post.

Finally, I noticed that emotional eating is not so much of an issue (except for being tired) BUT I could use a little motivation. So I planned on picking up a few tips from the “Motivating Weight Loss” post.

Step 3:

After I picked which articles would work best for my issues, I needed to narrow down the tips I was going to implement from each blog. This blog contains over 400 tips, tricks, or diets so I should be able to develop a detailed plan that specifically works for me.

(Below is a picture of the printed Portion Control post. After printing the posts which were most benficial for me according to the assessment, I circled the specific tips I wanted to implement).

And here it is…

Disclosure: This site may provide affiliate links. Since this is a post about my actual diet, the affiliate links I share are for products I actually use. (See full disclosure)

 My Final Detailed Plan:

  1. First and formost, focus on mindful eating. If I use the Mindful eating techniques, I can easily be satisfied without seconds even if I eat on a smaller plate. When I use Mindful Eating techniques, my 1600-1800 calorie range (which is my individual recommended calorie range) will feel like plenty of food. When I am eating out, mindful eating will also help me feel satisfied and full even after putting much of my food in a box (another tip I decided to implement). When I mindfully eat, I pause before eating to notice my food. I  pray and thank God before taking my first sip and bite. When I pause I remind myself to be mindful of God’s presence. Eating becomes an act of worship for me. I remind myself I am taking care of God’s creation (me). I want to glorify God by eating slowly and nourishing the body God made. I remind myself of 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “so whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Wow! What a great reminder!  1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 reminds me that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that I should glorify God in my body. When I mindLESSly eat, I miss the opportunity to be in awareness of God’s presence. Finally, I take my first sip of drink and only then begin eating. I eat slowly and notice each bite. I put my fork down and completely chew BEFORE even reaching for my drink. I take a sip of drink, then pick up my fork and prepare my next bite. *Note that when you are use to larger portions, eating a healthier portion may seem small to you; however, take the time to pause before eating and look at your food. As you look, think about how long you are able to enjoy your food when you mindfully eat.When you do this, suddenly the portion looks plentiful. 
  2. I keep up with my calorie intake using my Fitbit app. My goal is 1600-1800 calories per day. I use the Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband, Teal, Small (US Version).
  3. I eat breakfast AFTER getting my kids off to school. So first thing in the morning, I drink a shake to give me the energy to get the kids ready for school. I sit down and mindfully eat a healthy breakfast after taking the kids to school. Several healthy nutritious shakes are currently on the market. I am currently drinking Beachbody shakes called “Shakeology”. I get my shakes through the the official Beachbody coaching site of Heather Wilson. If you want more information click here. I am so tired in the morning that I just want to grab something nutritous and energizing before I can start my day. These shakes do this for me. They have even helped me cut down on my little vice, diet cokes. I usually don’t use shakes as a meal replacement. Many feel that they need to chew to feel satisfied; therefore, shakes as a replacement meal may not be ideal. This is true for me as well. I mostly drink a shake to get added nutrients and to hold me over until I can sit down and eat breakfast after my children are in school. The only time I drink a shake for a meal is when I have zero time eat. Drinking a nutrient-filled shake is better than skipping a meal.
  4. Like many families, we tend to stick with around 20 of the of the same recipes and only occasionally eat something new. I made a list of these recipes as well as a list of the lunch and snack foods we tend to eat. Then, I made a master grocery list based on this. Following this grocery list when grocery shopping helps me avoid impulse buys.
  5. When grocery shopping and cooking at home, I look for the lower calorie and whole-wheat version of foods.
  6. I also try to purchase mostly healthy snack foods and avoid keeping unhealthy snacks in the house, especially our most tempting unhealthy snacks.
  7. When cooking, I prepare no more than four food items. If you cook too many options, you often eat too much.
  8. I keep gum in front of the snack foods in my pantry. When I feel the urge to mindlessy snack, I grab a low calorie piece of gum instead. This is such a small thing that has had a big impact for me.
  9. I also often spend one day a month cooking and freezing dinners for the whole month. This helps prevent impulse eating out.
  10. I try to drink water before my first bite at every meal. In fact, I will grab a glass of water before I put anything in my mouth to make sure I’m not thirsty instead of hungry. Pausing to drink water before eating also helps us eat mindfully.
  11. I portion control at home by eating on a small plate. I avoid filling my plate with seconds unless I am physically (VS. emotionally) hungry. However, when I mindfully eat, I usually am satisfied without seconds.
  12. When dining out, I usually ask for a box before I finish eating, and put enough food in the box to make the portions left on my plate appropriate. If we pause and truly look at our meals, we can usually tell if our plate looks overfilled or appropriate.
  13. When eating a sandwich at home or out, I will remove one piece of bread, and eat an open face sandwich. This is just one way to reduce calories.
  14. I do a 25-30 minute “Beachbody on Demand” exercise every morning, 6 days a week. Sometimes I will do extra classes at the gym when I can. This was a solution to one of my newer barriers. I love taking classes at my gyms, LA Fitness and B-Fit Studio; however, consistency was becoming an issue. With fitness classes, you have to be available at the exact time the class is scheduled. If I have a doctors appointment, kids camp, a meeting, or anything at the time of the class, then I can’t go. Or if the instructor occasionally has to cancel because, you know, life happens, then I miss my scheduled workout. To combat with this problem, I knew I needed something I could do anytime, but I also knew I am the type of person who needed someone to motivate me and push me. The instructors on beachbody do this for me. I still workout at the gym, but I don’t worry if I can’t get to the class. I count my beachbody video as my workout. The group classes at the gym is just extra and for fun. As I mentioned earlier, I order my Beachbody products through an official Beachbody coach, Heather Wilson. With Beachbody on Demand, I have access to all of those amazing Beachbody exercise programs that you see advertised on TV like P90X, Insanity, 21 Day Fix, Hip Hop Abs, Cize, and more. I have always wanted everyone of them! With Beachbody  on Demand, I can get all of them for a year.
  15.  Group boards, forums, or challenge groups, are great sources of motivation. In groups, you can support and encourage each other. Health and Fitness Groups give you a place to cheer each other on, share your success stories and weaknesses. We also discuss ideas and recipes. For motivation, I regularly share my successes and challenges with a Beachbody coach and team. A Beachbody coach is really someone who facilitates the conversations and starts the challenge groups. You can also purchase Beachbody products through an official Beachbody coach. Click here for more information.
  16. Remember I also get motivation and insiration  by pausing before I eat to remember those awesome Bible verses from 1 Corinthians that I discussed earlier
  17. Social gatherings, I drink a glass of water before eating or drinking anything else and I try to eat mindfully.

 

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Christian Wellness Assessment Form

Developed by a Dietitian

Christian Wellness Assessment form created by Lacy Ngo, who is a registered dietitian and one of the top experts in Christian Mindfulness and Nutrition.

 

All You Need to Develop Your Own Christian Wellness Approach to Life

This assessment is perfect for people trying to improve their health AND their strengthen their walk with God through Christian Mindfulness and Nutrition. 

 

This is one of my favorite of my nutrition posts. This is what I would call my anchor post. Below I have included an adaptation of the assessment I developed for my clients. I used this assessment to customize my own clients specific plan! 

The Peace of Mindful Eating

 Save/pin/bookmark this for when you have time to sit down, carefully read the whole post, take notes, and develop your own habits to implement. 

Disclosure: This site may provide affiliate links (See full disclosure)

 

How to Use This Christian Wellness Assessment and Develop Your Own Plan

Step 1

First, answer the questions! 

checklist photo

Step 2

After answering the questions, determine which areas you would like to improve in your life.

Step 3

Once you have determined which areas you would like to improve, you will need to brainstorm habits that would help you improve your life in these areas. You will find links in the parentheses beside each question that will help you brainstorm and pick helpful habits to incorporate into your life. Click on the links and pick the techniques that you feel will best help you find solutions. notepad photo

Step 4

You are getting close to determining the specific lifestyle habits you would like to add to your daily life. Now let’s narrow it down. Pick 3-5 ideas that will be part of your plan and write them down. You may want to keep your plan somewhere visible. Keep practicing your changes until they become second nature to you.

Things to Remember

  • Often times if you try to change too much at once, you will get overwhelmed so only add a few lifestyle changes at a time.
  • I encourage you to consider picking mindful eating as one of the habits to implement. Mindful eating is about enjoying your food and listening to your body. You can learn more about mindful eating here.
  • Understand that “mess ups” are part of the process. We are not perfect. We will mess up. That is part of the process in…well everything in life. 
  • Take a multivitamin. I wish we were all getting the nutrients we need, but most people, unfortunately, are not getting all the vitamins and minerals we need in our diets.
  • Give your plan a few weeks. If you are having trouble with one component of your plan, go back to the solutions and try something else. Or after implementing your plan, you may notice things you would like to change that you had not thought of before. Go back to the habit tips and find a habit that will help you with the issue you want to address. 

Sample Diet Assessment

 Still need a little help seeing how this will work? Let’s look at a couple of examples of barriers  and solutions:

Barrier 1: You see from your assessment that you have problems with portion control so you click on the suggested solution articles. You first look at the Portion Control Tricks blog to see if there is a strategy that can help you. You like the idea of pre-portioning and freezing your foods. Now you have a habit you would like to implement into your life.  

Barrier 2: After finishing the assessment, you discover you binge on afternoon snacks. Based on the suggestion in the link provided, you decide to focus on hunger cues and eat when you are hungry instead of waiting until you are famished in the afternoon.

Christian Wellness Assessment Form

Date                           .

Height:                  Age                   Weight                Usual Weight                           

What are your health and wellness goals? What about your mind, body, and spirit would you like to improve?

Have you recently gained or lost weight?                  If so, how much                       

Medical History:

Please list any of your medical conditions. (Please be sure to discuss your medical issues and treatment plans with a doctor).

Your Daily Routine 

How many meals do you eat per day?             Snacks per day?         

Do you eat breakfast?         

(If yes, what kinds of things do you eat? How do you feel after eating that meal? If you would like to focus on eating healthier at breakfast, click here to learn how to build a nourishing breakfast meal or click here to find a list of healthy on-the-go snacks.)

If no, do you tend to wait until you are starving and then eat until you are uncomfortably full? (Click here to learn how mindful eating and listening to hunger cues may help with portion control)

Or do you not eat just because you are not hungry in the morning? (That is fine, keep doing what you are doing)

Or are you hungry, but too busy to stop to eat? (if the answer is yes to this question, click here to find healthy on-the-go nourishing snacks.

Do you skip meals?         Why?

Do you find following a diet difficult because you always feeling hungry? (You may be ignoring your hunger cues, follow these Mindful Eating Steps and focus on mindfully eating when you are hungry)

Work Questions

Occupation                                           .

Describe how your occupation affects your eating and exercise                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                           

Do your coworkers and you often order take out, go out for lunch, or get fast food together?                  (If work seems to be a barrier to your health goals then click on When my Work Environment Gets in the Way of My Health and Wellness Goals, and 26 Clever Hacks for Eating Healthy While Eating Out  to find ideas that may help)

Do you travel frequently for work?                  (If yes, see Healthy Eating Hacks for Vacations and Frequent Travelers  and 26 Clever Hacks for Eating Healthy While Eating Out to develop your diet plan)

 

Are snack foods always available at work or do you snack at work? If so, what kinds of snacks do you eat?               (If yes, see Snacking Hacks for Healthy Living  and When Your Work Environment Gets in the Way of My Health and Wellness Goals to develop your own diet plan.)

Dining Out Questions

How many times do you eat out per week?              

Do you eat out often or are you always on the go and never eat at home?         

Name the restaurants where you most frequently eat?                                                                                            

Do you have trouble with portion control or eat high-calorie, lower-nutrient foods when you eat out?

If eating out seems to be a barrier to your health goals, see Eating Out Tips.)

Meals at Home Questions

Who cooks your meals?                       .

How often do they cook per week?                     .

Are the majority of the meals you eat cooked at home?                .

Are you expected to cook meals or are you the main cook for your family?              (If yes see Meal Planning , Grocery Shopping Hacks , How to Make the Foods I Already Eat Healthier,)

Do you often cook less nourishing meals because it is easier, quicker, or because you can’t think of what else to cook or you don’t know how to make nourishing meals?                          (If yes see Meal Planning , Grocery Shopping Hacks , How to Make the Foods I Already Eat Healthier,)

Do you struggle with menu planning?          (If yes see Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping Hacks , How to Make the Foods I Already Eat Healthier,)

Who do you eat with?                           .

Do you feel like you can’t cook nourishing meals because your other family members won’t eat it?                  (If the answer is yes and you feel that you cannot control what types of foods you eat due to your family, then control how much you eat instead by using Portion Control Tips. You could also try cooking the same meals that your family always enjoys, only using the lower calorie versions, see How to Make the Foods I Already Eat Healthier,” for ideas.” Many times families think they won’t like lower calorie foods but they are just as good. Try a few lower calorie recipes to see what your family thinks.)

Does someone else cook the food and therefore you feel you do not have control over what you eat?                   (If yes, then you will have to control your portions instead of what types of foods you eat so see Portion Control Tips. The Prepackaged, Pre-portioned meals or Meal Replacement post may also work well for you temporarily)

Does living with others make buying and having healthy foods in your house difficult?                (If yes, see  Portion Control Tips.)

Do you have difficulty with wanting overeating past full meals?                      (If yes, see  Portion Control Tips.)

Do you feel like you always end up putting too much food on your plate?             (If yes, see  Portion Control Tips.)

Do you feel like you aren’t eating very much at meals? (Perhaps focus on what you are eating instead of how much, see  Meal Planning , Grocery Shopping Hacks, How to Make the Foods I Already Eat Healthier,)

Who does the grocery shopping?                    

Are there more empty calorie foods in your house than nourishing foods?                           .  (If yes, see “Grocery Shopping Hacks.”)

Do you often snack on “empty calorie” snacks?              (If yes, see Snacking Tips .)

Are you sometimes too busy to plan meals when you get home, so you just make something easy and quick?           (If yes, see “ Meal Planning Tips”, “Grocery Shopping for Weight Loss,” How to Make the Foods I Already Eat Healthier,) You can also learn how to quickly build a meal on the spot with The Nourishing Meal Builder

How often do you eat frozen meals per week?            (If you eat frozen meals or quick meals often and rarely cook, then the Pre-packaged, pre-portioned meals or Meal Replacement diet tips may work well for you.)

Do you only  to prepare meals for yourself?                      (If yes, the Prepackaged. Pre-portioned Meals, or Meal Replacement Plans Meal Planning Tips, How to Make the Foods I Already Love Healthier,.)

Where do you eat when you are eating at home?                  

Do you eat at different places other than the table?              (If yes, see “Snacking Tips, and Portion Control Tips.)

Is the TV on while you eat?                (If yes, see “Snacking Tips“, numbers 104 through 116, and  Portion Control Tips.)

Non-Meal Times, i.e. Snacking Questions

What time of day do you snack or nibble on anything other than your meals?               

List the foods you snack on                                                                                              

Do you nibble or graze on things here and there throughout the day?     (See Snacking Tips and Grocery Shopping Hacks)

Do you sometimes grab a couple of bites while doing something else like working, cooking, watching TV, using the computer, studying, etc?          (See “Snacking for Weight Loss” and “Grocery Shopping for Weight Loss“)

Eating our Emotions Questions

Do you snack or “splurge” when you are bored?          

Do you snack or “splurge” when you are stressed?         

Do you snack or “splurge” when you are sad?              

Do you snack or “splurge” when you are tired?

Are you getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep most nights?        

Do you eat because you need a break from work or because you are procrastinating?             

(If you answer is yes to any of these, see  Emotional Eating )

Activity Questions

How often are you currently working out and what do you do?                             

Do you have trouble finding time to exercise?          

Do you enjoy exercise?          

When is the best time for you to exercise?           .

Do you get bored exercising?           

Do you have trouble balancing exercise with time with your children or do your children seem to take up all of your time?            

Do you often feel too tired to exercise?                  

Do you feel too embarrassed to exercise in public?                

If exercise is an issue you would like to explore, see (If no, see Developing an Exercise Plan”,  When you are Too Busy to Exercise, and Exercises you can do with Your Children)

Misc. Questions

Tell me what your day is like from morning to night including everything you do throughout the day and eat including condiments and serving sizes.                                                                                                                                                          

Do you feel worse during vacations due to overeating?            (If yes, see “ Healthy Eating Hacks for Vacations and Frequent Travelers“)

List the things you most often drink? (If unhealthy drinks are an issue, see Top 5 Tips for Reducing Liquid Calories)

Do you find yourself often overindulging in sweet sugary foods?                           (If yes, see 4 Ways to Lose Weight When You Have a Sweet Tooth)

Do you spend a lot of time out with friends or at social gatherings?             (If yes, see “Weight Loss Tips for Parties and Social Gatherings“)

Do you find that you tend to eat healthy until you get out of your routine, and then your healthy lifestyle falls away? In other words, do you find that you go from one extreme to the other when you diet? If this is a problem with you, you may want to focus on mindful eating. Some days you will eat more calories than others, but you will not lose control and overdo it. On days when you can’t follow your routine, if you mindfully eat, you can still joyfully eat a healthy portion of food. You may also want to see, What happens when your motivation and willpower to eat healthy runs out?

While answering the above questions, did you notice portion control or eating until you are overly full was a common issue? (If yes, then see  Mindful Eating and  Portion Control Tips“.)

After going over this questionnaire, pick 2 to 3 things you would like to address and change.    (Examples include afternoon time, stress, boredom, sweets, getting seconds, portion control, alcohol, snacking, grazing, TV watching time, work stress, social occasions, dining out, eating immediately after work, etc)?                                                                                      

                                                                                                         .

                                                                                                         .      

 

 

exercise photo
Photo by Fit Approach

Was This Helpful?

I want this plan to include everything you need to be successful; so it you find another tip that worked for you, please let me know. If the research backs up any recommended techniques, I will add it to the list.

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

 

Dietitian Confessions: How to Decrease Your Calories by 500 a Day!

 

How I ate decreased my Calories by 500 a Day and Still Ate the Same Amount of Food!

Disclosure: This site may provide affiliate links (See full disclosure)

The Confession

I have a gigantic confession to make. This is an embarrassing confession considering, you know, I went to 7 years of school to obtain a bachelors of science and masters in human nutrition. My confession is (drum roll please) I was eating close to 500 calories a day in condiments! My favorites are ranch and any restaurant’s signature sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I knew too many condiments could increase your calorie intake. I’m pretty sure I have included the tip, “limit or avoid condiments” on another post. Hold on let me check…

Yep, I included that particular tip right here aaaand here.

Did I realize what a difference my condiment affections were making in my life? Not even close!

Ranch dressing photo
Photo by soupboy

The Ephiphany

My epiphany came one day after eating at Chick-Fil-A. I was trying to make “mostly” healthy choices by mindfully selecting the grilled chicken sandwich and small fries. (I love a little taste of Chick-fil-A waffle fries. Everything in moderation, right?) I even took off one half of the bun because an open face sandwich was plenty of bread to satisfy me. For added measure, I only ate half of my small fries.

I’m thinking I did pretty well until I started adding my food into my Fitbit Charge 2 (Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband, Plum, Large (US Version) . My calorie intake from actual food was fine. Then I started adding in my beloved “Chick-Fil-A sauce.” One packet of “Chick-Fil-A Sauce” is 140 calories, according to their website. If I had eating just one packet, my calorie range for lunch would have STILL been just fine… But I had (whisper voice here) three. That is 420 calories in condiments!!!

You may have heard people say I like ranch with my food. I am one of those people who likes food with my ranch. Notice the difference?

The Impact of Hidden Calories

When I learned this about myself, I was reminded of a client who drank sweet tea all day long. That client lost substantial weight by only switching from sweet tea to unsweet.

My condiment obsession produces similar math to the sweet tea reduction. To lose a pound, a person needs to decrease their calories by 3500 or burn an excess of 3500 calories. In other words, 3500 calories equals one pound. The best strategy is to increase your calorie burn through exercise AND decrease your calorie intake to equal about a 3500 calorie deficit a week. So to lose one pound a week, a person would need a calorie deficit of about 500 calories a day. Ummm… I basically could get that by omitting condiments from my diet! Heck, I could almost hit that deficit by omitting condiments from just one meal a day!

Making the Changes

So what did I learn from this epiphany?

  1. I need to back off of those condiments! But you know we dietitians want you to get more specific with your goals. So I’m going to say, “My goal is to reduce my condiments to one serving per meal.”
  2. Using an easy and accurate calorie tracking method has helped me see my big issues, especially the more hidden calories. I use the Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband, Plum, Large (US Version) to track my calorie intake and calorie burn, but others have found success with apps like Myfitnesspal.

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God Moments: Did That Just Happen!

Seeing God’s Presence Today

Signs, Miracles, and "Winks" from God; An Amazing story about God's Presence today
Signs, Miracles, and “Winks” from God; An Amazing story about God’s Presence today

Mindfulness can help us stop to notice God’s presence in our lives, but sometimes God does something so cool that we notice even when we are not being particularly mindful. This is one of those experiences. Read until the end because the end is the best part!

Disclosure: This site may provide affiliate links (See full disclosure)

This article has been updated and is an adaptation from a story in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This unique book was written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit. This is an adaption from a story in the book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life.

18 weeks to a healthier, happier, more purposeful life cover

How It All Started

About a year and a half ago, my then six year-old son took an ambulance ride from urgent care to the hospital. Before that ride, he had been on antibiotics but just kept getting sicker. When we arrived at the ER, the doctors diagnosed him with Pneumonia and admitted him to the hospital for five days. After being released, he just couldn’t get rid of that cough and kept getting fevers about every two to three weeks. An X-ray showed that he had a collapsed lung from all these lung issues. They released my son from the hospital in December. It was now June, and he was still coughing, struggling to breathe when he ran, getting tired easily, and getting frequent fevers. He had taken so many antibiotics that I had lost count. He had been put to sleep twice for minor lung procedures.

In June, the doctors decided to get a CT scan to see if he had a condition called Bronchiectasis. The CT scan confirmed he had this condition, which is defined as abnormal widening of the bronchi or their branches, causing a risk of infection. I had never heard of it so, of course, I looked it up online. The things I read terrified me. I was not handling the diagnosis well. I was walking around constantly on the verge of crying, but trying to seem cheerful for my children. Many nights I would pray and let out all of my pent up tears. I was scared of what this meant for my son. I can’t even bring myself to type all of the worries I was feeling. If you are a parent you can probably imagine the fears going through my head.

I Wanted to Cancel

The very same week that I learned of the diagnosis, I wanted to shut myself off from everyone, but our church book club was suppose to meet at MY HOUSE! I came inches from canceling. Most of the book club regulars were not able to come, so I started thinking no one is going to show up anyway. But then a new girl sent me an emailed saying that she would like to come and bring two of her friends. I didn’t want to cancel when new people had expressed interest, so I decided to push through. The funny thing is the new girl who had originally expressed interest was unable to attend, but the two friends she had mentioned in her email did come. These two girls, who only attended this one time, probably didn’t know what they were walking into. I was unorganized and monopolized the whole conversation. I ended up pouring all my emotions out to these brand new people. They were such patient listeners, and although I don’t know if they got much out of book club, I felt much better after that night.

Life Went On…

After that night, life went on. The doctors were trying all kinds of treatments. My son was now on continuous antibiotics three times a week and doing 30-minute treatments twice a day.

Below is a picture of the breathing treatments my son was doing twice a day.

My son was now going to doctors in Rock Hill, Charlotte, and Chapel Hill. Before I knew it, a year had gone by since receiving that initial diagnosis and pouring my heart out to those random new girls at book club.

Can I Ask You A Weird Question?

The doctors decided it was time to talk about having a surgery to remove the damaged lobe of his lung. The doctor gave us a list of surgeons, so I began to go down the list, making calls. I called the first office on the list to set up a consultation with a surgeon in Charlotte, NC. I started talking to the receptionist. She started asking basic questions like, “What is the appointment for?,” and “What is your home address?.” Then she paused and says, “Can I ask you a weird question?” I’m thinking, ‘What in the world is she going to ask me’, but all I said was “Okay.”  She then says, “Do you happen to have a book club with St. John’s?” Shocked and confused, I replied, “Yes!” She then exclaimed, “I think I have been to your house!” When I was answering her questions over the phone, she remembered hearing a similar story a year earlier at this book club she had attended once. She then realized she recognized the address I had just given her. She figured out that she and her friend, who also works in the same office, (you know, that other new girl) had been to my house the week my son had been diagnosed a year ago!

Knowing that people at the surgeon’s office knew our story and had known our story since the diagnosis was such a comfort to me.

God’s Plan to Bring Comfort and Guidance was Put into Action a Year Earlier

You know what else? I thought to myself, ‘wow, when I was walking around terrified and wishing I would feel God’s presence, God was right there’. I felt like God was giving me comfort on that book club night. Little did I know, that same book club social would give me comfort not only that very night but also a year later. Did God somehow help me cross paths with these ladies right when my son was diagnosed? Did God know this journey would lead to a big surgery way back then? (Of course God did!) Many of us have learned that God knows all, our past and our future, but to truly witness this was humbling. This experience made me feel like God was  giving me a warm hug. I could feel God’s Presence and realized just how present God had been the whole time. As, I processed this, the tears began running down my face and chills began running up my arm.

Today my son is doing well. The surgery was a success! We continue to praise God for warm hugs, comfort, and guidance.

Do you have any stories about experiencing God’s presence, comfort, or guidance?

Please share any of your stories in the comments below. I love these stories!

If you are looking for good books about people experiencing God’s presence in their lives, two of my favorites are  The Narrow Road: Stories of Those Who Walk This Road Together (International Adventures) and Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World:


Want More God Moment Stories? Check these Out

God Moments: We Prayed and Then This Happened!

God Follows Through

 We Chose the Same Picture

I Was So Afraid

God Moments: We Ran Out of Gas

About Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC & Lacy Ngo MS, RDN

About Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN and Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC

Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC focuses on how to live your healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition.
Several branches fall under the Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC umbrella. One is Mindful Vending, which is one of the few dietitian owned and operated vending companies in the nation!

Ngo is also a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and nutrition and is the author of several books including Faith, Mindfulness, & NutritionMindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals and The Nourishing Meal Builder. You can also find evidence-based nutrition articles, recipes, convenient healthy snack lists, inspiring faith stories, and faith-based mindfulness techniques on her blog, Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

How to Mindfully Eat to Lose Weight: A Step by Step Guide

How to Mindfully Eat to Lose Weight: A Step by Step Guide

Instead of focusing on restricting foods, when you mindfully eat, you focus on having high quality, relaxed, and pleasurable eating experiences. With Mindful eating, you learn to eat when you are hungry and only when you are truly enjoying your food.

Disclosure: This site may provide affiliate links. (See full disclosure)

I had a client once tell me that the last bite on her plate always tastes the best because that is the only bite she notices. She then always wants a second helping because she didn’t pay attention while she was eating the first serving! So how do you know if you are mindlessly eating? If you are grabbing bits of food here and there without thinking about your food, you are probably mindlessly eating. Are you scooping up your next bite while you are still chewing your first bite? If so, you are probably mindLESSly eating. If you are a fast eater, then you are probably mindLESSly eating?

So what are the steps to mindfully eating?

(Remember, for every step of the eating process, from preparing, plating, and tasting your food, you should focus on being aware of the moment you are in. Enjoy every moment!

Step 1: Preparing your food

cooking photo

When preparing, focus on the joy of cooking. Notice the colors and smells, and notice the sounds of your food sizzling and the feel of the spoon as you saute’. You may want to save the nibbling until you sit down to eat. You will probably enjoy your food more while sitting at the table.

Step 2: Plating your Food

When plating your food, be conscious of how much you are plating. PAUSE and ask yourself is this a reasonable amount of food? Do not starve yourself. Don’t eat so little at one meal or throughout the day that you binge the next day. Just look and ask yourself is this a reasonable amount of food. Think about a healthy, nourishing plate vs. an over-the-top plate. How does your plate compare?

One technique that may help in combination with mindfully eating is to plate your food on a smaller salad plate.

*You can find more of tips to use in combination with mindfully eating in The Nourishing Meal Builder

Before sitting down, PAUSE to make sure you were not mindlessly piling on the food. You will notice pausing is crucial to the mindful eating process.

Step 3: Eating your Food

Remember to sit down and eat from a plate. Before putting a bite in your mouth, PAUSE. Really notice the food. Thank God for this time to enjoy your food. Notice the color, textures, and smells before your first bite. Continue to do this for every bite. Put your fork down between each bite. Prepare the next bite after you have swallowed and taken a sip of drink. Take a sip of drink between each bite. During the meal, PAUSE occasionally to notice if you are full and ask yourself questions. Ask questions like “Am I full?”; “How does this bite taste?”; “Am I enjoying my food?”  Asking these questions helps you stay mindfully aware throughout the meal. You will be surprised at how full and satisfied you will start to feel. The key is pausing before you put food into your mouth.

Step 4: Snacking on Food:

Just like with a meal, PAUSE before and during the snack to ask yourself if you are mindfully snacking. Before putting a bite in your mouth, ask yourself “Is this mindLESS eating?” If the answer is ‘yes’,  then perhaps you will want to save your food for when you can truly enjoy it.

Examples of mindLESS snacking are during cooking, store samples, social nibbling, dinner clean up, and (my issue) cold toddler leftovers. If the answer is ‘yes, I am mindlessly eating’, then ask yourself why? Are you bored, stressed, or tired and wanting to eat even when you are not physically hungry?  Remember, you can learn more about how to mindfully eat in The Nourishing Meal Builder. If you ask yourself the question, “Are you hungry?” and you are hungry, get a plate, sit down, and follow steps 1 through 3.

Step 5: Eating at Restaurants

Ask the waitress for a box as soon as your food arrives. Mindfully, fill the box with food from your plate until your plate looks like an appropriate meal. Remember mindfulness is being aware of what you are doing at each moment. Be aware of what you are leaving on your plate. Then, follow step 3 to eat your food.

restaurant photo

Why does Mindfully Eating Work?

By eating this way, you will notice that you are full and satisfied without overeating. You may even notice that you are craving more high quality foods.

Let me put it to you this way. Let’s say you are eating a meal with a big athletic young football player. Of course he will need AND eat much more than most, so he scarfs down three plates full of food in 45 minutes. You use the Mindful eating techniques and only eat one appropriate plate, but it also took you 45 minutes. You chewed slowly and really tasted each and every bite while he gulped down his food.

If you think about it, you had your food in your mouth and were tasting your food the same amount of time as the football player who ate three times as much as you. So you were able to enjoy it for as long as if you had quickly eaten three plates full.

About Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN

Lacy Ngo is a registered dietitian who has experienced the positive effects of mindfulness in her own life. She has also completed mindful eating training and teaches mindful eating classes in her community. Ngo is the author of two faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating books, The Nourishing Meal Builder and Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals.

About The Nourishing Meal Builder

The Nourishing Meal Builder
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.

The Nourishing Meal Builder and the included Nourishing Meal Builder Cards take the stress out of cooking nourishing, healing meals! Motivated by her son’s illnesses and her own symptoms, Lacy Ngo became passionate about providing an easy strategy  busy families can use to implement research-based nutrition into their daily lives.

After incorporating these strategies into her own life, Ngo was even more convinced that nutrition can change lives:
-Her mood improved
-Her seasonal allergies stopped showing up in the fall and spring
-Her energy improved
-Her acne went away
-Her family got sick less often
-Her son’s behavior and anxiety improved

What’s included in The Nourishing Meal Builder?
-Lists of nutrients and foods that boost mood; promote cognitive function, focus, attention, alertness, and memory; support the immune system; aid in weight loss; and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and even seasonal allergy symptoms
-A simple Meal Plan Checklist
-A faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating guide
-Printable Meal Builder cards

Learn More with the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook

The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook not only includes more mindful eating strategies and techniques, but this ebook also includes a detailed freezer meal plan and weight loss guide!

Meal planning, weight loss, freezer meals ebook
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals eBook

The “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook has 22 Chapters full of helpful information and tips including:

  • The “What is Preventing You From Living a Healthier Life?” interactive quiz
  • Mindful eating techniques and guide
  • A Complete Healthy Freezer Meal Plan: You will learn how to cook all of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for a whole month in ONE day. Don’t worry, I don’t just give you a bunch of recipes and tell you to cook them in one day. The ebook includes strategies and “Pro Tips” on HOW to efficiently cook your meals in one day.

    The goals of cooking all of your meals in ONE Day are:

  • More daily free time,
  • A decreased grocery bill,
  • Healthier meals for the whole family,
  • Less daily stress, and
  • Weight Loss/Weight Maintenance

Learn more about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” eBook here.

What Others are Saying about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meal” ebook

“I have lost 17 pounds since I started eating these freezer meals. They are healthy AND taste great!!! We are now eating at home more, which has made a huge difference!” Chad, South Carolina

“As I read this book, I kept thinking, ‘this is so much more than a freezer meal cookbook! Lacy needs to be a life coach! She has such a positive outlook on life!’ “The Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook is so uplifing and encouraging!” Wendy, South Carolina

“I can actually see a decrease in my grocery bill since I started eating these freezer meals, and my kids love them! We are eating healthier now. Plus, we are eating more meals together as a family!” Nicole, South Carolina

Click here to learn more about the “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” ebook.

Mindful eating for weight loss: a step-by-step guide
A Step-by-Step Guide to Mindful Eating for weight loss

This article has been updated and was adapted from 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This unique book was written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit. 

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

The ONE Thing I Did to Lose Weight AND Strengthen My Walk with God

The ONE Thing I Did to Lose weight AND Strengthen My Walk with God:

The Weight Loss Journey

Middle school is tough, especially when you are on the heavier side. Fortunately, by 8th grade, I had lost all of my excess weight. In fact, my weight struggle is what inspired me to major in nutrition in college. I managed to keep off all the weight all way through high school, college, and grad school; and learned the best practices for weight loss and nutrition in college and grad school. When I practiced what I preached, I was able to keep the weight off, and I kept the weight off until I got married….

After I was happily married, the weight began to creep back on. For the first time since middle school, I was overweight again. Using my training and dietetic counseling skills on myself, I was able to muster enough willpower to lose weight again. (You can read more about my weight journey and training here). Four years later, I had a baby and managed to muster up the motivation and willpower to lose the baby weight again.

break room photo

Mindfulness was Life Changing

As I began getting older, the weight was harder and harder to keep off. I noticed “cheat days” had much more of an impact. When I became pregnant again, I didn’t want to gain as much weight as I did with my first child. However, I didn’t want to diet while pregnant. In fact, I was tired of weight obsessing. So I decided to STOP weight obsessing and simply mindfully eat. For the first time, I did not need willpower. After the birth of my daughter, I continued with the mindful eating, and the weight just dropped off. The. Easiest. Weight. Loss. Ever!

yoga outside photo
Photo by StevenSimWorld

I didn’t deprive myself and didn’t even feel the need to have cheat days. I discovered the most important component of mindfully eating, for me, was to PAUSE before eating. That pause or lack of the pause was the determining factor in whether I would mindfully eat or not at that particular meal. So why is this pause so crucial?

When I pause, I remind myself to take my time, notice my food, notice if I am eating an appropriate amount, and most importantly, I thank God for the food. During this pause, I remind myself to eat God’s gift of food for enjoyment and nourishment. I remind myself to take the time to pay attention to my food instead of over consuming without even noticing that I am eating.

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Mindfulness Did so Much More than Help with Weight Loss

This one pause before the meal was crucial for my nutritional health, but I also began to notice how crucial the pause was in every aspect of my life. The Bible talks about praying continuously. In a way, the pause in life helps me pray more continuously.

prayer photo

I began to notice the impact of pausing and praying before entering any new environment whether the new environment is a park, a friend’s home, or the grocery store. Pausing and praying, was life changing. I began to notice the importance of pausing and praying when I felt angry, or before saying something difficult, or before even talking with my children. I noticed the importance of not only pausing and praying before meals and snacks, but also before bed and before getting up in the morning.

When I forget to do this, I notice the difference in MY actions and my strength to endure life. On the days that I do a better job of pausing, I notice God’s presence and God’s guidance more. When I pause more, I feel like I am truly letting God lead me, and I am reminded that no matter what happens, God is right there. I can feel God’s presence in the very room with me, and I feel I have the strength to focus on God’s will instead of my emotions. We don’t have to rush into every situation, and we don’t have to rush to speak. We can and should PAUSE and take our time in life.

Want to Learn More About Mindfulness?

You can find out more about my faith-based mindfulness and nutrition journey in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book takes you on an inspiring and uplifting journey with dietitian, Lacy Ngo. Thanks to faith-based mindfulness and nutrition, Ngo went from being weight obsessed to feeling healthy and happy in her own body. Ironically, during the process, Ngo ended up, not only losing weight but also strengthening her walk with God. Now she feels healthier than ever AND she truly enjoys eating! She is able to feed her mind, body, and soul nourishing foods and feel good in her own body without weight obsessing. Get ready to get goose-bumps as you read this amazing true story.

18 weeks to a healthier, happier, more purposeful life cover

Mindful Eating: The One thing I did to lose weight and strengthen my walk with
Mindful Eating: The One thing I did to lose weight and strengthen my walk with God

Copyright © 2017 Mindfulness in Faith and Food.

You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

Top 5 Tips for Reducing Liquid Calories

Are You Drinking Your Calories? 

You could lose weight by simple decreasing your liquid calories. During one of my private nutrition counseling sessions, I learned that one of my clients was drinking 4, 12 oz bottles of soda a day, which was 620 calories total a day. When he switched to diet sodas he took out 620 calories from his diet a day!!! By just making this one change and changing nothing else about his diet, he lost almost 25 pounds in just 4 months!!! So if liquid calories is one of your issues, check out these top 5 tips for reducing liquid calories.

drink photo

  1. Use fat free milk instead whole milk.
  2. Choose zero calorie drinks, water is best!
  3. Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, if at all.
  4. Order your coffee or hot chocolate with skim milk.
  5. Drink water or club soda with lemon or lime for added flavor.

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You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

16 Weight Loss Tips

Weight Loss Tips That Work!

  1. Make specific goals. Instead of saying, “I will eat less.” say “I will eat carrots for my afternoon snack.”   Also, develop a SHORT time frames for your goals. For example, you might decide to follow your plan until your child’s birthday party in 4 weeks. Then when your child’s birthday party is over, pick another time frame to work towards like your families Christmas party. We can often make ourselves stick with something if we think of a short-term goal or time frames. We think, “ I can do this for 2 weeks until that wedding” and the wedding will also keep you motivated. When you give yourself a year until that wedding, then you can easily begin to tell yourself, “Oh, that wedding is a year from now, I will do better tomorrow.” When you reach for something coming sooner, then you can say to yourself, “this is crunch time!”lose weight photo
  2. Have the same foods each week for breakfast and lunch to eliminate error. Find out the calories in a few foods and eat those foods for breakfast and lunch and then have more variety at dinner
  3. Add one change to your diet each week. Use this Diet Self-Assessment for the one change that will benefit you the most.
  4. Share your goal with someone for moral support and accountability.
  5. Find a daily routine that works for you. We are less likely to error if our days follow a similar routine. Eat the same time and way every day. Write down specifics for your routine like, “I will only eat out two days a week and those days will be Friday and Saturday.” Add something fun to your routine everyday. That way you will have something to look forward to besides eating food. Also, your routine will not get too monotonous or boring.
  6. Take a different route to work or to your daily places if you regularly pass by a tempting fast food restaurant.
  7. Don’t skip meals. When you skip meals your body thinks it is starving. Your body will start holding onto your fat, making it harder to burn calories. In fact, one of the best way to lose weight is to eat 3 meals a day and healthy snacks in between meals. Make your snacks vegetables and fruit so that your snacks will take very little calories away from your meals. PLAIN vegetables are sometimes considered free foods because they have so few calories; however, fattening flavors and dips should not be added.
  8. Get at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep most nights. Sleep deprivation changes hormone levels that regulate hunger in the body and causes an increase in appetite. Sometimes we eat when we are tired even if we are not hungry.
  9. To prevent hunger and hungry overeating eat 6 small meals a day. If you eat 6 small meals a day, make each meal no larger than a fist size portion.
  10. For maintenance, establish a weight threshold. In other words, continue to weigh yourself regularly and decide your weight limit. Tell yourself, ‘I will gain no more than five to ten pounds’, and be adamant about not exceeding that weight threshold. Have a set plan of action if you hit your upper limit like re-do your self-assessment and reevaluate your diet. When your weight is creeping up, perhaps adding another tip or exercise will do the trick. Make sure you haven’t slacked on your plan by letting yourself eat larger portions or grazing, etc.
  11. Take control and make weight loss a priority. You need to develop a kind of “selfishness” about yourself and weight. Decide this is one of the your priorities. Too often other priorities go above our weight; so we never get to it. We see exercise as something we can cancel for our other priorities. However, if you are healthy you will have more energy to get things done, you will have more energy for your spouse, parent, children, and friends. You can increase your life span and thus the time loved ones have with you. Healthy eating and exercise improves our moods. A happier person is always more fun to be around. Plus, you are setting a good example for your children. Think of exercise as something you cannot cancel unless there is an emergency. By developing this “selfishness” you are actually being selfless.
  12. Eat an apple before a meal.   Apples make you feel full faster due to the high fiber.
  13. Search the Apps for your phone for helpful weight loss, fitness, exercise, and calorie counting apps. I like the “myfitnesspal” app.

weights photo

  1. To stave off hunger, eat natural sugars like fruit or complex carbohydrates like whole wheat bread, instead of refined sugars like donuts. Refined sugars will cause your glucose to peak and then crash, whereas complex carbs will help glucose stay steady for longer.

 

  1. Learn to think differently about your trigger foods or associate negative thoughts to these types of foods. During Gina Willett’s “Food Addiction” seminar, Willett gives several example of how to associate your trigger foods to a negative thought. Below is a list of example:
  • When you see French fries, picture them as 24 day old sponges dripping with rancid grease

 

french fries photo

 

  1. Learn how to love other things in life more than food. If food is your only source of pleasure, make sure to reconnect with other things you enjoy like sports, music, volunteering, or movies. Take up a hobby so that you can enjoy another activity in your leisure time besides eating. People who succeed at weight control tend to develop new hobbies, interests, and friendships. If food is your first and only way to make you feel better, it can be a major issue.   For many of us, our lives revolve around food. Instead, we should try to make our lives revolve around other things. For example, when my husband and I first got married, eating was our major source of joy and the main way we spent time together. Now we fill our life with so many other things that food is secondary. We go to amusement parks, museums, walks around the park, canoeing, any may other activities together. We eat less and our lives are fuller.

 

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You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else on the internet.

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