Using food and eating to grasp onto pleasure

Whether we are eating a favorite food that no longer tastes so good as we become satisfied, or we have reached the point of comfortable fullness during a meal, eating to grasp onto pleasure is chasing pleasure that is dissolving or has already dissolved, and no longer responding to what our bodies are communicating.

In working with grasping, we first must notice what is happening and that our actions conflict with that. By coming back to the sensations in the body, we gauge whether a food has begun to taste less fabulous as our taste buds habituate to it or feel as our stomach is about to move beyond comfortable fullness. This is also when it is helpful to remember that all things are impermanent; all urges, emotions, and phenomena arise, level off, and then dissolve. Eating experiences also follow this predictable life cycle. While it is sad when an enjoyable meal ends, continuing to eat as if we could recapture the pleasure we felt when we first began will always fall short, leaving us confused, disappointed, and possibly even physically uncomfortable.

Once we notice the conflict between our bodies and our minds, we see grasping more clearly. This is the transformation point. Experiment with pausing, interrupting the momentum of acting in conflict with your body’s needs, reflecting on the disconnect, and reminding yourself that the food will be there when you want it again, whether that means when you are physically hungry in a little while or when you simply desire that food ten minutes from now. Because you have absolute permission to eat, it is never your last chance to eat this particular food. If, on the other hand, you recognize your grasping but are not able to stop, this too is progress.

Seeing where we are presents us with choices we don’t have when we can’t see where we are. Noticing this, being gentle with ourselves, and acknowledging that we are on our own path allows us to get there when we get there. By allowing ourselves to be exactly where we are and letting go of getting somewhere further down the line, we acknowledge that the path is the goal. Based on this perception, success comes solely from our awareness and willingness to stay with our true experience.

Journal prompt: When do you notice yourself eating out of a desire to preserve or create positive feelings? What foods do you tend to choose? Why do you think those specific foods appeal at these times? What emotions or sensations are you aware of prior to eating at these times? Does eating feel like self-care in these moments or something else?