Why one meal a day?

[dhammarelax]

Heya,

I've tried for a while to be more moderate in eating without any breakthrough so far. Whenever I have a good run and get into a good routine of eating healthy, what usually happens that occasions out of my control screw the routine in a very bad way.

Examples:
Example A: A friend comes by in the evening for a social get-together. We make salad, we get more fruits instead of sweets but the point of eating late due to the social occassion remains. I usually don't manage to get back to my eating routine (one-time-eater, not eating late afternoon) for several days and not without a big struggle.
Example B: I visit my mother's place. There are a lot of sweets, there is tasty leftover food from yesterday "that has to be eaten today" and there's the occasion of bonding with my brother by cooking together. What follows is that I eat two meals and a varying degree of sweets. The following days I'm prone to buying sweets myself, eating more than one meal even when alone and not getting back to my routine.

What works best is when I have time before 12 to prepare a meal for myself, eat it, and then be done with it.

The main problem for me seems to be the social component of eating. When I lack control over the circumstances of how I practice moderation in eating, things go from good to bad quickly. Socialization and the impact of it is something that accompanies people even when alone. And once one's personal rules, routines and standards are broken due to "special circumstances", more slipups are the norm for me. I just really do not care anymore for some days after whenever I bent the rules for the special circumstances. I adjust my routines to suit other person's desires and routines and just feel like I punch myself in the face very hard every time I do so.

Do you have any suggestion what I can do to stop this unhealthy cycle?

If you have trust enough in this people you can just tell them that you are trying to eat only until 12 and that you would appreciate their help.

smile all the time
dhammarelax

[bodom]

Don't be so attached to a routine. When your able to keep to it fine. If not then that's just the way it is for the day. If your living the householder life this is the way it tends to be. I try to keep to a meditation schedule and routine but things come up and I'm not always able to keep to it. I have a job. Kids. A Gf. I have obligations and try to make time for all. Just do your best and don't beat yourself up if your not able to keep to your routine. Things happen beyond our control sometimes but its ok as long as we're aware of the limitations of lay life. Then there's no problems being made about it. It just is the way it is.

[daverupa]

Don't blame the external situation on your making different choices, just recognize that you aren't actually addressing the greed of unnecessary eating when you hide it away from yourself with this sort of daily routine.

Try being mindful of having a motive to eat that's sustenance-based; then, when another motive to eat shows up, you can notice that. Are you eating for nutrition, or because "yum tasty"? Are you eating for nutrition, or because "it's sociable"? Are you eating for nutrition, or because "well don't wanna waste the food item"?

So, pay attention, be mindful - don't adhere to this ritual about time-of-day if you aren't actually using it to be mindful of sustenance eating, you know?

[Alobha]

If you have trust enough in this people you can just tell them that you are trying to eat only until 12 and that you would appreciate their help.

Good point. I'm not very confident that people will understand or accept what i'm doing but I may try that nontheless.

Don't be so attached to a routine. When your able to keep to it fine. If not then that's just the way it is for the day. If your living the householder life this is the way it tends to be. I try to keep to a meditation schedule and routine but things come up and I'm not always able to keep to it. I have a job. Kids. A Gf. I have obligations and try to make time for all. Just do your best and don't beat yourself up if your not able to keep to your routine. Things happen beyond our control sometimes but its ok as long as we're aware of the limitations of lay life. Then there's no problems being made about it. It just is the way it is.

It's disappointing just to give up because the situation overpowers any good intentions but I guess that's just how laylife is then. Up to the point where it's a danger for one's health and up to the point of eventually dying because of it. Thanks.

Try being mindful of having a motive to eat that's sustenance-based; then, when another motive to eat shows up, you can notice that. Are you eating for nutrition, or because "yum tasty"? Are you eating for nutrition, or because "it's sociable"? Are you eating for nutrition, or because "well don't wanna waste the food item"?

So, pay attention, be mindful - don't adhere to this ritual about time-of-day if you aren't actually using it to be mindful of sustenance eating, you know?

I tried that several times for varying periods of times. It didn't work. I tried to memorise a few sentences related to the topic on why one should eat and recall them everytime before eating but it didn't work. I also printed them out to have them handy. Didn't work either. Noting it in the mind when the topic was present wasn't of any visible success. I couldn't keep doing it continually for very long every time I tried and it had no impact on my behavior in any way. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Don't blame the external situation on your making different choices, just recognize that you aren't actually addressing the greed of unnecessary eating when you hide it away from yourself with this sort of daily routine.

Situations always influence people, whether we like it or not. And willpower does not work to overcome those situations in the longrun. I'm just weary enough of these influences as to blindly deny their huge impact on my ability to make wiser decisions regarding my eating behavior.

[daverupa]

I couldn't keep doing it continually for very long every time I tried and it had no impact on my behavior in any way... And willpower does not work to overcome those situations in the longrun.

It takes repeated application of mindfulness while staring at the facts that motivate you in your case.

So, why do you want to have this specific impact on your behavior? When you answer that, then you know what to call to mind when you're faced with temptation. And sometimes you watch yourself give in to temptation, and you notice why it happened this time but not another time. And so on.

Keep at it. Keep watching. Keep learning.

---

And yes, external circumstances matter. But honestly, recognize when you're just making excuses. Food item held in the hand, not yet in the mouth? That's an opportunity, not an "oh noes I am forced to have a snack" event. Going to have a party at night? Already you're running afoul of the precept against entertainments, why keep to this food ritual so carefully when it's the same sort of precept?

Etc.

[Aloka]

Hi Alobah,

I'm not sure if you're trying to live like a monk for some reason. However, if you're not, then my suggestion as a lay practioner like yourself, would be to eat nutritious food, eat less and get used to smaller portions - maybe on a smaller plate - cut out junk food like sweets with a sugar 'high' (whether socialising or not, just say "No") - and remember to get some exercise!

With kind regards,

Aloka

.

[Gintoki]

Is this diet at all viable for a lay person? And if it is, can a lot of mental exertion and stress be cause for foul moods and fried nerves such as those related to low blood sugar? I have read that after 4 hours of not eating the body's blood sugar levels get wonky, but this was read from an article written by a personal trainer who most likely wrote purely in relation to an active lifestyle.

[SarathW]

Just consider millions of Muslims start Ramadan last week.

===========
While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations with one's spouse. Muslims are also instructed to refrain from sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech (insulting, backbiting, cursing, lying, etc.) and fighting.[12] Food and drink is served daily, before dawn and after sunset.[13][14] Spiritual rewards (thawab) for fasting are also believed to be multiplied within the month of Ramadan.[15] Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the increased offering of salat (prayers) and recitation of the Quran

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Ramadan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[samseva]

Only eating before noon was laid down as a rule by the Buddha mainly for practical reasons (for the effort exerted by the lay people, time needed to go on alms round, etc.). Even more so, one meal a day is one of the dhutangas (ascetic practices).

I think your routine is causing you more suffering than it should. What I would do is look at the intention when eating something (it is unhealthy, but you are eating it because it tastes good, for example). If you like cooking with your brother and have a good time, why not go ahead?

If what you are eating is healthy and every so often you eat a little more (as food and not for pleasure), then there is nothing to worry about.

[lostitude]

Hello,

I hope I'm not intruding (as a newcomer who doesn't know much about buddhism), I just wanted to make a few comments:
-did you say you only eat one meal per day? If that is the case, in case you don't know, eating only once a day is a risk factor for gallstones, as your gallbladder empties itself only once, and the rest of the time your bile and cholesterol sit there long enough to crystallise and form stones. This is just a risk factor and doesn't necessarily happen to everyone, so I guess it's a matter of striking the right balance between the risks and the benefits of eating only once a day.

-there seems to be a lot of frustration in your relationship to food. I don't know where you live, so I am not sure if you have ever been exposed to intuitive eating? It's a very powerful tool to overcome emotional eating patterns, and what you describe (which almost sounds like a constant struggle against yourself) sounds very much emotional. There are ways to stop viewing 'treats' as 'treats' and start viewing them as just normal food like rice or carrots. I could tell you more if it's useful, but maybe you already know all this.

[swrath]

Is this diet at all viable for a lay person? And if it is, can a lot of mental exertion and stress be cause for foul moods and fried nerves such as those related to low blood sugar? I have read that after 4 hours of not eating the body's blood sugar levels get wonky, but this was read from an article written by a personal trainer who most likely wrote purely in relation to an active lifestyle.

yes, it is possible.

I am on a vegetarian diet a meal a day (consume at breakfast) , and do a daily 10km or half marathon run. I think it is workable.

The only exception I made is that I have a cup of milk before I sleep.

[SarathW]

What is your diet?
how many Calories per day?

[waterchan]

And juices are primarily sugar. There is no good thing to be said about consuming sugar.

Not all sugars are equal, and there's evidence that the fructose sugar in fruits might actually help regulate control blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1618908" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tattoogunman]

Even the Buddha himself found that abstaining from food was not going to lead him to what he sought, so I don't see any reason why lay people (or ordained monks) should starve themselves either. If I am trying to meditate and I'm hungry, it's a distraction and you can argue that said distraction leads to craving which leads to suffering since you want food. Your body needs a certain amount of calories and nutrients in a given day to stay healthy and I see no practical benefit from only eating once a day. That's not to knock those who choose to do so, so don't get me wrong. As an example, I'll give you my average daily breakdown of my vegetarian diet. I will preface this real quick by adding that I'm a born again college student in my 40's and I work at a place called Panera Bread which is sort of a combination coffee house, bakery, and casual dining restaurant and I can pretty much make what I want to eat while I'm there with fresh ingredients (and I'm usually there five or more days a week):

Breakfast - generally I have what is called a strawberry poppy seed salad. It's field greens, blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, pecans, and I'll either add quinoa or avocado as a protein source. I'll also have a small piece of bread with it and coffee.

Lunch - this varies from either being something along the lines of beans, vegetables, and some time of what I call "veggie meat" type protein (like the products made by Gardein, Morning Star, etc. - things like vegetarian burgers, "steak", etc.). I will usually have coffee or soda or something with it.

Dinner - usually another salad or a vegetarian sandwich (whole grain bread, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, peppers, etc.) or something similar, maybe some chips or something with it.

I may have a snack thrown in there someplace, but that's generally what I stick to on most days. As it is, I realistically probably don't get enough calories on a daily basis with that (which is always odd given how "pleasantly plump" I am ). I will sometimes have a muffin or scone or something, but still.

Even using that and how my system operates, I would have a hard time functioning after lunch if I didn't eat anything at all. It's not that I *couldn't* function since obviously I could, but I would be miserable because I would be hungry from around 3pm until midnight or so when I usually go to bed and I just don't see any practical benefit to it.

[samseva]

It is important to take into account that, for monks, eating only one meal a day isn't for deprivation, but for practical reasons. It is a rule that was laid down by the Buddha mainly to reduce the effort exerted by the lay people to offer alms, time needed to go on alms round, etc.. Even more so, one meal a day is one of the dhutanga (ascetic practices).

When monks eat only one meal a day, they eat a huge meal in one sitting. Also, some monks sometimes eat something small in the morning (since the rule is to not eat after midday).

If you are eating one meal a day, it is important to eat a huge meal. One that is 2-3 meals in size; especially if you are physically active.