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The Practice of Eating One Big Meal
matthewmartin
Amateur BodhisattvaSuburbs of Mt Meru Veteran
So it looks like today I will be following the 6th precept (no food after noon/no dinner/no 3rd meal/1 big meal around lunch time), also known as Thanksgiving.
I assume that one doesn't want to continually lose weight so I ought to eat enough calories to not lose weight, so calories I don't eat for breakfast or dinner would be moved to lunch time. And that results in a huge meal, which looks like gluttony to me (and by modern terms, this would be excessive portion sizes).
Q1: For this particular practice, how does one square the fact that if you follow the 6th precept that the remaining meal is going to be a *big one*?
I think for a cynic like myself, to salvage this precept, the goal ought to be "eat just enough to maintain a skinny frame" and use what ever dieting stratagems are considered effective at the moment. (For example, in the book "The End of Overeating", focusing in on pavlov's dogs-type stimulus-response issues is trendy, where you replace overeating habits with other habits-- plus other things, it's a big book)
Q2: What do you do to keep grasping & clinging to food in check?
I assume that one doesn't want to continually lose weight so I ought to eat enough calories to not lose weight, so calories I don't eat for breakfast or dinner would be moved to lunch time. And that results in a huge meal, which looks like gluttony to me (and by modern terms, this would be excessive portion sizes).
Q1: For this particular practice, how does one square the fact that if you follow the 6th precept that the remaining meal is going to be a *big one*?
I think for a cynic like myself, to salvage this precept, the goal ought to be "eat just enough to maintain a skinny frame" and use what ever dieting stratagems are considered effective at the moment. (For example, in the book "The End of Overeating", focusing in on pavlov's dogs-type stimulus-response issues is trendy, where you replace overeating habits with other habits-- plus other things, it's a big book)
Q2: What do you do to keep grasping & clinging to food in check?
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eat whatever you need to maintain your current activity level, and that is always less then what we think.
as for keeping the clinging in check, obviously like I stated I had weight loss surgery 3 years ago. At my max I was 373 lbs, mostly got to that point due to poor eating habits (over eating and eating carbs) as well as depression and emotional eating. This is something I STILL struggle with, as changing 30 years of habit is much harder then cutting up a stomach and making it smaller.
I tend to find solace in the reflection on requisites that the monks chant at Bhavana Society. It goes something like " I partake of this food with mindful reflection and I eat it not for enjoyment or good looks but for the continuation of this body and living the brahamacharyia lifestyle". It's much longer then that but you get the point, it's about being mindful of WHY we are eating.
then of course there is the being mindful of every spoon/fork full we take, observing as we chew with solidity turns to liquidity etc.
Eat "healthy" as much as possible, but deny yourself nothing when it comes to treats or sweets. Restrictive dieting and denial leads to cravings, and much of the time it's a real physical craving as well as emotional.
A healthy body demands food from all groups, not just one or two.
Even sugar has it's function in the human body. So does fat. You can't live (not long, anyway) totally denying your body either one.
Eating one meal a day is not good in general. The body needs to maintain levels of blood sugars and triglycerides, etc. through its day and night. The body will continue to work to digest, even if the stomach is empty of food. (that's why we get hunger pains and hear our stomachs growl when empty/ hungry).
After a while this can lead to issues like stomach problems and ulcers. Or, on the other hand, it can cause our systems to slow down and even shut down, causing irreparable damage to our metabolism and digestive systems.
Eating only one meal can also cause blood sugars to spike UP like crazy, and then cause a terrible 'crash' several hours later... with no more food coming in to help level things off.
Eating several *small* meals throughout waking hours is the 'best' way to nourish the body, and keep things at levels that are more sustainable.
(Notice I have not brought "weight loss" into any aspect of my comment. People should eat for HEALTH, not weight loss, nor gain)
Then ask yourself if the intent of such a rule actually applies to you.
Focusing on the reason why we eat (health vs mere pleasure) matches up with the book I just read, which presented itself as fairly recent research-- so the Buddha (and friends) again, were 2500 years a head of their time.
Another Zen pre meal recitation.
I must think deeply on the ways and means by which this food has come.
to consider my merit when accepting it,
to protect myself from error by excluding greed from my mind,
to eat lest I become lean & die,
to accept this food to become enlightened.
I found it for ya - Sabbasava Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.002.than.html
"Reflecting appropriately, he uses almsfood, not playfully, nor for intoxication, nor for putting on bulk, nor for beautification; but simply for the survival & continuance of this body, for ending its afflictions, for the support of the holy life, thinking, 'Thus will I destroy old feelings [of hunger] and not create new feelings [from overeating]. I will maintain myself, be blameless, & live in comfort.'
If you are going to skip meals I heard that if you intend to eat twice a day Breakfast and Dinner should be eaten, if only once then Lunch.
I try to maintain a policy of only eating when I am hungry. I have become aware that withdrawal from sugar, fat, and salt addictions is often mistaken for hunger. Amazingly, sometimes I don't get hungry at all for days on end. Then when I do eat, I am satisfied with a small to normal sized portion.
I have done several fasts, some times through choice and others believe it or not where I would rather not eat than go outside to buy food. I went 3 days with barely any food just water whilst my partner was away last year and had a bad spell of anxiety. I learned a lot, I learned that there are phases to starvation and a lot of it is a mental game. You first feel hungry, then you get this empty feeling in your stomach and then hungrier. Then may comes some sickness but after that you are good for a long while if you do not smell some nice food or start to dwell on it. I assume after say a few days it has more phases but it is a real mind game. You can technically goes weeks without food and only on water, but you will be so tired and your thought processes will be whack. That is what I don't understand about people thinking fasting helps them think better, it is proven that food at a moderate to sufficient level helps keep mental concentration and function up and running. The Buddha tried starving himself and torturing himself and nearly died, then he found the path.
you wondred about the way of eating as a buddhist. In Pali-Canon there is mentioned
that this way is strenthening you mental and physical health.
The germans eat their food mostly at 12 o`clock. It´s just a custom, what time you eat.
The only problems with eating food is the evening. I nearly can´t hod back.
sakko
The body's digestive system works 24/7 without any limitations linked to the clocks on our walls or wrists.
True, your body systems slow down -to some extent- while resting and/or sleeping, but that doesn't change the actual process of changing some food into quick energy, some food into longer-term energy or what it's going to store as 'fat' or not.
The food you eat 5 minutes after you get up in the morning, (or five minutes before you go to bed) is not even processed for at least several hours or more, when it hits your intestines, where it will then be broken down into whatever nutrients, fats, sugars, etc and sent on it's way for use or storage. So what you eat at 11 PM isn't even fully processed until morning or so, anyhow; and you've already started your daily activities and such.
Liquids, however, are a different story, which is why coffee or other caffeinated drinks (or sugary drinks or snacks) strongly affect some people and keep them up at night if they have them too late... and why they "pick you up" when you take 'energy' drinks or sugary snacks during the day.
But regular meals /food takes hours to process, and is a constant process - day and night.
edit to add this informative post regarding "starvation mode": http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/761810-the-starvation-mode-myth-again
I think that going hungry for most of the day is not only unpleasant but unhealthy which is why this precept should be removed.
As for not eating after noon being unpleasant, personally i find it liberating and not unpleasant at all. Ive adjusted pretty quickly during my week long retreats to where i dont even get hungry after 12, even after heavy work like wood cutting.
I`ve read you comments and it´s true that eating at different times may have different effects. But if one is a Buddhist and wants to go the path he has to stay with the eating rules of Gotamo Buddho.
i think we should put that into the right order. This kind of eating has a meaning: Getting stronger in mental and physical health.
That´s it. It´s not to do it, but the more you practice, the better it is.
anando
I personally cannot eat much after dinner or I don't sleep well. Whether I drink or eat, digestion keeps me from sleeping well. Some people it doesn't matter. For me, what I eat matters just as much, or more, as how much. I can eat the same # of calories in junk food and gain weight and then eat the same or more in healthy food and not gain weight.
I've been researching nutrition and fitness for 20 years. The only conclusion to draw is everyone is different, and what works for one person, may not work for another. We all have unique chemical, genetic, epigenetic, and hormone states and they all require different ways and types of eating to maximize their potential.
The rest of the day I feel fine though, except for low energy in the hour before eating.
It's not ideal for me, but it's only for 5 weeks, then I can go back to having both breakfast and lunch, which suits my body well.
I can't imagine doing the no lying down one!
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhutanga