Anyone with similar practices?

[pedro1985]

Is there somebody doing similar practices? For example, since recently I've started to:

- eat only 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner), instead of eating whenever I feel hungry. This helps me to make craving for snacks lesser. Because I eat only 3 times a day now, I want every meal to give me enough energy for the 6 hours until the next meal, so its easy to avoid junkfood and snacks. By not eating outside those 3 meals its easy not to eat snacks (for example when watching television)

- drink only water (no tea, no coffee, no milk, etc) from monday to friday (of course I still eat 3 times a day). Since I started drinking only water 5 days a week, I noticed that most often I drink just because I want something that taste nice, or because of being bored (I used to drink a lot of tea and coffee because it taste nice, not because I was thirsty). By drinking only water 5 days a week, I notice that I now only drink to keep my body healthy, not for taste.

- no music, no television, no media from monday to friday. This really helps me to stay focussed more. Especially music (although I like it a lot) makes it difficult for me to focus during the day.

Anyone with similar practices? I would like to hear them...

[Ytrog]

I think it is a good practice generally

I also drink mostly water, but meals vary (some days I only eat 2 meals, some I snack on). I also try to moderate my media intake. For example: while driving my car to work I used to have the radio on. When I stopped with that I noticed how many of the trip just goes by unnoticed when you are listening to the radio.

Keep up the good work.

[rowyourboat]

Today I wanted to somehow not have my evening meal, but since my wife was disappointed about me not eating the food she had cooked I decided to let go of my craving for my 'precept' (as it was harmless doing so), and ate the food - it felt like 'Dana' in a strange way.

[Hickersonia]

Hmm...

I'll be honest, I'm not ready to give up my coffee and tea, but I've made great efforts to limit them in recent weeks. It helps cut down on the incredible number of potty breaks I find by body requires throughout the evening!

I don't bother with TV at all unless the wife is watching it, except for the occasional Buddhist / spiritual documentary on Netflix. I haven't listened to the radio while driving (except when the family is in the car with me) except to listen to chanting (thanks to Metta Forest Monastery) in two or three weeks.

I spend a little time every weekend on the computer playing games with my son, like Civilization. I haven't played any games (by myself or with anyone) with graphic violence / "adult" content in nearly five months.

As for eating, I'm only eating between dawn and noon on weekdays. Weekends are difficult because I end up spending the whole day with the family (as opposed to only three or four hours), and they tend to graze all day... and my wife would be terribly cross with me if I didn't eat dinner with them when we're all together!

[Magoo]

Hi all,

I would like to raise my concerns with eating less and I wonder why it is necessary as a Lay Buddhist? Personally, I prefer to take my nutritional advice from outside Buddhism, but my mental advice directly (or indirectly this should be?) from the Buddha. It is much better for our metabolism to snack every 3 hours or so in between your meals, rather than limit your eating and then consume large meals when you do. I understand Monks in the main limit their meals as they rely on Dana and thus dont want to annoy the lay people for support at all times of the day? I could be wrong here, so please let me know if I am?
My understanding also is that attachment is the cause of suffering and thus if you are attached to food and the flavours of food to provide some sort of happiness, then that is suffering. This becomes craving. However, if we were to eat regular snacks when hungry, out of necessity and for body health reasons, this should not be a problem to our practice. I would have though that by negelcting the body when its hungry could be a form of aversion and not recommended either?

So in short, I agree that excess should be avoided and eating just for pleasure could be seen as craving. But eating for nutrition and susequent health would be advisable.

Helathy Body and Healthy Mind go together and Vice-Versa?

What are your thoughts? Could be a worth while discussion?

With Mega Metta
Eamonn

[Hickersonia]

What are your thoughts? Could be a worth while discussion?

I've simply noticed that if I am not exerting myself, I don't need the extra sustenance.

I'm working a sit down job and am technically still taking up to two (although not always) meals per day, one (main meal) around 11-11:30 AM and the other (smaller, optional) between 8:30 and 9 AM. I eat what I want with without restriction and I eat only until I'm full (most of the time, haha).

And I feel good. *shrugs*

Not saying it is right for everybody, just sharing my method (since the question was asked).