Mindful Eating Eases You Into A Weight Loss Mindset
Have you heard about eating mindfully?
And, more importantly, can it help you lose weight?
It can do much more than that!
Do you eat slowly and mindfully, or do you eat fast?
Some people eat fast because they’re so busy. Others eat fast because the pace of modern society fills our lives with endless options that makes us need speed. For me, I had this weird anxiety when I ate something that made me eat really fast.
There are many good reasons for eating mindfully. Things like appreciation of food, minimizing overeating, steady weight loss, and just slowing down and enjoying your life, enjoying the company of friends or family, and just being…
What is mindful eating and why should you care?
Mindful eating come from a technique called Mindfulness. Basically, it’s a kind of meditation that can help you focus on what you’re doing, when you’re doing it. It’s keeping your mind on the task you’re doing and not daydreaming or thinking other thoughts.
It can be used for many conditions, like depression or anxiety. But, we want to use it to control our eating habits, our cravings and for spotting our triggers and physical hunger cues.
Here are some ideas on how it can help you…
You won’t get distracted and you’ll eat more slowly.
You’ll learn to spot your physical hunger cues so you don’t overeat.
Makes it easier to distinguish between real hunger and emotional hunger triggers.
You can enjoy all your senses while eating by noticing flavors, smells, colors, sounds and textures.
It’ll help you heal any guilt or anxiety about food.
It helps you maintain your overall health and well-being.
It’ll help you change your habits slowly and effortlessly in a natural way.
You’ll appreciate food more and notice the effects on your feelings.
You can replace automatic thinking and become more conscious.
I hope you’ll trying to be more mindful in your life. These small changes can have big effect over time.
Weight loss programs don’t work in the long term
Most overweight people who lose weight return to or exceed their initial weight within a few years.
Emotional eating and eating because of food cravings cause weight gain and weight regain after successful weight loss.
Stress plays a major part in overeating and obesity.
Many studies found that mindful eating helps you lose weight by changing your eating behaviors and reducing stress.
“A 6-week group seminar on mindful eating among people with obesity resulted in an average weight loss of 9 pounds (4 kg) during the seminar and the 12-week follow-up period.”
“Another 6-month seminar resulted in an average weight loss of 26 pounds (12 kg) — without any weight regain in the following 3 months.”
When you change the way you think about food, any negative emotions connected with eating are replaced with awareness, self-control, and positive emotions.
This can greatly increase your chances for long-term weight loss.
Here’s some tips for mindful eating…
Eat slower and don’t rush your meals. It takes at least 20 minutes for the brain to register that you’re full.
Chew longer but not faster. Enjoy every bite.
Turn off the TV and put down your phone. These distract you from mindful eating.
Eat in silence if possible. This helps keep your focus on eating.
Notice how the food makes you feel.
Stop eating the moment you feel full, yes even if there’s still food on your plate.
People in Okinawa say this before every meal…
Hara Hachi Bu. It basically means to stop eating when you’re 80% full. This is very good advice that I’ve started following with excellent results. Try it!
Some final thoughts…
As you can see, Mindful eating aids weight loss by changing eating behaviors and stops any stress connected with eating.
Eat slower, eat mindfully and enjoy life more.
You deserve it!