6
min read
Try Mindful Eating for Weight Loss
As a mom and wife, you are mindful about so many things. You know the precise time you need to do pick up and drop off, the exact shoes your son or daughter needs for soccer practice, and the latest phone your tween wants for Christmas this year. But how often are you mindful and intentional with your diet?
Mindful eating is a technique that forces you to slow down while eating and really focus on your meals. It can help you gain control over your eating habits, allow you to enjoy food more, and help you drop those stubborn unwanted pounds.
What is Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating is simple to explain but can be harder to achieve. It’s taking the time to slow down your eating and focus completely on your food. That means being fully aware of how you feel while you eat and fully aware of what is going on around you while you eat. It’s based on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness and allows you to completely focus on your experiences. cravings, and physical cues when eating.
Mindful Eating means:
Eating slowly- Eating without multitasking
- Enjoying your food
- Listening to your body’s hunger cues (eating until satisfied vs overstuffed)
- Eating for overall health and well-being
- Noticing your triggers for non-hunger cues (such as stress)
- Using your senses to enjoy food, including smell, sounds, texture and taste
- Learning to cope with guilt and anxiety about food
- Learning the effects food has on your mood and body
How mindful eating can help you lose weight
When you eat slower and pay close attention to your body and the food on your plate, you are less likely to overeat. Our body’s hunger cues often tell us to stop eating before we get too full.
Mindful eating also teaches us to think before grabbing a snack or dessert while under internal or environmental stressors. When we pause and think about why we want to eat, we can choose to take a walk or talk to a friend instead (move a muscle, change a thought).
How to eat mindfully:
We are creatures of habit and are often on autopilot. As a result, eating mindfully can be difficult. That isn’t to say you can’t do it but rather you just need to retrain your mind. After All, nothing worth having ever comes easy. To start this process,Choose the same meal each day and decided to eat in a slow, attentive manner.
Here are some more tips to get you started:
- Set a timer for 20 minutes and take that time to eat a regular-sized meal.
- Instead of using a fork, try using chopsticks or your non-dominant hand.
- Take small bites and chew often.
- Before grabbing a snack, take a breath and ask yourself if you’re hungry or trying to meet another urge or need.
- Sit down and eat your meal without watching TV, reading, or working on your computer.
- Focus on your food and use all your senses to enjoy it.
- Notice how you are feeling and thinking how you are eating and jot it down
It won’t be easy at first, but it will be worth it! Not only can mindful eating help you lose weight, but it can help you have a different relationship with food. A healthy diet—enjoyed mindfully—coupled with proper exercise can get your to your weight loss goals. Try The EDGE fitness for free and kick those last ten pounds to the curb!
