If you struggle with achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, you may benefit from mindful eating strategies. A disconnect between eating habits and hunger, is quite common for those who put on extra weight either after competition is over, being back from relaxing holidays, or simply extra dinners on the patio during the summer months. Getting in touch with hunger and satiety cues and the things that trigger overeating is the first step to bringing mindfulness to your eating habits. A positive relationship between mindful eating and your goals can help you eat less, eat better and by being conscious of your food choices achieve faster results.
Start practicing mindful eating, by asking yourself some questions:
- Why do I eat?
- Be aware of when you may eat for reasons other than hunger such as anxiety, sadness, boredom or tiredness.
- When do I eat?
- Scheduling your meals will allow you balance and structure at least in the beginning.
- What do I eat?
- When you practice mindfulness you make better food choices.
- How do I eat?
- Remove distraction while eating, such as watching television, surfing the Internet or even driving. These habits can cause overeating. Focus on the taste, texture, smell and appearance of each bite. Chew well and enjoy your food by being mentally present while eating. This is one of my personal struggles not taking the time to actually enjoy my food.
- How much do I eat?
- The amount you eat can be determined by your eating environment, your ability to sense fullness and habit. Remove the distractions. I find myself rushing through my meals and then realizing it’s gone and sometimes reaching for seconds.
- Where do I eat?
- Making better choices starts with planning. Avoid eating prepackaged processed foods or eating out of large containers without portioning makes it difficult to track how many servings you are consuming.
I hope some of these tips help you with being mindful and actually enjoy your meals.
Be Present~Be Mindful~Be Healthy