You know that in a weight loss effort, what you eat matters. That said, as much as it seems to make sense to just eat less, that’s not actually a long term solution. It is important to adopt a mindful eating strategy so that you develop a more thorough understanding of your food, what’s in it, how much you’re eating and why you’re eating it.
In this way, you’re not only looking at the food itself, but you’re turning your attention inside yourself to get to know what every bite means to you. After all, if eating was only a matter of obtaining the necessary nutrients for survival, obesity would be such a problem. There is so much more to eating than nutrition.
There are other huge components such as social influences, emotional impact and When you become mindful of that and of your choices, you will take back control over your own habits and your waistline, too.
To begin eating mindfully, it’s not just a matter of thinking that you will be paying attention from now on. It is a matter of adopting an important new perspective and lifestyle through the building of certain specific habits. You will not only need to learn new behaviors, but you will also need to take on a type of meditation that will help you to improve the enjoyment of your food.
Begin by thinking every time you feel inclined to eat. Consider what your body is experiencing and how you are feeling on an emotional level. Decide whether you are eating because you are truly hungry or whether you are doing it in response to being bored, lonely, sad, frustrated or feeling some other emotion that can drive you to want to eat.
As you recognize that you’re not always eating because you’re hungry, pay attention to the specific emotions you tend to feel when you reach for food. Do you tend to be more inclined to overeat when you are feeling anxious or stressed, sad, lonely, bored, angry, or something else? Knowing the emotional trigger for your eating can help you to better cope with your feelings and avoid eating at the wrong times and for the wrong reasons.
Next, try to learn your natural rhythm for eating. Do you find that you are most likely to snack in the middle of the afternoon? Do you experience most of your cravings in the evening as you wind down for the day? As you discover your predictable patterns, take steps to overcome them. For example, keep healthy, nutritious snacks in your desk if mid-afternoon eating is a problem.
