If you have been looking up mindfulness, you may have come across some mentions that it can help with your dietary habits and even lead to weight loss. This is done by changing the entire way you look at food, including what, when, and how you consume your meals. Here is some information about mindful eating and how to start doing it.
About Mindful Eating
First, let’s take a look at exactly what mindful eating is. Similar to when you practice mindfulness meditation, you are focusing on the present. You are eating with intention by really paying close attention to every bite, every taste, and every smell. Before you choose what to eat, think about the entire experience, including how you will feel afterward. Focus on your own hunger and decide if you truly are hungry, then use mindfulness to figure out where to eat and what you want to eat. When you pay close attention, you realize when you are hungry and what you are craving, without counting calories or stressing about carbs.
Take Your Time While Eating
A good way to start practicing mindful eating is to eat a little bit slower. Don’t rush through a meal while on your work break, trying to work at the same time. Schedule your lunch to where you can sit silently and really take your time. Indulge in your meal, think about what you are eating, and truly appreciate it. If you can eat in silence in a peaceful environment, that will do wonders for the entire experience. It is tempting to eat in front of a television or watching Netflix, but that takes away from the mindful practice of eating. This can also help to reduce emotional eating habits.
Understand Hunger VS Boredom
There are many reasons people choose to eat something, but it usually comes down to being hungry or not hungry. Don’t eat just because it is noon and you usually eat lunch at this time, or because you are looking for a good way to take up an hour before you go to an appointment. Stop eating because you are bored, stressed, happy, or sad. Eat only when you are hungry. It can take some time, but you need to learn how to listen to your body and know when hunger pangs are truly from being hungry. Don’t worry about what you are eating in regards to fat or calories or carbs, but just eat whatever sounds right at the time.