Do you watch TV, drive, or talk while eating at the same time? Do you continue to stuff yourself even though you are full already? Do you ignore your hunger and stomach rumblings sometimes? Do you "live to eat" and enjoy the good in-the-moment most of the time? Well, if your answer is yes for some or most of the questions do not worry as you are not alone. Most of us are guilty of eating mindlessly (unaware of what we are doing) and that more than other causes is the reason we lose control of our weight and health.
In order to regain control of our eating, lose weight, and maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is important for us to practice mindful eating. Mindful eating, a practice that sprouted from mindfulness meditation, refers to the practice of paying full attention to the eating and drinking experience and the awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations that come with it.
Mindful eating is an effective way to lose weight is because you slow down and engage fully in the eating experience. By doing so, you will be more aware of your actions and motivations behind your eating habits. You will learn to appreciate the satisfying and nourishing capacity of food as it stimulates your sense, make choices in starting or finishing a meal according to your body's hunger and satiety's cues, recognize the emotional triggers, social pressures or particular foods that cause mindless eating, value the quality of food that you are eating over the quantity, and feel deep sincere gratitude from the eating experience.
So how do you go about eating mindfully? Before you eat, take a few seconds to breathe deeply and ask yourself how you are feeling. Notice if your emotion is making you eat more or less than you should. Try taking the first 3 sips or your favorite drink slowly with full attention. If you are reading or watching TV and eating, try alternating these activities instead of doing both at once. You could read a page, then put the book down and eat a few bites. Take the first few bites from your plate slowly during meals. You can also try eating a meal alone once a week in silence and mindfulness. Pause eating once your hunger has been satiated and ask yourself if you want to continue eating even though you are full because you are really hungry or just out of habit.
Recently, there has been increasing evidence of the positive impacts of mindful eating for weight loss and for the treatment of obesity and binge eating disorders. Just like mindfulness meditation, mindful eating does not only benefit one's physical and emotional health, it also helps one to achieve a greater sense of balance in life. Therefore, by practicing mindful eating, one is sure to be able to lead a healthy and happy life.
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