What Is Mindful Eating?

The Question is... What Is Mindful Eating?

What is mindful eating and how can it help you reach your weight loss goals? These are great questions!

What does “mindful eating” even mean? It means eating in such a way that you follow your body’s natural signals and cues. That’s it in a nutshell. But that’s not a very helpful explanation at all if you’ve lost the ability to even tell when you’re hungry or full. And that, dear reader, is why I thought it was important to write this article.

So many of us today have dysregulated appetites. Rather than eat because of true hunger, we eat by the clock. Or we eat for entertainment. Or we eat because we’re stressed. Or we eat as a distraction. Or we eat just because something tastes really good. Seldom do we eat because we are truly hungry. Is that you?

What Is True Hunger?

When you experience true hunger your stomach will growl and make funky sounds, you’ll feel your energy dropping, you may feel a bit shaky, maybe get a headache and find it hard to focus on tasks. Maybe you’ll even get a little grumpy (hangry). That’s hunger. That’s when you should eat something.

For some reason we seem to think we shouldn’t let ourselves get that hungry. Oh yes, we should! Those are built-in signals that tell us it’s time to eat. Just know that you are not starving. You’re simply hungry. These feelings of hunger are normal.

What about having to eat now so you won’t be hungry later…Have you ever done that? I have! And again, it’s a perfect example of not eating at the right time. Not waiting for true hunger.

By the Clock

When you rely on the clock to tell you when to eat, you’re not in touch with your body at all. And you never really know when you’ve eaten enough or too much. This is keeping you metabolically unhealthy and overweight. I know because I’ve done that too!

Just because it’s noon, it doesn’t mean you have to eat lunch if you’re not hungry. Same for the dinner hour. If you’re not hungry don’t eat. It’s OK to go to bed without supper. You won’t perish and waste away overnight. If you have a bit of pudge on your body, you will live another day, at the very least. 😊

How To Learn Mindful Eating

I strongly recommend keeping a food journal. In it, record what you eat, and the times you ate. Rate your hunger from 1 to 3 (1 being not hungry and 3 famished). And keep track of your mood at the time or make a note of what influenced you to eat something at that time.

Keep your journal with you and write in it at the time you eat rather than trying to remember later in the day. After a week, have a look at the entries you made. If you see a pattern of eating for reasons other than true hunger, then you can begin to make changes.

Teach or train yourself to eat when you get true hunger cues. If it means you’re not hungry until 2pm in the afternoon and your last meal was yesterday at noon, so be it. Don’t eat until 2pm. Some days you’ll be hungrier than others. Some days you could go hours without eating. It’s a natural way of eating.

Mindful eating is a practice that involves paying full attention to the experience of eating, including savoring the flavors, enjoying the textures, and the mouth feel of food. It’s tuning in to your body's hunger and fullness signals. By being present and mindful during meals, you can learn to recognize when you’re truly hungry, when you’re satisfied, and when it is time to stop eating.

But… and This Is a Big But!

Mindful eating only works if you’re eating meals made from fresh, whole foods the way Mother Nature made it. It’s nearly impossible to tell when you’re full and satisfied if you’re eating processed foods, convenience meals, sugary treats and fast food.

You may get stuffed on that junk, but you’ll be hungry again in a couple of hours. And that’s because you never got the nutrients your body needs from what you consumed. So, the brain sends out hunger signals to say, “we need more food over here because what you fed us didn’t provide enough nutrition”.

Many of us have lost touch with our bodies' natural signals because we eat foods that are so hyper-palatable that we can’t help but eat more and more of it for the sheer, insane pleasure it gives our brain. It’s garbage food that’s been manufactured to tickle all our pleasure senses.

When you eat these food-like products, you can’t even tell when you’re full and even if you are, you’re still shoveling it in because it’s such a great sensation.

Who hasn’t pushed away from the Thanksgiving table with their belt undone, patting our belly and warning everyone of an imminent gut explosion if we eat another bite! Yet before getting up from the table we spot the dessert pies on the cart, and we pull the chair right back up to the trough for yet more food! That’s NOT mindful eating. That’s addictive eating. It’s zoned out eating. It’s a total disconnection from what eating is supposed to be.

Mindful eating can help you regain control and develop a healthier relationship with food. So, take a moment to slow down, be present, and truly savor the experience of nourishing your body with real food at every meal.

If you need help reaching your weight loss and health goals, feel free to contact me by clicking or tapping here.  If you want to learn more about my services Click or Tap here.

Share With Your Friends