Mind Your Mouth...and What Goes In It!
I briefly mentioned “mindful eating” over social media this past week as one of my top 5 weight loss tips. However, this a lot that goes into the practice of this concept, so I wanted to cover it in greater detail than I was able to via social media. In terms of a definition, mindful eating is pretty much what it sounds like- being more mindful of what you eat (and drink!). This technique helps you to be more in control of your eating habits, thus aiding in weight loss and reduction of binge eating. Not sure how to practice mindful eating? Though it looks a little different for everyone, here are a few basic tips to help get you started!
1. Eat without distractions! First and foremost, put your phone down. Not only does your phone harbor a ton of bacteria (that we don’t want to transfer from the phone to our food), it also takes your mind off of the primary task at-hand: eating! If possible, turn the TV off as well as this has a similar effect.
2. Pay attention to your body’s hunger cues. Don’t wait until you feel like you could gnaw your arm off before making the decision to eat. A hormone called ghrelin, the body’s natural hunger hormone, will be released when you need to refuel your tank. Listen for this signal and act when it is heard!
3. Eat until you feel satisfied, not stuffed. Your body has a natural fullness hormone, called leptin, that is released when you have eaten a sufficient amount. If we think on a scale of 0-10, with 0 being starving and 10 being stuffed, start eating when you are at a 3-4 and cut yourself off when you reach a 7-8. If you stop when you feel satisfied, then 20 minutes later you will feel full. If you keep eating until you are full, 20 minutes later you will feel overly-stuffed…not a comfortable feeling for anyone.
4. Pay attention to your motives for eating. Snacking out of boredom? Check yoself before you wreck yoself. Go do something active instead! Continuing to eat after dinner because you’re still hungry? Go back for seconds of the protein source and/or non-starchy veggies. Eat more REAL FOOD instead of snacky junk that seems to be twice as appealing after dinner.
As mentioned above, mindful eating looks different for everyone. What are some ways in which you aim to practice this technique? This is an area in which we can certainly learn from one another!
