How to eat mindfully

How often have you been watching a game or Netflix with a big bag of chips, and before you know it, the bag is empty? How often have you been out socializing with friends, and before you know it, you’ve had way more to eat or drink than you planned on? How often have you ordered dessert when you were already full from dinner, and then were disappointed because it didn’t taste as good as you thought and didn’t feel good to eat? I’ve been there for sure! Consuming excess calories hinders weight loss, and not only that, it is why we GAIN weight! Of course this is not news — we’ve known this for a long time. Why then does this knowledge go out the window and we consume more than we intended or are actually hungry for? Most often, it’s because we are distracted while we are eating. The solution to this? Mindful eating.

What is mindful eating? What is mindfulness anyway? Why is mindful eating important? What benefits will I experience? How do I do it? Keep reading for a little crash course on mindful eating! First we’ll start with defining mindfulness in general, then move on to mindful eating — how to do it and why to do it.

What is Mindfulness?

Simply put, mindfulness is paying attention. It is being aware of your thoughts and feelings and body sensations, and being able to separate yourself from them, like you’re watching them go by. It is attention and awareness without judgment, just noticing what is. Mindfulness is staying in the moment.

What is Mindful Eating?

Applying mindfulness in general to eating more specifically, mindful eating can be described as paying attention to your body sensations before, during, and after eating. Often we mindlessly eat, and consume more than we want or need to. When we tune in to the hunger cues in our bodies, the taste, smell, and texture of food, and satiety cues, we stay present in our eating.

Why is this Important?

Practicing mindful eating is important because it helps us reach our goals, and eat more healthfully. Mindful eating helps us eat when we’re hungry, stop eating when we’re not hungry, and determine whether the food we eat is actually tasty or makes us feel good. Often what we think of as “comfort foods” actually make our bodies feel WORSE later on. Being mindful of this helps us make choices that serve us better in the future. When we don’t overeat, and we eat foods that make our bodies feel good, we can much more easily stay on track with our goals, get the results we want, and feel our best.

How Can I Eat Mindfully?

Let’s break down each of these steps:

Before you eat, pay attention to whether your body is actually hungry

Sometimes I catch myself nibbling on some snacks when I’m not hungry. Usually this happens when I’m feeling tired, bored, anxious, depressed, or even thirsty. So before you eat, take a moment to tune into your body and emotions, and make sure you’re actually hungry. If you’re not quite sure how to distinguish hunger from one of the other sensations you may be experiencing work on process of elimination. First, drink a big glass of water, then go do something for about 30 minutes. This may be something like cleaning up the house, or walking around the block, but get moving! It doesn’t have to be a workout, but don’t sit around on the couch thinking about how hungry you are. If you still feel hungry after 30 minutes, then eat something. If you’re dining out with friends but you’re not hungry, order something light, like a salad or small plates, and drink a lot of water!

Unplug and pay attention to the food you are eating

Remove distractions while you eat, and really taste your food. This is challenging when you’re out with friends, but even then take a moment to think about your food while you’re eating. Often we munch on something that doesn’t taste that good, or that we don’t even really like simply because it’s there. Often we don’t know how our food tastes or how much we’re eating because we aren’t paying attention to it. We’re on the phone or watching TV. So turn off your devices, or get them away from the table, and simply eat. Does the food taste good? Does it feel good in your mouth? It is as good as you hoped? The first bite is usually the best, then it goes downhill from there. Is this food satisfying? If it’s not, stop eating it!

When you eat, pay attention to whether you’re still hungry

The question you should be asking yourself here is NOT “am I full?” Instead, ask “am I still hungry?” There is a HUGE difference between feeling full and having eaten enough. Just eat until you’re no longer hungry. One piece of advice I’ve heard so often is “eat until you’re 80% full.” I like the idea of stopping before you feel full, but I have no idea how to quantify what percent full I am, so I just stick with eating until I’m not hungry anymore. Do what works for you! When you’re finished eating, say out loud “I’ve had enough to eat.”

After you eat, pay attention to how your body feels

This is a great way to gather information about what your body likes to eat. When I eat a fresh greens salad with chicken, roasted sweet potato and cauliflower, some walnuts and an amazing dressing, I feel satisfied for hours and often can’t finish the whole salad. I feel energized and happy. When I eat my son’s Nutter Butters or my husband’s mac and cheese, I feel sluggish, sleepy, and like my brain is in a fog. I also get bloated, which is definitely not fun. How does your food make you feel? If it makes you feel like crap later on, don’t eat it! This is the most challenging part of eating mindfully because it involves staying in tune with your body after you’re done eating, and while you’re doing other things. We often feel like crap in the afternoons, but don’t associate it with the food we’re eating. If you’re not sure if it’s your food that’s causing you to feel crappy, you can try eating the same thing for a couple days and see if you consistently feel sluggish, sleepy, or moody an hour later, you can bet it’s the food. You can also try eating energizing foods like veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats like nuts or avocado and see how you feel after that.

Following these four steps is a challenge, but if you do, you will find the benefits are enormous. You will be eating foods that serve you and make you feel your best, and as a result, you’ll be feeling your best! You’ll avoid taking in more calories than you really need because you will know when your body wants to eat and has had enough to eat. You will find practicing mindful eating will help you make significant progress towards your goals, and not only that, you will be eating foods you ENJOY eating!

Cheers to a happy and mindful weekend ahead!