I follow lots of different nutrition coaches, food bloggers and fitness professionals on social media. I am also a consumer, so I am bombarded with advertisements constantly about diets, “fitness challenges”, quick fixes, health fads, and short-term solutions for weight loss. It seems like there is always a new “diet” that people are jumping on and everyone wants to find the least complicated solution.
What if I told you that success with food is not about what you should or shouldn’t eat, but HOW you eat?
With that being said, a while back I came across an article from our friends at Precision Nutrition, who we consider to be THE experts in the industry. In fact, we pay to have them educate our Food Coaches because we really believe in what they teach. This article is all about slow, mindful eating.
This tip that they gave is SO simple and effective that it almost seems too good to be true. It is a proven fact, though, that if you eat slowly and mindfully, you WILL lose weight.
Think about this; how often are you eating on the go, in front of the TV, in front of your phone, or shoveling your meal into your face as quickly as possible because you have somewhere to be or something to do? During this temporary “shutdown”, you may not have anywhere to rush to, but you may be glued to your smart phone or another device. This is the opposite of mindful eating!
I want to be completely transparent with you because I believe it’s important for you to know where I’m coming from. I’ve been working on this personally. Now that I’m 9 months pregnant, and I know our 2nd baby will be here soon, I want to have good habits going into my postpartum season. Just like my last pregnancy, I’m not focusing on the scale because that number isn’t what matters to me. I’ll be focusing on how I feel, my habits, and how my clothes are fitting. I am DETERMINED to not have to buy a new wardrobe this upcoming summer and fall because I have plenty of nice clothes already. Also, let’s be honest, as a Mom I’d rather be spending money on the babies. Mindful eating is a game changer.
According to our buddies at PN, they say that eating slowly and mindfully is actually more important than what you eat, when you eat, and getting anything else perfect! This may seem controversial, however they (and we) believe that slow eating may be the single most powerful habit for driving major transformation. It is THE simplest way for anyone to start losing weight and feeling better IMMEDIATELY.
In my own personal experience, I’ve noticed that when I’m eating mindfully, I eat way less and I don’t feel deprived! I actually enjoy my food too!
This sounds super simple guys and it IS, but it’s not always easy for most; especially for those who in a rush often, or for those who like to be distracted when they eat.
You may be wondering “So HOW do you eat mindfully?”
Here are some simple tips to try:
– Put the utensil down between bites
– Chew everything in your mouth before you move on to the next bite
– Don’t eat in front of the TV, the sink, your phone, or the steering wheel (sit at a table, undistracted!)
– Eat food that needs to be chewed (minimally processed foods require more chewing)
– Drink water between bites
– SAVOR your food!
I want to challenge you to try this for an entire week and I guarantee you’ll feel better! Feel free to reply to this email and let me know how it goes 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to read this!- Mandy Webb, KW Fitness Co-Owner