There is one little thing that you can do to lose weight which will  make a big difference and that is to simply eat more slowly. Taking your time over your food is a much neglected weight loss essential.

In today’s fast paced world most of us rarely take the time to chew our food properly and savour every bite. But if you take more time to consume your meal not only will you eat less but you’ll enjoy it more and feel more satisfied after. This is because it takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to register to the brain that it’s satisfied. Many of us gobble our food down, still feel hungry and end up eating far more than we need to because we’ve eaten so quickly.

 

As well as taking your time, another important aspect is to be more ‘mindful’ when you consume your food. Conscious or mindful eating sounds very Zen but all it really means is to take your time eating by being in the moment. Take a look at your food, smell it, chew it slowly and savour the flavour and texture of each bite. Put your knife and fork, or your fingers, down between each bite. Eating in this methodical way not only helps you to digest your food better but it encourages a calm and relaxed mindset. New research has shown that there is a strong link between high levels of stress and weight gain – particularly around the  middle.

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In a nutshell, mindful eating can help you lose weight, enjoy food more, eat less and reduce stress. By giving your digestive enzymes plenty of time to work their magic it can also boost the digestive process so your body gets the nutrients it needs to help you lose weight. Remind yourself of the benefits the next time you find yourself gulping down your food and try following these simple mindful eating rules instead:

 

The rules of mindful eating:

• Switch off the television: don’t do anything else when you eat. Don’t watch television, drive, walk, talk on the phone, argue, surf the net or read a book. Concentrate only on the food you are eating.

•  Slow down: Put your knife and fork down between bites. Don’t put another bite into your mouth until you have finished chewing and swallowing what is in your mouth already. This can be tough if you are very hungry but deep breathing between mouthfuls should help. You may also want to buy smaller knives and forks to one ones you normally use so you eat less with every bite – or even better try using chopsticks.

• Go for quality: Only eat food that is healthy and fresh. Don’t eat something just because it’s there or because it’s almost past it’s sell by date or because it says diet on the packaging. Eat what looks and smells nutritious and delicious to you.

• Follow your hunger: Let your hunger lead you to eat. Don’t get to the point when you are starving but allow yourself to feel hungry – remember, a little hunger won’t kill you.

• Use napkins: Set your table, dim the lights and put some fresh flowers on your table. Try to make every meal time an occasion. Put your knife and fork on your napkin.

• Listen to your stomach: It is not a crime to leave food on your plate or even throw it away. You aren’t a fully paid up member of the clean plate club. Be honest with yourself. Let your body tell you when to stop, not what is left on your plate. If you find it hard to leave food on your plate when you start to feel full put your plate to one side. If you are at home throw the food away. If you are out, set your plate on the edge of the table to let your waiter know to take it away.

• Let music play on: Calming music when you eat can be very relaxing. You can try listening to classic FM or to your own classic collection. Do make sure that the music is background music only – gentle and calming in the background and not loud and distracting.

• Stop beating yourself up: You aren’t ‘bad’ if you do indulge now and again and eat too much and you are not ‘good’ if you stick to vegetables and fruit for every meal. Eating so called healthy or unhealthy food does not make you a sinner or a saint. It’s your attitude that makes all the difference. Remember the 80/20 rule. It’s fine to indulge every now and again as long as you eat healthily most of the time – food, after all, is one of life’s pleasures.

Stress proofing your diet

All this is fine if you’re relaxed, on holiday or it’s the weekend but what about those times when we’re busy and stressed. When you’re stressed it is so easy to feel drawn towards something that distracts you and makes you feel better quickly and that something is often food. However, learning to become more mindful in these moments can help you break that destructive pattern. Here’s how:

First of all acknowledge that you are feeling stressed. It’s impossible to change unhealthy habits unless you recognise that you have them. Learn to recognise your stress signals, which might include headaches, rapid breathing, or munching when you’re not hungry.

Second, when it’s time to eat instead of stuffing food down try to enjoy the taste of what you are eating; the textures, and smells, which is how we derive comfort from food in the first place. The more you savour and enjoy your food the less you will need to eat of it to get the stress relief you are seeking.

 

If you do succumb to a stress induced binge make a mental note of it and then the next time you feel tempted recall the guilt you felt afterwards. Is your binge worth it? Then take steps to control the amount you are eating. Buy one chocolate bar instead of a multi pack. And when you eat that chocolate bar stop and check in with yourself. Think: do I really want to eat this? Is it going to help me? Just taking a moment to reflect on the reasons you are eating can interrupt the pull towards comfort eating.

Often we don’t distinguish between physical hunger and emotionally driven cravings. Try rating your hunger on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 not hungry at all and 5, starving. If it’s a 1 or 2 ask yourself if it is food you are really craving or reassurance or distraction. If it’s a 3 or 5 eat something healthy. If it’s a 4 or 5 eat a healthy meal or snack straight away; the hungrier you are the more vulnerable you are to overeating.

 

If the urge to raid the biscuit tin is just too great don’t deny your craving as this will only strengthen your desire to scoff the lot. Instead remind yourself that you always have choices: do you want to have one biscuit now, with a piece of fruit or do you want to wait until the urge is so strong that you can’t fight it anymore? Recognising that you have choices puts you in charge, not the food craving.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 1st, 2008 at 2:40 am and is filed under Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.