‘Don’t diet’ – Mindful eating
Nowadays, many of us have hectic lives, and consume foods based on either convenience, or comfort. We let ourselves become distracted to a point in which we become ‘mindless eaters’.
A popular solution to this problem is to simply go on a diet, but what does that actually mean? Once we say the word diet, and declare it to the world, we are instantly bound by all the restrictions and rules that the word brings. This results in people cheating on their diet and eventually giving up or finding these crazy online diets that never truly work.
What’s the best way around this problem? Simple. Don’t go on a diet. If someone asks “why are you eating healthily”, simply reply with, “I’m just watching what I’m eating”. By doing this, you are allowing yourself to make slightly healthier choices with your meals, instead of completely cutting off entire food groups, which you should never do!
While watching what we eat, try to also be mindful about the habits we have when eating. For example, do you eat when stressed or emotional and use food to deal with it? Are you eating dessert because you feel peer pressured to do so? Are you eating because you’re bored?
Unfortunately, there is no miracle trick to beating old habits overnight, it will take time. Identify these habits and be mindful of situations when you are more likely to eat just because the situation demands you to. A great example is being at the cinema – this is a common excuse for people to pig out and eat comfort food while watching a film. A habit like this is hard to shake!
A good tip to beating a habit is to replace it with a better one. Maybe take your own food to the cinema? And that doesn’t mean that you have to be the only one eating a salad while all your friends are eating junk food. Take something like reduced salt popcorn instead of the salt covered popcorn sold at the cinema. Who knows, it could help save you some money too!
So mindful eating, remember to try your best to at when your actually hungry, take your time when eating and male positive change for yourself and your body!
Ryan