Are you an emotional eater? Do you find yourself overeating?

If you’re wanting to lose weight, you might consider the act of mindful eating.

Mindful eating is the practice of being consciously aware of everything you eat and taking steps to have a deeper understanding of eating habits. Check out these five effective mindful eating exercises that can help you lose weight.

What Is Mindful Eating?

Simply put, mindful eating is paying attention to the food (and the amount of food) that you’re putting into your body. It’s deliberate. When you are being mindful, you become aware of what’s happening inside and around you.

When you adhere to the mindful diet, you begin to pay attention to the tastes and textures of foods. How do they make you feel? When are you truly full? Are you satisfied? You give yourself the time to answer these questions.

1. Only Eat When You’re Hungry

One of the best mindful eating tips to start with is to only eat when you’re hungry. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to eat out of boredom or access. Instead, start listening to your body for the signs of hunger: growling stomach and low energy.

2. Eat a Variety of Foods

Another mindful eating exercise to try is to eat a variety of foods. If you have a pretty bland palate, it’s important to expand your horizons. Try foods that you’ve never tried before.

If you’ve never been a big vegetable eater, now is a great time to give them a try. Vegetables are full of fiber and will keep you fuller longer.

Try different foods and take note of how you feel during and after. Use this as a great excuse to try some ethnic cuisines that you might not normally try.

3. Sit down While Eating

You need to sit down while you eat. Instead of walking around the office or standing over the kitchen sink, sit down at a table and enjoy your meal. How does it feel to do this?

4. Slow Down

Slow down and do a mindful eating meditation. You can click here to learn more about mindfulness programs that will help guide you. When you incorporate eating meditation into your day, you will learn how to handle food cravings.

Another way to use the “slow down” exercise is to put your fork down between bites. Instead of shoveling bites into your mouth, slow down and savor each bite of food. Chew slower and take the time to notice how the food tastes and feels.

5. Stop Eating When You’re Satisfied

It’s easy to overeat when you’re mindlessly eating while watching your favorite Netflix show. Instead, you need to be mindful and listen to your body so that you know when you’re satisfied and full. When do you feel your hunger stop? When does the food stop tasting as good as it did the first bite?

Put These Mindful Eating Exercises to Work

By putting these mindful eating exercises to work daily, you will become more aware of what your body needs. We live in such a fast-paced world, that we don’t even slow down to eat. Become mindful of your eating habits and you will see a healthier you.

Want more ideas on getting healthy? Be sure to check out our diet and nutrition blog for great tips on living a healthier life.