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Losing weight (and keeping it off) isn't always easy. But you can do it. You can also shed those pounds and strut towards a healthier, happier life without indulging in fad diets or empty short-term tactics.
Not many people know this, but when it comes to losing weight, there's a mind-body connection. When you're either stressed or unaware of your habits, your weight loss efforts can run off course pretty quickly.
The good news is, there's a way of bringing yourself into the present moment, taking charge of your lifestyle habits and smashing your weight loss goals—with mindfulness.
Practising mindfulness is a powerful way of creating a sense of harmony between your mind and body. It's about taking charge of the way you live in a way that suits you and tuning into your world. And it's a way of shedding the pounds with confidence.
Are you ready to start your mindfulness journey?
Great. Let's get going.
The power of mindfulness for weight loss
Before we get into our top tips for practising mindfulness and dropping those pounds, let's take a (mindful) moment to consider why it's great for weight loss as well as general well-being.
Did you know? Studies show a scientific link between mindfulness and improvements in general well-being as well as metabolism.
Yes, practising mindfulness is a powerful way to take charge of your lifestyle habits, live in the present moment, and create healthy habits that will lead you to your dream weight.
Here are some other pretty brilliant bonuses of embracing mindfulness training...
- A healthier blood pressure and resting heart rate
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Better sleep quality
- Improved pain management (this is especially beneficial if you have a chronic ailment)
- Extra energy
- More mental resilience
Read: Our glimpse at the link between exercise and improved mental health for a little feel-good 'get up and go' inspiration.
Practising mindfulness for weight loss: top tips
Now that you're up to speed with the incredible benefits of mindfulness and its link to weight loss, we're going to look at practical ways you can weave it into your 'every day.'
Let's go.
Meditate more…
The term 'meditation' usually conjures up images of someone sitting in psychedelic yoga pants surrounded by a haze of incense smoke.
But, here's the thing: mindfulness meditation isn't only for devout spiritualists (or 70s prog rock fans), it's for everyone—including you.
Yes, a spot of mindful meditation will help you on your weight loss journey by balancing your mind and helping you deal with emotional eating.
When life becomes overwhelming and the stress mounts up, comfort eating is all too easy. We've all been there. And we understand.
Food is there to enjoy—but when mindless eating becomes a daily habit—you can start to feel sluggish, and you can start piling on the pounds. Enter mindful meditation.
Indulging in a spot of guided mindfulness meditation can help you reduce your cortisol (the stress hormone), centering your thoughts and regulating your metabolism in the process. Regular mindful meditation will also make you more serene, improving your stress response in the process.
So, how do you do mindful meditation, exactly?
Here are a few Zen-making tips for your reading pleasure...
- Dedicate five minutes a day to meditate to enjoy the long-term benefits
- Find a place that feels calm and quiet. Sit comfortably on a chair or on a cushion—whatever you prefer
- Sit up straight with your hands on your lap or by your sides, and close your eyes
- Take a slow breath in. Breathe deep, then release. Repeat this process and focus on your breath for five minutes
- If your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to the present
BONUS TIP: Try a guided mindfulness meditation app like Headspace to help you with your breathing activities and maintain your motivation.
Embrace your inner Wim Hof…
Expanding on our last point, for maximum weight-busting mindfulness, embracing your inner Wim Hof is the way to go.
If you're thinking "Wim Who...", allow us to introduce you...
Wim Hof is the original 'Iceman'. He's shattered a number of World Records related to extreme cold exposure. He's a global leader in holistic health—and 'mindfulness' is his middle name (well, not literally).
As a staunch advocate of the health and wellness benefits of cold exposure, the Iceman developed a mindfulness practise that involves breathing techniques and (you guessed it) braving the cold.
One of the most effective and accessible ways of enjoying the mindfulness benefits of cold exposure is taking a less-than-lukewarm shower.
Whether you take your shower in the morning or evening, dialling down the temperature and sticking out the cold for even 10 seconds (you can build up by five seconds each week) will give you a shot of mindfulness that will sharpen your body and mind.
A daily cold shower is said to improve mental strength, reduce anxiety, improve heart health, and boost your immune system. Oh, and once you get used to it—taking a cold shower will make you feel darn good. It's instant mindfulness.
Oh, and there are studies that suggest regular cold showers can also help with the fat-burning process by stimulating fat cells and kickstarting your metabolism. Double bonus.
Walk away from your stress…
Next up, we have walking. Putting one foot in front of the other is almost another form of mindful meditation.
Not only will walking a little more each day get your body moving and help you burn more calories (hello, weight loss)—but taking a little time out to enjoy a leisurely stroll will bring you into the present moment.
Walking will boost your mood, which will help you make better decisions and get into good eating habits. You'll also bring down your daily stress levels and burn energy both before and after your meals. Oh, and as walking is said to boost your creativity—you may even connect with a 'Eureka moment' that changes your life for the better.
So, get out there and enjoy a daily walk. Once you start, you'll never look back.
Read: Our rundown of healthy 30-minute meals for quick, easy, and nutritious dishes to enjoy before or after your daily walk.
Stay in touch with yourself…
This is all about uncovering the reasons behind your eating behaviours. By taking the time to identify your stressors, you'll get to the root cause (or causes) of your eating behaviours. In the process, you'll be able to tackle issues like emotional hunger or binge eating.
Get a helping hand…
If you're struggling with your eating behaviours, there's absolutely no shame in talking to a professional. A dedicated counsellor or mental health professional will help you talk through your concerns and make you more mindful of the reasons behind your habits.
Seeking the support of trusted friends and loved ones will also help you navigate your weight loss journey with the confidence you need to succeed. You've got this.
Start a journal…
Another mindful means of staying in touch with yourself and understanding your eating habits on a slightly deeper level is through journaling.
By jotting down your thoughts and feelings (both positive and negative) most days, you're more likely to uncover patterns in your eating habits. In turn, you'll be able to make healthier food swaps and tackle mindless eating.
Read: This collection of tip-top psychological hacks to help you in your quest to lose weight.
Ditch the distractions…
Distractions are your enemy when you're looking to practise mindfulness and address emotional eating.
When we say distractions, we mean anything that consistently gets in the way of your weight loss journey. When you're on a mission to improve your lifestyle and understand emotional eating triggers, tuning into the world around you is key.
If you feel like you might scroll aimlessly on your smartphone a little too much, for instance, set certain times during the day or evening when to put it away and so something else. Or, if you watch television when you cook, try playing some instrumental music instead. That way, you'll immerse yourself fully in the cooking process and be more aware of any unconscious snacking you might be doing.
Another way of stripping away any distractions and making mindfulness an intuitive habit is by taking the time to tune into your senses. To do so, you can try the Five Senses Exercise.
It goes a little something like this...
- Take note of five things that you can see
- Take note of four things that you can feel
- Take note of three things you can hear
- Take note of two things you can smell
- Take note of one thing you can taste
Doing this at least once every couple of days will make you more mindful of your body while training your mind to make decisions in a calmer mental state.
So, embrace your senses and set yourself a well-balanced mindfulness diet by taking note of all the tips mentioned in this epic (even if we do say so ourselves) guide.
Practise mindful eating…
Without a doubt, mindful eating is one of the very best ways of helping you lose weight consistently (and keep those pounds off).
By putting mindful eating habits in place, you'll improve your relationship with food and make you feel more satisfied after your snacks or meals.
To make mindful eating a daily reality, try to sit down and really savour at least one meal a day (if you're strapped for time, you could put the phone down and sit somewhere peaceful during your lunch break).
With your food in front of you, give these mindful eating techniques a go to get the most from your meal...
- Eat every mouthful slowly. Chew each bite several times and pause for a moment between mouthfuls.
- Take the time to appreciate the colours, textures, and aromas of your meal. Engage your senses as much as possible.
- Pay attention to your body's physical cues, and stop eating when you're full.
- Remember that you deserve the food before you, and enjoying it is more than okay
"The only thing you have to focus on is the food"—Michael Mantzios, mindfulness researcher and lecturer in health psychology, Birmingham City University.
This is a form of mindfulness training, and as such, it will take a little time before this eating-focused practise becomes ingrained. But, when it does, you'll be one big leap towards your weight loss goals.
To help you get started with your mindful eating and lose weight, here's a little video we've hand-picked just for you...
Try these mindful eating techniques as much as you can, and you'll improve your relationship with food, getting closer to your weight loss goals in the process.
Did you know? Mindfulness (including mindful eating) is often prescribed by health professionals to help with binge eating, food-related disorders, depression, and anxiety.
Try intuitive eating…
Last but certainly not least, we arrive at a little something called intuitive eating. Another food-based form of mindful meditation, intuitive eating is another sustainable weight loss habit that will help you shed the pounds—and keep them off.
So, what's it all about, exactly? Let's take a look.
The opposite of a flash-in-the-pan fad diet, intuitive eating is a non-restrictive way of dieting that involves tuning in with your body to the point where making good food choices becomes natural. And, when that happens, you'll start to see that body fat melt away.
Coupled with the mindful eating tips we mentioned above, you'll start eating healthier foods and understand when you're full. But, there will still be room for indulgent snacks, treats—or even the odd tipple (if you're that way inclined).
Here are the 10 principles of mindful eating...
- Ditch the strict dieting mentality.
- Eat when you're hungry and stop eating when you're full
- Know that no foods are off the table. It's about balance and listening to your body
- Don't place foods into 'nice' and 'naughty' categories. It's about balance over restriction
- Tune into your hunger levels when you're dining (that's where mindful eating comes in!)
- Make eating an enjoyable event whenever you can rather than eating on the fly all of the time.
- Do daily activities that make you feel good and bust your stress
- Respect your body and know that the best things (and results) take time
- Exercise or move a little before your meals to make them more satisfying
- Again, there's no such thing as a 'bad meal'. There's absolutely nothing to be ashamed about
Mindful practises: bonus tips
Here are a few extra hacks that you can weave into your lifestyle for maximum mindfulness success...
- Move more throughout your day (dancing around the house counts)
- Try 'Earthing' when you can
- Single-task whenever possible: Really immersive yourself in one activity at a time, whether it's washing the dishes, gardening, polishing your shoes or tackling a little life admin on your laptop
- Practical 'active listening when you're talking to a colleague, friend or loved one
You've got this.
Combat unhealthy eating patterns once and for all
So, can you lose weight on a mindfulness diet? Absolutely.
Setting yourself a balanced diet of mindfulness is likely to be the only weight loss program you'll ever need.
Why?
Well, as you can probably see by now, unleashing the power of mindfulness will help you remove the shame about your body, as well as eating.
Weaving these techniques into your everyday life will help you tune into the world around you, giving you the power to eat mindfully while making you feel good. And, when you feel good in mind plus body, great things will happen.
Level up your weight loss journey with PhenQ
Use these mindfulness tips to your body-boosting advantage, and you'll enjoy a healthier lifestyle—one that helps you keep the weight off—for good.
If you're looking for something to complement your newfound mindful lifestyle and get to where you want to be that little bit quicker, PhenQ is the weight loss supplement for you.
Made with tried-and-tested natural ingredients, PhenQ's increasingly popular weight loss pill will make you feel brilliant in mind and body. Give it a try and take charge of your weight loss goals today. We're right behind you.
FAQs
How do you use mindfulness to lose weight?
Using mindfulness to lose weight is a process that will empower you to tune into your body and mind while improving your relationship with food.
There are lots of ways that you can shed the pounds and keep them off with the power of mindfulness, including:
- Mindful meditation
- Walking and immersive exercise
- Mindful eating
- Intuitive eating
- Ditch any unhealthy distractions
Weave these practises into your daily routine, and you'll start losing weight the right way.
Does mindfulness meditation help you with losing weight?
For sure! A spot of mindfulness meditation will help you reduce anxiety and help you improve your stress response.
By improving your stress response and becoming more mindful, you will make better choices, avoid emotional eating, and start losing weight the healthy way. And, to reap the rewards of mindful meditation, you only need 10 minutes a day.
What are the most effective mindful eating habits?
Well, mindful eating is all about being at one with your food. To benefit from the body-boosting perks of mindful eating, you should try these habits:
- Eat every mouthful slowly and chew a little more
- Notice the textures of your food when you're eating
- Take time to appreciate the colours on your plate
- Tune into your body and stop eating when you're full
Practise these mindful habits when you're eating, and before you know it, they'll become a natural part of your everyday life. Start today, and you'll start losing weight sooner than you think.
