12-week challenge 2020: Mindful eating

Mindful eating challenge accepted!

The challenge this session was to exercise the mind and to help challengers become mindful of the foods eaten and to avoid overeating.

We all do this! Come home from work, school or a workout hungry and overeat to the point where we have bad feelings of guilt or regret.

Mindful eating is an important part of the services we provide.  It is a technique I personally used through my own food journey to control overeating and I wanted to share this knowledge to help others do the same.

What is mindful eating?

Mindful eating is an understanding of our emotional connection and relationship to food through our feelings and experiences with food(1). So, a person that is not mindful of food will continue to overeat, punish themselves with junk foods to make themselves feel better and avoid the real problem (e.g. had a fight with a partner).

Purpose of mindful eating.   

The purpose is not weight loss, calorie counting, macro portions or weight gain.  Rather it’s a way for individuals to understand their emotional connection to foods (e.g. junk food: such as chips, chocolate, take away, sugar or energy drinks).

Does mindful eating work?

Studies have found a positive relationship between mindful eating, healthier eating habits and the reduction of overeating( 2.)

 Mind meditation to avoid overeating

We practised a mind meditation technique to connect the challengers with the junk foods or drinks they struggle with or have an emotional connection to.  The purpose of the mediation was to make the challengers be mindful and understand their feelings, emotions and connection to the junk foods and why they eat them.

Conclusion

Do you practise mind mediation in your health & fitness journey? Would you be interested in joining the next mind meditation class? Next 12-week challenge starting May 2020.

Do you want more information on mindful eating to avoid overeating? Click the links below for more information.

References/links:

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4

Mindful eating is an important part of the services we provide.  It is a technique I personally used through my own food journey to control overeating and I wanted to share this knowledge to help others do the same.