Mindful Eating for Weight Loss: Why you eat, not What you eat.
When considering weight loss and dieting, we often focus solely on WHAT we eat. We're led to believe that restricting our calorie intake, by balancing calories in versus calories out, is the ultimate solution to our weight problems.
And, whilst calorie restriction has it’s place (when managed in a responsible and safe way with a coach or nutrition advisor who understands healthy weight loss), considering our eating behaviour is also a huge part of understanding - and changing - how we eat.
Ultimately, eating isn’t solely about the food.
Yes, what you eat is one important part - but how you eat, when, where, with whom, and WHY you eat are all valuable parts of your relationship with food.
We don’t eat just to fuel our bodies—this is only one aspect of food. Eating encompasses community, connection, culture, family, friends, and pleasure. It plays a significant and vital role in our daily lives, being as much a social process as a biological one.
This is why diet plans that focus only on what you consume can be such a struggle for most of us to sustain.
Being mindful of our eating behaviours, our patterns and environments is crucial in creating awareness of the role food plays in our life.
And a great way to become more self-aware of your own eating habits is to keep a food journal. This is something I suggest for a number of my clients because it is the key to becoming more self-aware.
This isn’t about calorie tracking (again - it has it’s place but this isn’t focusing on the what), this is about making note of the time, place, and people that you are eating around. Most importantly, it’s about writing down how you feel before and after you eat.
This is how we start to notice the patterns between our emotional states and our eating habits.
Try to keep a mindful eating journal for 10-14 days, noting down all of the above and, when you look back over your notes, you will start to see the patterns.
If, for example, you tend to snack on junk food in the evening before bed because this is when you feel tired, or because this is your treat to yourself once the kids are all in bed - being aware of this behaviour is the first step in creating change around it.
And this isn’t about overhauling your whole life.
This is about a series of micro-changes; easily actionable steps such as replacing a chocolate bar with a handful of fruit and nuts, or stopping work at 2.30pm in the afternoon for a hot drink and a banana (rather than waiting until you crack at 3pm - a common slump time - and head to the work vending machine, or dipping into the packet of biscuits).
You learn to pre-empt yourself.
You know when or with whom you are going to feel hunger cues (which are as much socially based as they are biological) and, in this process of being mindful, of being aware, you can put a plan in place.
The very act of noting down eating habits can be enough to start creating change.
Other mindful eating practices that are valuable in creating awareness - and in particular, are good practice for recognising your body’s hunger and fullness signals include; being mindful of your environment (phones down, TV off - distractions be gone!), pausing between mouthfuls, taking a mental note not only of the flavour, but the temperature and the texture of your food, eating until you are 80% full (and learning to recognise this!), and making eye contact with whoever is at the table with you.
In essence, we are trying to slow down the eating process, to be more in-tune with both our environment, and our own bodies’ cues. Our digestive system often can’t work as fast as we eat, and this means that we have often over-eating by the time the hormones are released to let us know we are full.
Achieving sustainable weight loss and a healthy relationship with food involves much more than simply counting calories. It's about understanding the full context of your eating habits and embracing the social and emotional aspects of food.
By keeping a mindful eating journal and making small, manageable changes, you can become more aware of the patterns that influence your eating behaviour. This awareness empowers you to make intentional choices that support both your physical health and your overall well-being.
The journey to healthier eating is not about perfection, but about progress and mindfulness in every bite.
Want all of this info in a handy guide? I’ve got you. Download my ‘Mindful Eating for Weight Loss’ Guide here
And if you’re ready to start making big changes - and you want to feel better, look better, and live better for the long haul, get in touch today to start your coaching journey.