The Exercise That Could Help You Eat Less

Selfie may have been the word of 2013, but we think that mindfulness should’ve been up there, too—the practice is everywhere these days! The latest evidence: A new study published in the journal Appetite found that being mindful can help you eat less overall.

MORE: How to Live in the Now 

For the study, researchers split 110 college students into two groups. The first group did a mindfulness intervention that involved a body scan, during which they were instructed to “simply observe and accept all thoughts and sensations in a nonjudgmental way.” The second group was the control group, and they listened to an introduction to an audio book. Then, the researchers gave half of each group a small portion of cookies and the other half a big portion of cookies—and they had all participants rate their hunger levels.

There were two very interesting results: First, those in the mindfulness group ate 66 fewer calories when they were hungry, on average, than those in the control group. The study authors theorize that the Zen-ness they practiced during the intervention may have helped them be more in tune with their body’s hunger and satiety cues.

MORE: Why Fewer People Than Ever Are Dieting 

The second interesting finding is that participants across the board consumed 83 more calories when they were given a large portion than a small one, regardless of whether they’d participated in the mindfulness intervention. Ultimately, that means that portion size trumps mindfulness when it comes to watching what you eat.  So even if you’re super mindful of your hunger cues, you could still end up eating more if you’re faced with a heaping pile of food.  

MORE: The Practical Guide to Perfect Portions 

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