5 Mindful-Eating Tips for Weight Loss

This article was written by Cathryne Keller and provided by our partners at Fitbie.com.

What if we told you that you could eliminate out-of-control eating from your life once and for all? You can, thanks to mindfulness. Recent research published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine showed that after just six weeks of mindfulness training, participants experienced a 16 percent decrease in the tendency to eat out of control, a 39 percent decrease in hunger, and a 43 percent decrease in binge-eating incidences (not to mention a 26 percent drop in depression and a 35 percent decrease in anxiety, too!).

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What's more, a 2013 Kent State University study showed that mindful eating tactics —like paying attention to the taste and smell of your food and monitoring your hunger and fullness—made people feel more satisfied after a meal. In another study, researchers discovered that dieters who continued using mindfulness techniques after completing a weight-loss program continued to drop pounds.

So yes, if you're trying to slim down, staying present with your plate could make a major difference in your progress. But how, exactly, do you practice mindfulness with your meals? We've got five expert mindful eating tips, adapted from 20 Pounds Younger by Michele Promaulayko, editor-in-chief of Yahoo Health and former editor-in-chief of Women's Health magazine. Adopt these presence principles, and you'll likely start dropping pounds with little extra effort. Interested in learning more? You can pre-order 20 Pounds Younger now and get five FREE bonus gifts!

Pay Attention to Portions
People who eat mindlessly often prefer to remain in a state of ignorance with no knowledge of serving sizes or the number of calories in foods. But in order to give your body what it needs, you need to face the facts. Instead of eating food directly from a bag or container, place it onto a plate out in the open, says Lesley Lutes, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at East Carolina University. In her experience, people are often surprised—in a good way. "They thought a portion was just three or four chips," she says. "They felt so guilty about what they were eating that they’d just stick their hand in the bag and keep eating. But we want you to celebrate food." The first step? Understanding—and consciously choosing—what you eat.

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Observe Your Inner Experience
You can drag out your meal for two hours, but all of that extra time doesn't mean a thing if you aren't paying attention to what’s happening inside your body and mind. To truly be mindful, you need to take note of every sensation and urge: How do you know when you're hungry? What sensations do you experience? What does it feel like when you're emotionally—but not physically—hungry? How do you know when you're full?

MORE: 10 Simple Ways to Stop Emotional Eating

Pretend You're a Food Critic
Your job isn't just to vacuum down the food on your plate—you have to take note of the presentation, the nuances of every flavor, and how satisfying each item is. "When you bite into a grape, all of these juices come out—and there are sensations you'd totally miss if you just stuffed a handful of grapes into your mouth," says Katie Rickel, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Durham, North Carolina. "Try to follow the first bite down your esophagus and into your belly, and take a moment to notice whether you feel one grape more energetic." In mindful-eating workshops, people first practice this with just three or four raisins. "That really brings people’s attention down to their sensory experience," says Jennifer Daubenmier, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the Osher Center for Integrative medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. "They really notice the texture, the smell, and the thoughts that come up."

Eat How Much You Need—Not How Much You Think You Should
A lot of factors probably contribute to the size of your meals: how much you put on your plate, what others around you are eating, and—if you're dieting—guilt about what you think you should do. But the truth is, only your body can tell you how much you need to consume. "[In mindful eating programs], people think the idea is to get them to stop after one bite," says Lutes. "But we want you to eat what you want, but be mindful of it, actually enjoy it, and not feel guilty about it." In other words, if your body's signals are telling you to continue eating, then you have no reason to feel bad about doing so.

Try to Be Mindful Every Time You Eat
You can eat mindfully at a buffet, a birthday party, or during Thanksgiving dinner. The key: Let your friends or family members do the talking at the start of the meal, buying you a few moments to take a mindful bite or two. Mini meditations are perhaps the easiest way to put this into practice. Before you eat, analyze your level of hunger and any emotions you're bringing to the table, and take a few deep breaths to help you focus on the food in front of you. Some people find it helpful to close their eyes, but you don't have to. About halfway through the meal, check in again, noticing the decrease in hunger and increase in fullness you're experiencing. This is a good time to answer the questions, "Do I really need to keep eating?" and "Am I satisfied?"

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