1. Get rid of the distractions
Usually, when you pair eating with any other activity, you will eat mindlessly.
It’s actually a good idea to sit down in silence and really taste and appreciate the food you’re eating.
Use a fork and knife, take your time, and eat slowly to allow your body to register satisfaction/fullness and enjoy every bite.
Devote all your attention to your meal from start to finish.
2. Use all the senses
Use your sense of touch and smell to enjoy your meal.
Pay attention to the aromas, the textures, and the taste of every single bite.
3. Think before you eat
Identify any pitfalls that may lead you to scarf down your food.
For example, if you have had a stressful day, identify this fact, and become aware of it so you can deliberately avoid stress-related mindless over-eating..
4. Make a list
Begin to think about what triggers you towards mindless eating.
Is it the TV?
Your phone?
Perhaps, it is emotions or even going out with friends and family.
Once you have your list you can make mindful choices in those situations to stay on top of your eating habits.
5. Stop finishing your plate
We’re all used to finishing the entire plate and eating those last few bites even if we know that we’re full, but sometimes it’s better to just save it for another meal.
In case you don’t want to eat leftovers, then you should try to make it a habit to put less food on your plate.
Better yet, use smaller plates with strategic portions of each food group, and then you don’t have to worry about portion control.
6. Never eat from the bag or box
When you take a whole bag of chips to the couch, you will likely eat way more chips then you should, the same goes for ice cream or even something healthy like nuts.
Instead serve yourself a small portion in a bowl, a handful of chips, nuts or a small portion of ice cream, and then eat only what is there.
7. Learn to identify real hunger
The next time you decide to grab a bag of chips, make sure you ask yourself if you’re in the mood for a fruit or a vegetable.
If the answer is no, then you need to be aware that you weren’t really hungry, and maybe you are just bored or stressed about something.
8. Eat more slowly
It actually takes up to 20 minutes for you to digest food and realize its effects.
That’s why you want to make sure you eat more slowly.
This may be difficult at first, so you need to come up with a creative way to get yourself to eat slower.
For example, try eating with your other hand or using chopsticks for every meal.
9. Reduce portions even when you’re eating out
When you are ready to order, make sure you tell the waiter to pack up one half of your food to go and to only bring you the other half while you’re at the restaurant.
Also, as soon as you sit down, make sure you say that you don’t want bread at your table.
This way you won’t even have to look at it, which will surely make you avoid overeating.
10. Try to avoid eating more junk food when you’ve just started eating healthier meals every week.
You may decide to eat more sweets and snacks as soon as you start eating a healthy meal per day, but this will only make it harder to stick to healthy eating.
We generally do this because we feel like we deserve it for managing to even start eating a little healthier.
However, you ultimately end up overeating instead of maintaining a healthy balance.
11. Have a plan when eating in groups
When you eat your meals with a group of people, you will surely eat much more. Have a plan and stay committed to your health and wellness goals.
12. You shouldn’t skip meals
Skipping meals will make it much harder for you to become a mindful eater.
When we skip meals, we let the hunger take over our brain and that leads us to whatever is closest to us, which is not a healthy decision in most cases.
It also makes you more likely to overeat when you finally get a plate of food because your blood sugars are low and you are starving, making it very difficult to make mindful decisions about food.
13. Eat every 3 hours
Pay attention to the signals your body and mind are sending you instead of following your habits.
Try eating a small meal every three hours, which includes real whole food, lean protein, vegetables, and a small portion of healthy fat, like avocado or olive oil.
This helps keep your blood sugars stable and accelerates metabolism.
14. Try taking the "eating pause"
The next time you’re eating a meal, try taking a break from eating for a few minutes during the meal.
After 5 minutes have passed, look at your plate and try to determine if you’ve had enough to eat.
Don’t ask yourself if you’re full. Instead, ask yourself if you’re still hungry.
If you’re still experiencing hunger, then you should go ahead and eat; but if you aren’t hungry anymore, then it’s best to save any leftover
food instead.
15. Don’t let tricky food labels fool you
The next time you’re in a supermarket, make sure you don’t let certain food labels fool you.
In most cases, foods that are advertised as sugar-free or low fat are incredibly unhealthy. The products may be sugar-free, but they contain a huge amount of artificial sweeteners.
Similarly, a product may be low in fat, but it probably contains a lot of sugar
