Intuitive eating: Lose kilos through mindfulness
There are many nutrition trends and weight loss tips. intuitive eating is currently at the forefront. However, this concept is not so much a diet, but rather a change in eating habits. Read our blog post today to find out exactly what's behind it and how it can help you lose weight.
No forbidden foods, no calorie restrictions - it quickly becomes clear that the intuitive diet doesn't have much in common with a traditional diet. Instead of bans and abstinence, the focus is on mindfulness and conscious eating. However, there is one basic rule: listen to your body and its needs. Eat what you feel like and until you are full.
Listening to your feelings of hunger and fullness is an important part of the concept. Sounds simple, but for most people it's actually quite difficult. This is because we often eat simply out of habit or because it tastes so delicious. Our body's signals only play a secondary role. What's more, we were taught as small children to eat our plates empty and to put our feeling of fullness to one side. In adulthood, we often don't have the time and gobble down our food quickly - mindfulness and enjoyment often fall by the wayside. The wide range and constant availability of food also make it difficult to distinguish between hunger and appetite.
Can intuitive eating help you lose weight?Even if you don't have to count calories when eating intuitively and can feast to your heart's content, this way of eating can lead to weight loss. As you learn to listen to your body's signals, you avoid overeating or constantly snacking in between meals, for example. Advocates of intuitive eating assume that the body itself knows best what it needs. If you satisfy these needs, your individual ideal weight will automatically be achieved.
Intuitive eating in everyday life
However, the concept is not always as easy to implement as it sounds. Dinner with the family, a date with friends, a lunch break with colleagues: you often can't decide for yourself what you want to eat and when. In addition, our everyday lives are often hectic and we fall back into old habits due to a lack of time. In practice, the principle of intuitive eating can therefore sometimes be difficult to implement. Furthermore, the feeling of hunger and satiety can be disturbed in severely overweight people. The release of hormones that are responsible for regulating hunger and satiety may be altered. But even if intuitive eating is not suitable for everyone, it doesn't hurt to be a little more mindful when eating.
5 tips for more mindfulness when eating
- Take your time with your food and concentrate fully on its taste and smell
- Turn off the TV while you eat and put your phone to one side
- Pay attention to your feelings of hunger and fullness.
- Eat slowly and with pleasure.
- Chew each bite properly and take frequent small breaks between bites.
