You might be surprised to learn that mindful eating can help with weight loss during menopause. This practice can help you relearn how to eat according to your own needs -- when you may have been eating according to other people's schedules for decades.
Eating when stressed can lead to overeating. Feeling bored or empty, such as while working at a job you don’t like, can also lead to reaching for food just to provide some comfort or stimulation. Overeating leads to many many health problems in North America.
Being in a state of relaxation while you eat calms the gastrointestinal tract and can help prevent bloating, gas, and indigestion.
How Mindful Eating Helps with Weight Loss in Menopause
In menopausal women, as estrogen drops, we have a tendency toward eating more and getting less movement, which leads to weight gain. We can also become resistant to leptin (a hormone that signals satiety) and may not recognize when we are full.
Mindful eating can help you become more aware of your hunger and how satisfied you are. You may have spent years overeating or dieting, or switching back and forth – yo-yo dieting. Or you may have eaten most of your meals according to other people’s schedules or eaten quickly before meetings or in the car between errands. Habits such as these can cause us to forget how to recognize true hunger or satiation.
How to Recognize Whether You are Truly Hungry
If you are truly hungry, you might feel your stomach growling or feeling empty. You also might be more willing to eat food in general, as opposed to a specific food. Ask yourself – would I eat beans and veggies right now or am I just hungry for chocolate. Is my hunger coming from my body or my thoughts?
Other Reasons for Hunger
If you recognize that it’s not actual hunger, maybe there’s something else you need other than food right now, for distraction or comfort. Call a friend, go for a walk, put on a song you like, smell an essential oil you enjoy.
Remember that sometimes when we are craving food, we could actually be thirsty, so try drinking a glass of water and see how that feels.
And if you recognize that there is an emotional reason you want to eat, you could take a moment for journalling what’s going on. And then you can consciously choose whether you still want to give into the craving, but do it in a mindful way, with awareness and respect.
How to Enjoy Your Food Mindfully
Savoring and mindfully enjoying your food can help you eat less but feel more satisfied.
So here is an example of what a mindful eating practice could look like.
First, set up your eating environment to make it more pleasurable. This could just be a clean table, but you can also add some lovely extra touches with fresh flowers, candles, or music. The important thing is that there are no distractions such as a tv or electronics, because the news or social media can be stressful, even at a low level.
Before your first bite, take some time to enjoy the smell and the visual appeal of the food. Acknowledge and appreciate where your food came from. Where and how it was grown, all the water and sunlight the plants took in. You could find a way to say thank you. Take a few breaths and mentally prepare to receive the food. And with each bite, notice the texture, and flavors. Chew your food well, until it is of an even consistency. Pause in between bites. Put your fork down and breathe or a sip of water. After every few bites, notice how your body feels and whether you have had enough food to satisfy your body’s needs.
When you are finished eating, take a moment to relax and digest your food.
Making this Practice More Doable for You
I recognize that this might not be realistic for you to do at every meal and you might also be influenced by other people in your home, but you could include just one element of what I described. Perhaps you could start with one meal a day or one day a week, or even a few slowed down bites at the start of each meal. This would be a great starting point, and you could build from there. If you regularly eat while you are in front of the computer, you could start with one meal per week without electronics.
I do believe that following some or all of these tips would definitely benefit you and again, don’t feel the need to be perfect about it, it’s not all or nothing. Any step you take will add up to big results over time.
Further Menopause Help
My free Vegan Menopause 3-Day Meal Plan is packed with plant protein to help you feel full longer, stabilize your blood sugar, protect your bones, boost your mood, and feel better overall during perimenopause!
In my free guide, Five Action Steps to Elevate Your Vegan Menopause Experience, I share five simple steps you can implement immediately, to feel more calm, more positive, and less affected by menopausal symptoms.
If you're struggling with menopause symptoms, a Menopause Wellness Check will help! You will get a custom video with feedback and tips based on the information you provide.
DISCLAIMER: This website's information is general in nature and for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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