
Mindfulness for Body Composition (or Breathe Yourself Fit)
Learning mindfulness is probably more beneficial than learning what to eat.
I think that’s a powerful thing for a nutritionist to say considering all my years studying food, metabolism, and cooking. But after about 1500 case studies (my clients), I’m convinced that mindfulness is the quickest path to results, and your best bet for long term results.
Being mindful, among many other things, helps us control the amount of food we eat, which is arguably the most important thing to control in nutrition.
- Don’t just say you’ll do it. Set reminders, or you will most-certainly forget. Try:
- An alarm on your phone
- Appointments in your work calendar
- Post-it notes
- Or try this app: Lotus Bud Mindfulness Bell (random reminders with a gong sound)
(Note that after a few weeks, you may become blind to the reminders, and need new ones)
- When you receive your reminder, take a really deep breath
- Hold your breath for a few seconds
- Exhale slowly
- As you are doing this breathing exercise, ask yourself, “How do I feel?” Assess your:
- Hunger
- Thirst
- Pain
- Feelings
- Posture
- Bonus points if you can name your anxieties
- Resume your busy life, but as a better person than you were 10 seconds ago
Mindfulness leads to improved:
- Appetite awareness (and therefore body composition)
- Exercise form
- Stress management
- Posture
- Conflict resolution
- Anger management
- Enjoyment of life
- And more
What happens when we try to transform our health without mindfulness? It gets messy.
Step 1.
Blindly follow a diet and exercise program. Ignore how you respond to said program. Ignore your hunger, body aches and pains, emotions, stresses, reasons for eating, and so on. Ignore all that stuff. Push your emotions way down. (Even as I very young nutritionist I knew better than to coach this way, but I still see others coach this way).
Step 2.
Enjoy great results for 1-2 weeks.
Step 3.
Epic meltdown, binge eating, abandonment of program.
Step 4.
Internalize said epic meltdown (that means you blame yourself). Now you are less likely to try to improve your health in the future. And you might end up metabolically damaged from yo-yo dieting.
Mindfulness Success Quotes from My Clients:
“I love that I can still eat ice cream every day. I just have a tiny bit, slowly, and that’s all I need” This person lost six pounds in the first week of working with me, after only one session. And guess what I taught him in session one? Mindfulness.
“I can’t believe such a small thing has helped me so much.”
“It’s not easy but I can feel the benefits in everything I do.”
Mindfulness has helped me take my life to a higher level.
- I can handle more clients per day
- I am better at avoiding injuries in the gym
- I sleep better
- I get upset/stressed less frequently
- My personal life is better (maybe I’m more fun to be around?)
All from a few little check-ins through the day. Whereas my several attempts at meditation have failed. Talk about return on investment!
So the next time you are eating something, be present. Stop every now and then and take a deep breath and observe. You will be better for it.
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