There’s a lot in the media right now about mindfulness and what it means to live intentionally. There’s also a lot about weight loss, with the various media outlets sharing tips and advice about trimming down for summer and fitting into that all important bikini. Seems strange the two are rarely linked, seeing as weight loss is really just another way that we can care for our bodies, and we cannot care for our bodies if we aren’t truly plugged into their needs. Being mindful really is important- and did you know that it could actually help you to reach that goal weight and stay there? It might even help you to realise that the goal weight or ideal shape/ size you’ve been yearning after isn’t what’s important after all. Here are five little tips for mindful weight loss. Let us know what you think.
Being mindful can help you to overcome challenges
Is losing weight (or being happy with the weight you are) a challenge? Is it something that you rarely feel you have a hold on, no matter what you do? You’re not alone! So many of us are bombarded with unrealistic images of what society feels women should look like, and all that is achieved by this is that so many of us end up miserable! Why do we even want to be a size 8, or a size 10 or whatever it is we feel we should be? Why aren’t we striving to be happy instead?
When you practise mindfulness, you are able to overcome challenges and that is the main reason why mindfulness can help with weight loss.
Mindfulness gives you perspective
What we see as the perfect body might be wildly different to what the person next to us deems to be perfection. Sometimes we strive for that unrealistic size and sometimes we need a little perspective to help us understand what is really achievable when it comes to weight loss and fitness. Mindfulness helps us to step away from situations that make us stressed and instead we can look at things with a new perspective. It’s easier to make judgements without becoming emotional. It’s easier to make healthier choices all round and it’s also easier to see the positives in what we have already achieved too.
Mindfulness gives you clarity
It can be so hard to see a situation for what it is when you’re stuck in the middle of it. You might think that you’re making healthy choices and helping your body, but it might be that the choices you’re making just aren’t right for you. When you practise mindfulness, it’s a lot easier to see things more clearly for what they are. Whether that’s setting achievable goals without setting yourself up for failure, or whether that’s accepting the mistakes you’ve been making and working towards making better choices – that’s up to you. The fact remains though, that when you’re mindful you are more able to make rational and sensible decisions.
Mindfulness is vital for self care
When we embark upon a weight loss journey we’re doing something for ourselves. We’re taking care of ourselves. We’re huge believers in self care and we truly believe that YOU should be the most important person in your life. Meditation helps us to link in to our own needs and gain a better understanding of how important it is to take care of ourselves. Weight loss is a challenge and we need to be able to listen to our bodies in order to overcome it.
Mindfulness creates a connection between the body and the mind
We need that connection in order to see things for what they really are. Being mindful reduces stress levels, which lowers cortisol levels, which helps the body to lose fat. Mindfulness helps us to see the bad habits that are holding us back. Mindfulness helps us to improve our own self image and when this happens, we start to fall in love. With ourselves. That connection is so important. Without it we cannot truly care for our bodies and we cannot make the changes it needs.
