KEY TAKEAWAY: How we look affects how we feel, and that includes when it comes to our weight. As a result, many of us seek solutions to lose weight to help us feel better. However, if a solution does not address our relationship with food, we are likely to repeat patterns that don’t support the results we desire. Mindful eating is a tool we can use to build awareness of those patterns and help us make long-term positive changes to them. Scroll down to the TAKE ACTION section for this week’s actionable steps.

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Most of us want to feel good in our physical skin and much of that is how we feel about it. While our ability to function fully and pain-free is a significant part of that, so, too, is how our bodies look. In fact, unless our ability to function fully and pain-free is challenged as a result of time or health circumstances, we may very well focus as much or more on our our physical appearance because it impacts how we feel.

And it’s not only our own opinions that play a role in how we feel about our bodies; it’s the opinions of others, too. Whether we wish or strive for it to be otherwise, try to ignore it, or pretend it doesn’t matter, society judges us on how we look on the outside. Even if some of us can honestly say that we don’t care, a good many of us do.

Bottom line: We care about how we look because it influences how we feel.

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD

As a result, we seek out solutions that will help us to look, and thus, feel better. Our society throws a lot of time, energy, and money at potential solutions, including diets, weight-loss medications, and fitness programs. Unfortunately, many of the solutions we try do not necessarily address or improve long-term our relationship with food.

So, what is our “relationship” with food?

It’s the role that food plays in our lives. It’s why we eat and how and how that impacts the rest of our lives. It matters because while food can be a positive in our lives in many ways — and of course, we need it to survive — it can become a negative when food is used to meet needs that it can’t satisfy, such as emotional needs like comfort and nurturing.

Therefore, it make sense that as part of the solution we seek to look and feel better should recognize the role that our relationship with food plays in our choices around food and, ultimately, their outcomes. However, the common weight loss solutions don’t necessarily do this.

COMMON WEIGHT LOSS SOLUTIONS

Following are common solutions we seek to look and feel better and how they may or may not improve our relationship with food:

Dieting: Diets are a common go-to solution to lose weight. Dieting may help improve one’s relationship with food, for example, if it leads to changing one’s eating habits in the long term. However, statistics indicate that this is probably not the case for most people since dieting is not a long-term solution for the majority of those who diet to lose weight.² Furthermore, dieting can worsen our relationship with food, for example, by leading to increased preoccupation with food and disordered eating.²

Weight Loss Drugs: Weight loss drugs are another solution for weight loss and, similar to diets, typically work as long as you take them (in the case of diets, as long as you are on them).³ So, they may support a positive change in one’s relationship with food, for example, if they help one make long-term positive changes in their eating habits.³ Whether or not that will be the case with newer medications available, such as Wegovy, and for the majority of people taking them remains to be seen.³

Fitness Programs: Exercise is another solution people seek to lose weight. Exercise has many positive benefits, including improving how we feel, which can, in turn, make us want to eat better to keep that good feeling going. So, exercise may help create positive change in one’s relationship with food.¹ On the other hand, if exercise is used as a form of self-punishment, for example, because we ate too much or didn’t like the number we saw on the scale, it is questionable how much it will support a long-term, positive change in our relationship with food.

Personally, exercise was critical to improving my own relationship with food, but only until I started exercising to feel good, not to lose weight or make up for some food sin; until then, it was just another cog in the endlessly turning wheel of effort to achieve a certain number on the scale.

In conclusion, many of the traditional solutions we have sought to look and feel better may or may not support a more positive relationship with food.

However, if we want to not only achieve the results we desire but maintain them in the long-run, it is important to include in whatever solution we seek what can. If not, we will likely find ourselves living out Einstein’s definition of insanity and “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.“

MINDFUL EATING

One tool that can be an effective part of that solution is mindful eating.⁴ Mindful eating is used to build awareness around our relationship with food. Being more mindful about how and what we eat and how it makes us feel can build the awareness we need and help us make more intentional and self-supporting choices.

In fact, mindfulness is a tool we use to support not only positive change when it comes to our physical selves — including as a tool to stop smoking — but also our inner selves and financial lives. For example, mindfulness can help us be more present in our lives and help us to tackle our monkey-mind tendencies. Mindfulness can help us be more aware of our actions around money and what’s driving them and lead to more intentional choices to support our financial goals.

So, mindfulness is a tool we can use to help us support the changes we want to see and feel because it helps us make more intentional choices that support better outcomes, and that includes our choices around food.⁴

STEPS TO EAT MORE MINDFULLY

We can start using mindful eating by getting in the habit of taking a pause to check in with ourselves and why we’re making the choices that we are. Awareness does not mean that we deny or deprive ourselves because we still maintain the power of choice. However, by giving ourselves the opportunity to pause and reflect, we can take action with greater awareness and intention.

STEP 1: KNOW WHY.

Knowing our Why is always important, and that includes when it comes to the choices we’re making around food and eating. That doesn’t mean we can’t choose to eat something for the pure sake of enjoyment, comfort, or another reason that doesn’t relate to being hungry and needing fuel. However, by checking in to ask, “Why am I eating?” we become more aware of what triggers us to eat and when we may be overusing food to satisfy non-food needs.

So, the first thing to start becoming more aware of is why you’re eating. Each time you reach for food or feel like eating, ask yourself, “Why?”

As part of this, also ask yourself why you’re eating what you’re eating. Just as why we’re eating may be influenced by things other than hunger, so may our food choices be influenced by why we’re eating in the first place.

For example, when I’m tired, I crave sweet, processed carbs because my body is looking for an easy energy fix. When I’m stressed, I want chocolate. When I’m well-rested, hungry, and not stressed (or managing it in better ways than with food), I want a salad with protein.

This isn’t to deny yourself anything but to ensure you are making choices with clarity and intention. So, as you go about choosing what you are going to eat, ask yourself, “Why am I choosing to eat this?”

As you eat, also get in the habit of checking in with yourself about why you’re continuing to eat. This is important for a couple of reasons:

• One, we tend to eat what is in front of us, regardless of the amount. For my Master of Public Health, I did my thesis on obesity. I found study after study that showed how much visual cues influence the quantity of what we consume. If we see it, we often will eat it, and we’ll eat it until it’s gone.
• Two, it takes some time — generally about 20–30 minutes — for our brain to get the signals from our stomach that tell us we’re full. By checking in with yourself as you eat, you can assess if you’re eating because you’re still hungry or if it’s for another reason.

So, while you eat, take pauses to check in and ask yourself, “Why am I still eating?”

STEP 2: PAY ATTENTION

Be present as you eat. Pay attention to what you’re doing, and savor the experience. After all, eating is one of the great pleasures in our lives. So, be present and connected to the experience.

Often we are distracted as we eat because we are simultaneously involved in other things. Driving our car. Standing up. Watching TV. Talking or listening to other people. Surfing the internet. When we pay attention to other things and people, we can’t fully pay attention to our food and eating experience. We also are not as tuned into our bodies to notice that we’re getting full because we’re paying attention to other things. So, notice if you are eating distractedly.

Similarly, become aware of your eating tempo. I know that after having kids, I got into a bad habit of eating very quickly (because when you have small kids, if you don’t eat quickly, you won’t finish your meal). However, just as distracted eating detracts from the experience of eating, so, too, does eating quickly.

Furthermore, when we eat quickly, we often end up eating more because of the 20–30 minute lag for our brain to catch up with our stomach. However, when we are present and paying attention, not only can we enjoy our eating experience more, but we will also be more likely to notice when we’re reaching our saturation point.

So, get in the habit of checking in to see if you’re focused on your food and taking time to savor each bite or if you are distracted or eating quickly.

STEP 3: CONNECT YOUR EATING WITH YOUR LIVING.

Eating is how we fuel up for the living we want to do. While it hopefully is something we enjoy as we are doing it, the ultimate goal of eating is to have the energy to live. When we have a positive relationship with food, we tend to fuel up in a way that supports having the energy we need to live and live fully. However, that may not be the case when our relationship is not so positive, and we use food as a panacea for needs that it is not meant to and can’t satisfy. Our eating becomes the focus and, as such, may not enhance the living we do when we’re not eating.

So, become aware of the connection between how you eat and how you live. Notice how different foods affect how you feel after eating them. Become mindful of how what you choose to eat influences what you do after you eat. Are you engaging in life-enhancing activities or recovering from what you ate?

Also, pay attention to the amount you typically eat and how that impacts what you do after. Even if we’re eating energizing food, the portions we are consuming may be weighing us down more than they are promoting action.

STEP 4: JOURNAL

Journaling can support positive change and greater well-being in many areas of our lives, including our relationship with food and eating. As you create awareness about your choices regarding food and eating, support that awareness-building by journaling about your eating habits and what drives them.

Journaling about eating is not intended to be a tracker or emotional whip. It’s not to count or track calories, portions, or points. It’s not to judge your actions or beat yourself up. It’s to help you become more aware of why and how you eat and how that impacts how you feel and live (and how you feel and live influences why and how you eat). It’s to help you be more mindful and make intentional choices.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There is unlikely to be a one-stop solution to help us look and feel better when it comes to our bodies (or anything in our lives). Instead, achieving a long-lasting, sustainable solution to support how we want to look, feel, and, ultimately, live will probably be composed of different tools. While medication, a special diet, and/or fitness program may be part of that solution, it is important to not disregard the role that our relationship with food plays in our choices and outcomes and include tools, such as mindful eating, to support positive, long-lasting change in that area.

TAKE ACTION:

Mindful eating can be a useful tool to support a more positive relationship with food:

1. Take A Pause: Start eating more mindfully by getting into the habit of taking pauses before, as, and after you eat. 
2. Ask Yourself WHY: Become more aware of your Why behind the choices you are making around food and eating by getting into the habit of asking yourself:
   – Why am I eating? If I’m not eating because I’m hungry, then why am I eating?
   – Why am I choosing to eat this particular food or foods? What is driving my choices?
   – Why am I continuing to eat? Am I still hungry, or is it because food is still there or for some other reason?
3. Pay Attention: Get in the habit of checking in to see if you’re focused on your food and taking time to savor each bite or if you are distracted or eating quickly. As you eat, ask yourself:
   – Am I focused on my eating experience? Or am I focused on something else? Am I standing up or sitting down?
   – Am I eating slowly or quickly? If I’m eating quickly, why? Am I taking big or small bites?
4. Connect Your Eating with Your Living: Create awareness of how your eating habits are influencing how you live by asking yourself:
   – How do I typically feel after I eat? Do I feel good, energized, deprived, empty, stuffed, uncomfortable, tired, or something else?
   – What do I generally do after I eat? Why? How is what I do (or don’t do) influenced by what I eat or how much?
5. Journal: Journal to become more aware of patterns and drivers of your eating habits. Reflect on how different choices make you feel and why you’re making them. Use it, too, to help you identify where you may be using food to meet non-food needs so you can take steps to meet those unmet needs in more effective ways.

REFERENCES:

1: Exercise 
Beaulieu K, Hopkins M, Blundell J, Finlayson G. Homeostatic and non-homeostatic appetite control along the spectrum of physical activity levels: An updated perspective. Physiol Behav. 2018 Aug 1;192:23–29. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.032. Epub 2017 Dec 28. PMID: 29289613.

Beaulieu K, Hopkins M, Gibbons C, Oustric P, Caudwell P, Blundell J, Finlayson G. Exercise Training Reduces Reward for High-Fat Food in Adults with Overweight/Obesity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2020 Apr;52(4):900–908. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002205. PMID: 31764466.

Reynolds, Gretchen (2021, February 24). How Exercise Might Affect Our Food Choices, and Our Weight. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/well/move/how-exercise-might-affect-our-food-choices-and-our-weight.html

2: Diet Statistics & Information

Body Image and Diets. Better Health. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/body-image-and-diets#dieting-affects-your-health-and-mental-state

Drillinger, Meagan (2020, April 3). Most Diets Don’t Work For Weight Loss After A Year: Here’s Why. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/diets-work-for-one-year#How-to-fight-back

Erin Fothergill, Juen Guo, Lilian Howard, Jennifer C. Kerns, Nicolas D. Knuth, Robert Brychta, Kong Y. Chen, Monica C. Skarulis, Mary Walter, Peter J. Walter, Kevin D. Hall (02 May 2016). Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after “The Biggest Loser” competition. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21538; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21538/full#oby21538-bib-0038

Ge L, Sadeghirad B, Ball GDC, da Costa BR, Hitchcock CL, Svendrovski A, Kiflen R, Quadri K, Kwon HY, Karamouzian M, Adams-Webber T, Ahmed W, Damanhoury S, Zeraatkar D, Nikolakopoulou A, Tsuyuki RT, Tian J, Yang K, Guyatt GH, Johnston BC. Comparison of dietary macronutrient patterns of 14 popular named dietary programmes for weight and cardiovascular risk factor reduction in adults: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ. 2020 Apr 1;369:m696. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m696. Erratum in: BMJ. 2020 Aug 5;370:m3095. PMID: 32238384; PMCID: PMC7190064. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32238384/

Headley, C.W. (2020, January 20). The average adult will try this shocking number of diets in their lifetime. Ladders. Retrieved from https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/the-average-adult-will-try-this-shocking-number-of-diets-in-their-lifetime

Mann, T. et al. (2007). Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: Diets are not the answer. American Psychologist, 62, 220–233.

Obesity and Overweight. National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm

Spritzler, Franziska (2020, March 9). Do ‘Diets’ Really Just Make You Fatter? Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/do-diets-make-you-gain-weight#success-rates

Stierman B, Ansai N, Mishra S, Hales CM. Special diets among adults: United States, 2015–2018. NCHS Data Brief, no 389. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db389.htm?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&utm_campaign=0b2de68185-MR_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-0b2de68185-153039678

The U.S. Weight Loss & Diet Control Market. Research and Markets. Retrieved from https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5306560/the-u-s-weight-loss-and-diet-control-market?w=5&utm_source=CI&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_code=6sb283

Tomiyama AJ, Mann T, Vinas D, Hunger JM, Dejager J, Taylor SE. Low calorie dieting increases cortisol. Psychosom Med. 2010 May;72(4):357–64. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181d9523c. Epub 2010 Apr 5. PMID: 20368473; PMCID: PMC2895000. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20368473/

Weiss, E. P., Jordan, R. C., Frese, E. M., Albert, S. G., & Villareal, D. T. (2017). Effects of Weight Loss on Lean Mass, Strength, Bone, and Aerobic Capacity. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 49(1), 206–217. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001074

3: Weight Loss Drugs
Tirrell, Meg (2024, May 13). What the results of Wegovy’s longest clinical trial yet show about weight loss, side effects and heart protection. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/13/health/wegovy-trial-analysis/index.html

4: Mindful Eating

Harvard T.H. Chan. Mindful Eating. Retrieved from https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/mindful-eating/

McNamara, Damien (2024, March 1). Mindful Eating Aims to Change Your Relationship With Food. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20240301/mindful-eating-aims-to-change-your-relationship-with-food

IMPORTANT: The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have regarding the topics discussed here as the topics discussed are based on general principles and may not be applicable to every individual. 

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