Mindful Eating
MINDFUL EATING VS. YO-YO DIETING
I used to ask myself all the time—“What is “normal” (Mindful) eating?” Wait, actually I still do that. Doesn’t all of America? Isn’t everybody looking for that perfect diet to satisfy themselves? Or to try and look better in their clothes or at least feel better? Nowadays it seems as though everyone is trying to lose unwanted weight. We are bombarded with numerous infomercials and pop-ups about “miracle diets.” The funny thing is that these so called “fad diets” change as often as the time on the clock does. The only real way to lose weight is to eat less, correct?
I have tried various dieting methods (i.e. The Cabbage Soup, The Lemonade, Low Carb, High Protein, and other fad diets) in hopes of losing weight and altering my body and feelings. These normally last a couple weeks up to a month and even sometimes an entire year. But the one I have tried and believe is the best is “mindful/normal eating”. This type of eating habit does not even seem like a “diet” to me. I simply eat reasonably throughout the day and try to keep my daily nutritional values within the normal range. In short, mindful eating is flexible. It varies in response to my hunger, my schedule, and of course, my proximity to food and just how I am feeling. In comparison, the Yo-Yo dieting methods, also known as weight cycling, is pretty rigid, and is not normally fun. It refers to the cyclical up and down motion of a yo-yo. I always initially notice the weight loss and body transformations, which at first make me feel really good. However, these fad diets are very hard to maintain and thus I am unsuccessful at keeping the weight off long term. I start feeling discouraged and begin to regain the weight. And before I know it, I have started the cycle all over again.
The two diets or methods of eating share one common goal, which is weight loss. However, there are many differences between the two. The most notable are: (1) types of foods and
I used to ask myself all the time—“What is “normal” (Mindful) eating?” Wait, actually I still do that. Doesn’t all of America? Isn’t everybody looking for that perfect diet to satisfy themselves? Or to try and look better in their clothes or at least feel better? Nowadays it seems as though everyone is trying to lose unwanted weight. We are bombarded with numerous infomercials and pop-ups about “miracle diets.” The funny thing is that these so called “fad diets” change as often as the time on the clock does. The only real way to lose weight is to eat less, correct?
I have tried various dieting methods (i.e. The Cabbage Soup, The Lemonade, Low Carb, High Protein, and other fad diets) in hopes of losing weight and altering my body and feelings. These normally last a couple weeks up to a month and even sometimes an entire year. But the one I have tried and believe is the best is “mindful/normal eating”. This type of eating habit does not even seem like a “diet” to me. I simply eat reasonably throughout the day and try to keep my daily nutritional values within the normal range. In short, mindful eating is flexible. It varies in response to my hunger, my schedule, and of course, my proximity to food and just how I am feeling. In comparison, the Yo-Yo dieting methods, also known as weight cycling, is pretty rigid, and is not normally fun. It refers to the cyclical up and down motion of a yo-yo. I always initially notice the weight loss and body transformations, which at first make me feel really good. However, these fad diets are very hard to maintain and thus I am unsuccessful at keeping the weight off long term. I start feeling discouraged and begin to regain the weight. And before I know it, I have started the cycle all over again.
The two diets or methods of eating share one common goal, which is weight loss. However, there are many differences between the two. The most notable are: (1) types of foods and