Have you ever had that sensation, after finishing a meal, you haven’t really made the most of it?  Well, this is often caused by being distracted while eating your meal which means you end up eating more than you needed which is obviously not good for your weight, or your health.

The practice of mindfulness to help daily tasks can also be used to improve our habits at mealtime. The principle of mindfulness is to appreciate the present moment. With regards to your diet, it has the ability to help you eat less and to be satiated more quickly. Thus, regularly practicing mindfulness can help you maintain a slimmer waistline. According to a study of more than 17,000 people*, people who are liable to suffer from depression are even more likely to benefit from mindfulness; having a smaller waistline, lower levels of glucose and “bad” cholesterol and a higher rate of HDL-cholesterol (or “good” “cholesterol). On the contrary, looking at the screen of a smartphone or a television while eating is a guaranteed way to put on weight; if we don’t pay attention to what we are eating, we will often finish our meal without even realising it and therefore have a false sense of still being hungry. Meals then become more frequent and, unfortunately, devoid of any pleasure; our attention being focused on the screen rather than on the contents of our plate.

Regularly practicing mindfulness, outside of mealtime, can also help reduce stress levels. It is well known that stress can trigger unwanted snacking which is actually meant to calm us down. So to lose weight in the medium and long term**, it’s important to learn to practice mindfulness, improve one’s general well-being and to better manage our daily diets.

To sum up; if you are feeling stressed and looking to lose weight effectively, we strongly advise you to give mindfulness a go. The practice of mindfulness, in addition to the healthy menu provided by your coach, will greatly enhance your chances of regaining your balanced weight. The Bikini program allows you to have regular consultations with a qualified dietician nutritionist who will not only supply you with personalised advice but also organise your meals for the whole week so you will eat healthily and well and in sufficient quantities so as to not go hungry. Because quite simply, at Maïa Baudelaire, we don’t believe that starvation is the solution to losing weight! So spare your body any unnecessary harm and rebalance your diet with professional consultations.

* Guyot E, Baudry J, Hercberg S & Al. (2018). Mindfulness Is Associated with the Metabolic Syndrome among Individuals with a Depressive Symptomatology. Nutrients. DOI: 10.3390/nu10020232

**Hanson P., Shuttlewood E., Halder L. & Al (2019). Application of Mindfulness in a Tier 3 Obesity Service Improves Eating Behavior and Facilitates Successful Weight Loss. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Volume 104, pp.793-800.