Mindful eating for optimal performance -
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Some snack; some comfort eat. Some undereat; others overeat. Some are gym bunnies obsessing about stacking on the pounds while others are diet junkies, obsessing about losing the pounds. Knowing who we are — and being honest with ourselves — helps us understand why we eat the way we do.
The more we recognize those early influences, the better positioned we are to decide what and when we choose to eat. For people who undereat, the effect of this awareness may be that they may eat more; for people who tend to overeat, they may consume less.
Others may find their eating patterns remain the same while their thinking around food changes. In this respect, mindful eating is an equalizer, allowing us to find a balance in how we relate to food.
We each have our own attitudes and patterns of behavior around food, whether this is due to genetics, circumstances, or family conditioning. Awareness of those origins provides the foundation for mindful eating, but the only way to understand our relationship with food is to spend time with that relationship.
Mindfulness inserts a pause to help us be aware of our own decision-making. Only when we stop to notice this chain of events can we start to change our behavior or thinking about food.
This is a skill mindfulness affords, meaning we can consider our food selections in advance. In bringing more planning to our grocery list, restaurant menu, or kitchen, we are less inclined to feel any guilt or shame about our balanced choices.
In observing the mind in this way, we can free ourselves from emotions that fuel our habits. Imagine what it would be like to no longer be led by our inner dialogue around food.
Imagine instead having a more balanced, carefree attitude, freed from the shackles of poor eating habits. As we step away from all the unhealthy thinking around food, we cultivate a sustainable and balanced approach to the way we eat and the way we look.
Essentially, we get to re-educate ourselves. We get to enjoy our food again. How often do you think about food on any given day? You might travel by a fruit stand on your commute, for example. Or maybe all you can think about while heading home is that ripe avocado waiting for you on the counter.
Food is simply the object of our fascination and cravings. It has no power over us in and of itself. The power rests in our emotions, our conditioning, and our decisions. Without understanding the thoughts and emotions involved in our relationship with food, there can be no room for change.
One of the biggest realizations that comes with mindful eating is how much we are influenced by what we think and feel.
Food is fuel. We need it to live. Once we get a handle on our thoughts and emotions around food, we weaken its hold over us and learn not to judge ourselves so harshly. The benefits of mindful eating will, of course, be subjective.
Someone weighing lbs. could be eating healthier than someone at lbs. Thinness does not equal healthy in the same way fatness cannot be conflated to mean unhealthy.
It's with this kind of perspective—this kind of awareness—that we come to discover renewed confidence, freedom, and self-acceptance. Ultimately, the more we are in the body and less in the thinking mind, the more we are able to contribute to a more enjoyable experience and a healthier connection to our food and our bodies.
The scientific research exploring mindful eating is primarily focused on weight loss and recovery from disordered eating, and it generally shows a positive benefit. A growing body of research suggests that a more considered way of eating steers people away from unhealthy choices.
A recent review of the literature concluded that mindful eating promotes not only positive eating behaviors but also leads to moderate and sustained weight loss for those trying to lose weight. Studies suggest that a more considered way of eating steers people away from unhealthy choices. One particular review , which looked at 18 different studies, investigated the efficacy of mindful eating among overweight people who were trying to lose weight, and found that this approach was effective in changing eating behaviors as well as moderate weight loss.
The difficulty with diets, as demonstrated by other research , is that most people lose weight in the first year, but the vast majority regain that weight within the following five years.
Indeed, for some people, especially those who have been on restrictive diets, it might even mean adding on a little healthy weight. Mindful eating is no modern-day concept. It may come with risks to your physical and mental health.
It may risk harming your athletic performance. At the end of the day, your body might not be able to fit into the mold your sport is asking of you.
These are all things worth considering before pursuing weight loss. Athletes come in different shapes and sizes. One of my favorite plus athletes in Mirna Valero, who makes running ultra-marathons look like a blast!
Follow her on IG. In considering these things, you might decide to express your athleticism in a different way, or revise your goals for participation in a sport. There are lots of examples of athletes in bigger bodies, like Mirna Valerio ultra-marathons , Kelly Roberts runner , Amanda LaCount dance , Sarah Robles olympic weightlifting , and Alana Smith skateboarding that may be a helpful reminder that thinness does not equal fitness.
Being an athlete often requires a degree of sacrifice of time and energy for an activity that you hopefully! Intuitive eating is one tool in the toolbox that athletes can use to fuel their body for sport, and learn how to take care of it in a respectful way.
Remember, intuitive eating looks different for every human being, athlete or not. Cart 0. Home About Work With Us For Clinicians Blog Book Resources Press Contact.
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The Bottom Line Being an athlete often requires a degree of sacrifice of time and energy for an activity that you hopefully! If this post on intuitive eating for athletes was helpful, you might also like:.
Eat What You Love, Love Opgimal You Eat for Athletes: Body toning with dumbbells Mindful Eating Program for Sports and Earing is performace non-diet, Revive your skin, mindfulness-based performanc Red bell pepper recipes empower athletes Mindtul take charge of their decisions about nourishing, Red bell pepper recipes, and hydrating their bodies for training, exting, Red bell pepper recipes, ofr, health, and self-care. The challenge that many athletes face is determining how to nourish, fuel, and hydrate their bodies in a way that allows them to excel at their sport while balancing their natural need to eat for enjoyment. Athletes commonly struggle with one of more of these issues:. Mindful eating is an inside-out approach that guides athletes to apply the recommendations to their particular sport, lifestyle, food preferences, training regimen, and environmental conditions. But they just might need a book about eating. It guides athletes to:.
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