3 Ways to Use Meditation to Lose Weight
Can you really use meditation to lose weight ? Absolutely ! It’s a great tool that treats the problem at its source : stress, impulses, boredom, or potential imbalances in the body (hormones, vital energy, sleep disorders, etc.). Combined with exercise and a balanced diet, meditation can yield surprising results !If you’re interested in trying it out, discover how to use meditation to lose weight.
Eliminate stress and gain self-control
Losing weight and staying thin are two goals that require a radical lifestyle change so you don’t return to the bad habits that led to the weight gain in the first place. This means improving your diet, becoming less sedentary, and controlling stress and impulses better.Stress is very insidious. It pushes us to seek comfort in sugary and fatty foods. At the same time, it slows our metabolism and promotes the accumulation of abdominal fat. This is where many weight loss programs fail, because even if you reduce your calorie intake, if you’re constantly stressed, you’ll find it difficult to stabilize your weight. Not to mention the health problems that could ensue. To lose weight properly, then, you first have to fight stress!
The benefits of meditation on stress and, by extension, the body :
- Well-being and better self-control (less likely to surrender to impulses when you’re bored or to offset stress with food);
- Improved metabolic function and therefore more effective weight loss;
- Beneficial effects on brain plasticity (the more you meditate, the more you’ll have the upper hand in moments of stress);
- Better balance between body and mind;
- Restful sleep (lack of sleep drives us to eat more to regain energy);
- Harmonization of the endocrine system (fewer “yo-yo” effects when it comes to weight);
- Meditation forges a fighting spirit: you’re determined to face each new challenge head-on in the weight loss process.
Visualization and positive affirmationsLosing weight essentially happens in the head. By working on your subconscious, you’ll see visible results in your figure. The visualization method, which involves attracting your deepest desires to yourself, can also be applied to the quest for the ideal weight. It’s a good way not to lose sight of your goals and multiply the effectiveness of your weight loss program. The law of universal attraction can achieve anything.All you need to do is imagine yourself happier, healthier, and thinner :
- Each day, dedicate a few minutes to visualizing the success of your program. What do you feel? Joy, gratitude, a feeling of accomplishment?
- List measurable goals that you’ll use as positive affirmations. By repeating them, you’ll end up believing them, and your subconscious too.
- The goal is to say them while meditating. For example, you can affirm that “I am losing 6 pounds by the end of this month” or “I am avoiding sweets, which are bad for my health and my figure,” etc., and all in the present tense, as if you had already achieved your goals. There’s nothing better for staying motivated!
Eat consciously
It’s possible to combine mindfulness meditation with a balanced diet: we call this “mindful eating.” This is a discipline that will transform your eating habits, because by paying more attention to what you’re eating :
- you’ll take the time to savour it;
- you’ll no longer feel like snacking when you’re focusing on each ingredient your meal contains;
- you’ll be able to limit excesses (by taking your time, you’ll feel full faster);
- you’ll be aware of the benefits of your diet on your health;
- you’ll feel more gratitude and fewer feelings of guilt or regret;
How to eat consciously
The idea is not to eat each meal extremely slowly, but to focus regularly on the fact that you’re eating. Do this once a day to start. Once that becomes a habit, you’ll automatically appreciate each meal/drink :
- Don’t do anything else: because eating has become a multitasking activity, it’s essential to eliminate anything that might distract you (TV, computer, book, phone);
- Focus on your breathing and your meal;
- Observe your meal and stop to examine each detail: colour, shape, taste, texture, imperfections, etc. Touch them and feel them to savour them better;
- Imagine the road travelled by each ingredient and condiment before arriving on your plate: the country of origin, the growing method, how they were transported, everyone who put their hearts into the work, how they were cooked, etc. You’ll feel gratitude!
- Savour each bite: note the pleasure it brings you as you eat it. Is it sweet, spicy, crunchy, fruity ? What taste/memory does it evoke ?
- Think of the effects on your health: what does each ingredient bring you? Vitamins, minerals, good/bad fats, slow sugars, etc.
- How do you feel during the meal: are you happy, nervous, impatient, bored, rested, etc. ?
- Stay in the present moment and take full advantage of it !
The whole point of these meditative exercises is to relax you and make you feel determined to reach your goals. Meditation heightens the effects of exercise and a closely monitored diet. The real challenge is to do it diligently !
