Mind Over Matters: How Meditation Helps With Weight Loss
There’s no doubt that when you’re waging a war with the scale, the most important tools in your arsenal are diet and exercise. But who goes to battle with just two weapons, having learned just two tactics for fighting? If you want to be a well-rounded soldier, you have to use something else: your brain.
The mind-body connection is undeniable, and when you’re on the front lines of getting healthier, you have to use all of your assets. Enter meditation. This ancient practice involves focusing your attention and settling into a deep state of relaxation.
There are different types of meditation. In guided meditation, you visualize places and scenes that make you feel relaxed, delving into the details like smells and sounds. In mantra meditation and transcendental meditation, you focus on a word or phrase until you’ve cleared your mind. Even workouts like yoga, qi gong and tai chi are considered a form of meditation, as your movements are intricately linked to the mind-body connection.
Perhaps the most helpful type of meditation for weight loss is mindfulness meditation. This is when you focus on the present moment, paying attention to each breath, giving each thought that passes through your mind attention but not judging it.
Mindfulness helps you get in tune with your body and feelings. By paying attention to what you eat—really paying attention—you’ll be better able to discern when you’re full. Focusing on the taste and texture of each bite will help you appreciate food as more than something to mindlessly munch on. As you concentrate on how the food makes you feel and how your system reacts to it, you’ll notice patterns—some food fuels your body, while other choices add nothing of value other than a fleeting thrill. You’ll also get in touch with why you eat, whether it’s out of true hunger or another motivation.
Visualize yourself at your target weight and imagine the life you want to lead. Meditation can help you push out those nagging self-doubts—“this is too hard”; “I can’t do it”; “if I haven’t lost the weight by now, I never will”—and focus on your goal, which is attainable and is worth it. While diet and exercise build up your physical stamina, meditation will make you emotionally stronger.
The best warriors are a killer combination of brains and brawn—and that’s just what you’ll be when you pair the physical work of weight loss with the mental.
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