How does mindful eating differ from dieting?
Written by
Thomas Wilson
Reviewed by
Prof. William Dalton, Ph.D.Mindful eating and dieting are two very different ways of approaching food. One promotes awareness, the other imposes limitations. One is based on your internal cues, the other is based on external rules. This difference affects your relationship with food and your body.
Breaking Diet Mentality
- Identify and challenge 'good food/bad food' thinking patterns
- Remove scales and calorie counting apps from daily routines
- Practice eating previously forbidden foods without guilt
- Notice emotional responses when abandoning diet rules
- Journal about diet culture's impact on your self-worth
Building Mindful Habits
- Check hunger levels before eating using 1-10 physical scale
- Eat without distractions like phones or television
- Chew each bite 20-25 times noticing texture changes
- Pause halfway through meals to assess fullness signals
- Express gratitude for three food aspects before starting
Mindful eating respects your body's wisdom. You're listening to and paying attention to your physical hunger cues. Dieting blocks those signals and follows a fixed timetable, which leads to continuous struggles with cravings. Mindful practices honor trusting your inner compass.
Diet culture encourages people to go through a cycle of restriction. The idea is to continue on a stringent approach, eventually going into a period of excessive fixed menu eating or bingeing. Mindful eating provides long-term freedom. You can eat whatever you want without bingeing. Food becomes a source of nourishment rather than punishment.
Psychological impacts differ greatly. Mindful eating reduces food-related anxiety. Dieting increases obsessive thoughts. You spend less mental energy on food calculations. Meals become simpler and more enjoyable experiences.
Read the full article: 7 Mindful Eating Techniques You Need Now
