Growing up, I would constantly see ads for weight loss, claiming this new type of diet/diet pill would help you reach your target weight.

A standard ad would have before and after pictures of someone who followed the diet, statements praising the product, and other claims.

They would always show this dramatic change between the before and after pictures and credit it to the diet they followed.

Naturally, I believed that diets would help me lose a lot of weight.

I was so convinced that at the young age of 13, I started to try multiple types of diets. I tried cutting out complex and avoiding sugar. There was a time where I tried eating raw vegetables and fruits, but that did not last long.

No matter how much I tried dieting, I would keep going back to my old eating habit. I would overeat all the foods that I deprived myself of.

That’s when I started eating mindfully and stopped trying to follow diets.

The Big Difference Between Eating Mindfully and Dieting

Eating mindfully is eating the right types of food but eating only when you are hungry and stopping when you are satisfied.

Mindful eating is being conscious of what and how you are eating. You can still enjoy treats as long as your mindful about it, meaning eating your faves in moderation.

However, dieting is a form of eating where you restrict yourself from certain foods to achieve a goal. You either limit yourself or completely cut out foods that are deemed unhealthy.

While dieting may work for some, usually it just leads people to give up and revert to their old habits.

How Eating Mindfully Changed My Life

Just like me, depriving yourself of the foods you love is extremely hard and does not last long. Even though I was extremely committed, limiting my body and ignoring my cravings was too much to bear.

When I started listening to my body and eating in moderation, I saw changes in my body and my health. I wasn’t constantly craving junk food and sad while eating. I was eating nutritious food as well as my cheesecake.

All I did was listen to what my body wanted. I ate till I was full and ate foods that satisfied me.

Eating mindfully is much more effective and beneficial for your health.

From what I have experienced, dieting just feels like another form of starvation.

As long as you are being safe and are satisfied after every meal, you are doing it right. It does not matter what you eat, as long as giving you the nutrients and energy you need.

Junk food is perfectly fine in moderation or once in a while.

Live life and eat till your content 🙂