Often times when we eat we do not even remember the experience, it goes by quickly as we are shoveling food into our mouths. The purpose of mindful eating is to be aware of what we are eating and enjoy the smells, taste, and texture of the food, an overall appreciation of the food.
The following is the different phases of mindful eating, practiced often you will find yourself eating less and appreciating food more, which will evidently result in weight loss. This is a non dieting approach to food and does work if applied to your daily life. The mindful eating model can also be used in every area of your life and will make you more aware of everything happening around you and also to be a more patient, tolerant person.

Phases of eating;

Meals have a beginning, middle and end. The following model has six distinct phases; non-eating, food preparation, pause before the meal, at the meal, end of eating, after eating, and finally returning to non-eating.

• The non-eating phase is when no food is consumed. Awareness of this phase during each eating cycle is often helpful to see the habitual and environmental food cues to eat.
• Mindfulness during food preparation includes not only what is gathered, cooked or ordered but also may incorporate other mindfulness, such as awareness of choice, thoughts and feelings associated the selection or ordering of food.
• The pause is a tiny moment when the food is before you but no bites have been taken. It offers a moment of reflection, allowing the food before you to be eaten with full intention. Research indicates that mini-meditation before a meal is effective in reducing binge eating.
• At the meal is when the food is consumed. The ideal time to evaluate whether the food is being consumed is enjoyable is while a person is eating. Additionally, an individual could notice if the pace of the meal rushes or if his thoughts are distracted with any previous or future events of the day.
• End of eating is the notable shift during the meal when there is no hunger but a comfortable level of fullness has not been achieved. Training in mindful eating would help you to eat until a desired level of fullness is achieved but not exceeded.
• After eating is when the meal is over and food-related activities are cleaned up. At this time, you should you may have a desire or habitual reaction to eat leftovers or nibble on extras left on the plate.
• Finally, you returns to a non-eating phase because a comfortable level of fullness has been achieved, and if you continued to eat, discomfort would result.

Mindful eating is not based on anxiety about the future but by the actual choices that are in front of you and by your direct experience of health while eating and drinking. Mindful eating replaces self criticism with self nurturing. It replaces shame with respect for your own inner wisdom. Using the principles of “mindful eating” in your nutrition and weight loss, you will begin to enjoy a positive relationship with food that promotes health and well being.