5 Ways Meditation Helps With Weight Loss | HuffPost

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When embarking on a diet, the focus is usually on healthy eating and exercise. Learning to manage emotions is rarely part of the regime, but growing research suggests it should be, as learning to breathe, focusing, tuning into the body, and avoiding comfort eating during periods of emotional turmoil can help keep weight stable. Here's a look at some of the recent scientific studies that have found meditation beneficial to maintaining a healthy weight.

Mindfulness to prevent and treat childhood obesity

Researchers from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, recently found mindfulness meditation beneficial to the prevention and treatment of obesity in children. Meditation was found to reduce stimulation in the part of the brain linked to impulsiveness.

Regular relaxation or meditation halves the risk of obesity

A French NutriNet-Santé study from December 2015 revealed that regular meditation could reduce the risk of obesity by 50 per cent. Practicing at least one activity that focuses on mind and body -- such as meditation, yoga, sophrology, qigong or tai chi -- was linked to a lower risk of being overweight and an even lower risk of obesity compared to people who never took part in this kind of activity.

Psychological well-being, the key to successful weight loss

A national survey of 1,000 participants conducted by Orlando Health in December 2015 found successful weight loss was dependent on the management of emotions and psychological well-being. However, 90 per cent of those surveyed weren't aware that addressing emotional issues was an essential component of successful weight loss, leading them to regain weight at the end of a diet.

The secrets of the effortlessly slim

American researchers from Cornell University investigated why some people manage to stay slim all their lives without dieting and with no apparent effort. The study, published in February 2016, found that key criteria included the ability to listen to the body's internal cues, as well as taking pleasure in food and enjoying it without feeling guilty.

Stay mindful to cut belly fat

People who pay more attention to their thoughts and feelings in the present moment had lower levels of abdominal fat and were less likely to become obese, according to an American study published in October 2015. A team of researchers from Brown University Public School of Health discovered that not staying mindful of the present could have a negative effect on the body, particularly on belly fat levels. Among the study's 394 participants, those with a low level of mindfulness were 34 per cent more likely to be obese than those who were more aware of the present.

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Meditation 101

Types Of Meditation(01 of29)

There are several different kinds of meditation, and you may find that more than one of them is helpful for you. This guide from the Institute for Applied Meditation outlines eight of the main methods — including mindfulness (vipassana), which comes from the Buddhist tradition; transcendal, a meditative tradition of Hinduism; and qi gong, a Taoist form that works with breath and movement.

Why Meditation?(02 of29)

There are many reasons why meditation should be a part of your daily routine. A regular meditation practice can reduce stress, which has a host of potential health benefits including easing headaches, high blood pressure, and anxiety, notes WebMD. It could also help you fall asleep and get better rest, which is very important; people with poor sleep have been shown to be at a higher risk for accidents, weight gain, and diabetes, according to Harvard. And time set aside to meditate means time just for you — something we could all use more of!

The Science(03 of29)

If you’re not convinced yet, studies have shown the benefits of meditation. Research published in 2011 showed that meditation could increase grey-matter density in areas of the brain associated with learning, memory, and emotion regulation, reported the Globe and Mail. Another study published in 2012 found that meditation classes, over the course of several years, were associated with reduced cardiovascular risk for people with coronary heart disease. And a five-year Harvard study is looking at how meditation may lead to changes in the brain activity, and even genes, of people who are chronically stressed.

How To Do It(04 of29)

There are many ways to meditate, which means there’s one out there for you. Some people sit while meditating, while others lie down; you can go with the method you prefer, or mix it up based on where you’re practicing. Either way, good posture helps you relax and breathe properly. You can close your eyes or keep them open, but if you prefer them open, try to keep your gaze down and unfocused. Most of all, try to find a time when you won’t be interrupted — even if that means meditating for just five minutes. Put away your phone, get off the laptop, and focus! Mindful, a publication dedicated to bringing mindfulness to everyday life, has more tips for getting started with meditation.

Where(05 of29)

The beauty of meditation is that you can do it anywhere. Obviously, it’d be great if you can do it sitting on a beach listening to the waves crash in, or in a quiet temple with an expert to guide you. But the key is actually doing it, not making sure you only meditate in the best possible environment. In your home, try to find a room where you can relax, be comfortable, and not be interrupted. However, you can also try it on the go — download an app or podcast (see some suggestions in slides 8 and 9) and make the most of your commute!

Is It Working?(06 of29)

How do you know that all this mindfulness is doing its job? Sometimes it can be hard to tell, because it’s not as obvious as other health practices: you don’t have a cut that you can watch heal or a headache that goes away. But there are still ways to check in. Wildmild advises that you can tell that meditation is helping you if you begin to develop more concentration or start noticing things like your breathing or how particular parts of your body feel while you’re meditating. You may also feel calmer overall and have improved posture. If you don’t feel that meditation is working for you, don’t be afraid to mix it up, as different approaches to practice work for different people.

Gear(07 of29)

The only things you truly need to meditate are time and yourself. But there are some items that can help you get zen. Try meditating lying on an acupressure mat like a Sponk, which can help with relaxation and loosening your muscles. A zabuton is a padded mat that makes it more comfortable and supportive to sit on the floor while meditating, and a zafu can help you sit cross-legged.

Apps(08 of29)

There are several apps that can help you establish a meditation practice. Buddhify 2 (iOS) gives you several meditations of varying lengths for a variety of situations, including “Eating” and “Can’t Sleep.” Omvana (iOS) lets you mix and match meditations with background sounds and music, and you can purchase new files from the app’s built-in store. And Buddhist Meditation Trainer (Android) lets you work through ten levels of enlightenment with daily meditation.

Online(09 of29)

Many meditation resources can be found online as well — even for free. Elisha Goldstein, the mental health blogger for Mindful, has a 10-minute body-scan video on YouTube that is a great short meditation. If you have a bit more time, try this 20-minute video that focuses on breathing. The Guardian ran a series of five podcasts about mindfulness that looked at bringing the practice into your everyday life. And UCLA posts a new guided meditation podcast every week.

Classes(10 of29)

You can also get some help in person by attending a meditation class or workshop. Many yoga studios offer classes, some of them combining meditation and yoga. Buddhist temples may also offer sessions that are open to the general public, often for a small donation. You can also look for a local Shambhala group — the organization often runs introductory meditation programs.

It Lowers Stress -- Literally(11 of29)

Research published just last month in the journal Health Psychology shows that mindfulness is not only associated with feeling less stressed, it's also linked with decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. (credit:Shutterstock)

It Lets Us Get To Know Our True Selves(12 of29)

It lets us get to know our true selves. Mindfulness can help us see beyond those rose-colored glasses when we need to really objectively analyze ourselves. A study in the journal Psychological Science shows that mindfulness can help us conquer common "blind spots," which can amplify or diminish our own flaws beyond reality. (credit:Shutterstock)

It Can Make Your Grades Better(13 of29)

Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that college students who were trained in mindfulness performed better on the verbal reasoning section of the GRE, and also experienced improvements in their working memory. "Our results suggest that cultivating mindfulness is an effective and efficient technique for improving cognitive function, with widereaching consequences," the researchers wrote in the Psychological Science study. (credit:Flickr:David Ortez)

It Could Help People With Arthritis(14 of29)

A 2011 study in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Disease shows that even though mindfulness training may not help to lessen pain for people with rheumatoid arthritis, it could help to lower their stress and fatigue. (credit:Shutterstock)

It Changes The Brain In A Protective Way(15 of29)

University of Oregon researchers found that integrative body-mind training -- which is a meditation technique -- can actually result in brain changes that may be protective against mental illness. The meditation practice was linked with increased signaling connections in the brain, something called axonal density, as well as increased protective tissue (myelin) around the axons in the anterior cingulate brain region. (credit:Alamy)

It Works As The Brain's "Volume Knob"(16 of29)

Ever wondered why mindfulness meditation can make you feel more focused and zen? It's because it helps the brain to have better control over processing pain and emotions, specifically through the control of cortical alpha rhythms (which play a role in what senses our minds are attentive to), according to a study in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. (credit:Alamy)

It Makes Music Sound Better(17 of29)

Mindfulness meditation improves our focused engagement in music, helping us to truly enjoy and experience what we're listening to, according to a study in the journal Psychology of Music. (credit:Flickr:U.S. Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia)

It Helps Us Even When We're Not Actively Practicing It(18 of29)

You don't have to actually be meditating for it to still benefit your brain's emotional processing. That's the finding of a study in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, which shows that the amygdala brain region's response to emotional stimuli is changed by meditation, and this effect occurs even when a person isn't actively meditating. (credit:Shutterstock)

It Has Four Elements That Help Us In Different Ways(19 of29)

The health benefits of mindfulness can be boiled down to four elements, according to a Perspectives on Psychological Science study: body awareness, self-awareness, regulation of emotion and regulation of attention. (credit:Shutterstock)

It Could Help Your Doctor Be Better At His/Her Job(20 of29)

Doctors, listen up: Mindfulness meditation could help you better care for your patients. Research from the University of Rochester Medical Center shows that doctors who are trained in mindfulness meditation are less judgmental, more self-aware and better listeners when it comes to interacting with patients (credit:Shutterstock)

It Makes You A Better Person(21 of29)

Sure, we love all the things meditation does for us. But it could also benefit people we interact with, by making us more compassionate, according to a study in the journal Psychological Science. Researchers from Northeastern and Harvard universities found that meditation is linked with more virtuous, "do-good" behavior. (credit:Alamy)

It Could Make Going Through Cancer Just A Little Less Stressful(22 of29)

Research from the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine shows that mindfulness coupled with art therapy can successfully decrease stress symptoms among women with breast cancer. And not only that, but imaging tests show that it is actually linked with brain changes related to stress, emotions and reward. (credit:Shutterstock)

It Could Help The Elderly Feel Less Lonely(23 of29)

Loneliness among seniors can be dangerous, in that it's known to raise risks for a number of health conditions. But researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, found that mindfulness meditation helped to decrease these feelings of loneliness among the elderly, and boost their health by reducing the expression of genes linked with inflammation. (credit:Alamy)

It Could Make Your Health Care Bill A Little Lower(24 of29)

Not only will your health benefit from mindfulness meditation training, but your wallet might, too. Research in the American Journal of Health Promotion shows that practicing Transcendental Meditation is linked with lower yearly doctor costs, compared with people who don't practice the meditation technique. (credit:Shutterstock)

It Comes In Handy During Cold Season(25 of29)

Aside from practicing good hygiene, mindfulness meditation and exercise could lessen the nasty effects of colds. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Health found that people who engage in the practices miss fewer days of work from acute respiratory infections, and also experience a shortened duration and severity of symptoms. (credit:Flickr:anna gutermuth)

It Lowers Depression Risk Among Pregnant Women(26 of29)

As many as one in five pregnant women will experience depression, but those who are at especially high risk for depression may benefit from some mindfulness yoga. "Research on the impact of mindfulness yoga on pregnant women is limited but encouraging," study researcher Dr. Maria Muzik, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, said in a statement. "This study builds the foundation for further research on how yoga may lead to an empowered and positive feeling toward pregnancy." (credit:Flickr:phalinn)

It Also Lowers Depression Risk Among Teens(27 of29)

Teaching teens how to practice mindfulness through school programs could help them experience less stress, anxiety and depression, according to a study from the University of Leuven. (credit:Shutterstock)

It Supports Your Weight-Loss Goals(28 of29)

Trying to shed a few pounds to get to a healthier weight? Mindfulness could be your best friend, according to a survey of psychologists conducted by Consumer Reports and the American Psychological Association. Mindfulness training was considered an "excellent" or "good" strategy for weight loss by seven out of 10 psychologists in the survey. (credit:Flickr:lululemon athletica)

It Helps You Sleep Better(29 of29)

We saved the best for last! A University of Utah study found that mindfulness training can not only help us better control our emotions and moods, but it can also help us sleep better at night. “People who reported higher levels of mindfulness described better control over their emotions and behaviors during the day. In addition, higher mindfulness was associated with lower activation at bedtime, which could have benefits for sleep quality and future ability to manage stress," study researcher Holly Rau said in a statement. (credit:Alamy)

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