There are a myriad of dieting methods available but 99% of the time diets eventually fail and weight is gained back because those particular diets focus primarily on what is eaten and the quantity of food allowed. They do not encourage examining the unconscious habits surrounding eating and the how, when, and why food is eaten. While diets do not work, changing the way you think about food can.

When individuals bring their eating habits to conscious awareness and truly understand what they are, they can methodically and without judgment begin to change habits they believe do not support healthy eating.

Alexander Technique has been used by individuals to change their approach with food through the Alexandrian principles of awareness and inhibition. Before they can change their relationship to food, they must become aware of their eating habits. Individuals learn to remove distractions when they eat, such as their phones, television, reading material, etc., so they can pay attention to how they eat. They observe what the food tastes like and their degree of enjoyment of it, how they chew the food, how quickly they eat, when they start to feel full, and they question potential emotional reasons behind why they choose to eat at any given moment or why they choose specific foods, etc. (The above information does not apply to serious eating disorders, which require professional guidance.)

For more information, read Shirley Wade-Linton’s article, On the Alexander Technique and Mindful Eating and listen to her podcast discussing how the principles of the Alexander Technique relate to eating habits.