Every Monday, That's Fit's very own "charged up" wellness guru Laura Lewis presents The Passion Principle, a weekly guide that will help you achieve your greatest potential through words of inspiration, cutting-edge ideas and action tips you can use in your every day life!

So you want to lose weight but cannot seem to make it happen. What gives? Your thyroid checks out fine, you work out regularly and you follow a good eating program "most" of the time ... hold on ... did you say "most" of the time? What does that mean, really? Does that mean you remember when you eat well and not so well? Or does that mean you remember what you eat most of the time?

Did you know many people who are unsuccessful dieters eat mindlessly on a regular basis? I jokingly call the syndrome "eating amnesia." Do you ever feel this happens to you? For example, when you find a candy wrapper in your car and you can't recall actually consuming its contents? Or when you try to remember what you had as a quick "snack" in the middle of the afternoon and simply cannot remember what it was? Mindless eating is often the culprit behind stalled weight loss. I have seen this "condition" occur over and over again with people I've worked with over the years. The fix? To awaken the sleeping giant that is getting in the way.

Check out these 5 tips to becoming a mindful eater.

• Maintain a Food Diary. Keep track of everything you eat, drink or chew. You can do this electronically, or you can manually write it all down. If you write it down manually, label columns with the following categories: Name & Type of Food, Amount, Time & Place and Feelings. The key is to write down everything as you consume it, not at the day's end.This will no doubt wake you up to your consumption habits.
• Slow Down. Wolfing your food down serves zero purpose. Learn to enjoy the eating experience. As you take a bite of food, attempt to chew each bite at least 20 to 30 times. Savor the flavors and textures bursting in your mouth.You'll find eating to be a more satisfying endeavor.
  
• Sit Down Why Don't Cha? How many times do you find yourself eating on the run? Stop it now. Set a place for yourself and sit your derriere down. Make eating a dining ritual. Many a mindless eating event occurs on the run! Need some ideas on how to set a table for one? Click here.
  
• Don't Eat Just to Eat. I purposefully do not drive through fast food joints just to stop my stomach from growling and neither should you, unless the establishment has a wonderful healthy alternative. If your pattern is to grab a quick "something" at a corner convenience store just to fill a void, you need to change your habits. Be selective about what you eat. Stop grabbing food just because it's there. Love your body enough to treat it with respect by avoiding junk food and waiting until you can have a healthy meal.
  
• Focus on the Food. If you are a TV watcher while you eat, break the habit now. Stop working while you eat too. Be sure when you eat that you are not doing anything else at all. How else are you going to become mindful?

Being mindful of what, how, when and why you eat is extraordinarily important. Once you get connected with your eating habits, you'll be amazed at how much easier the task of losing weight becomes. Happy Eating!