Eating more slowly. That's one of the important weight loss strategies I'm just now beginning to incorporate into my ongoing process, after more than three years of successful LCing.

As my husband has pointed out, I do have a tendency to "inhale" my food. The mindless habit goes back so far in my life, I don't even realize it. That is, until DH and I are eating out somewhere, and the server is snatching my empty plate out from under my nose before he's half finished.

Without too much fuss, I'm finally learning. Tiny bites savored make dinner last longer....taste better...seem like more. I'm finding that 3/4 cup of tuna salad can be an entire lunch. I can eat half a steak, and realize I don't want the rest (leftovers are good!) Before I've finished the whole plate of food, I notice I'm full. Why didn't I figure this out sooner?

Oh well. Old habits die hard, don't we know. Now I eat a bit more mindfully, a lot more slowly, and (as far as my husband is concerned) more politely. One day at a time...

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Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Barb, I'm the same way. Have been since I was little, but didn't have a weight problem until I was an adult. I'm always the first one finished. So perhaps I, too, need to slow down, pay attention to every bite, savor each morsel, enjoy my food more! Thanks, Barb, for a timely reminder.

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Nita

Timely and thoughtful. It really does help to savor one's meals slowly. It's helpful to the senses and ... allows the satiety reflex to get into gear so one KNOWS when one is satisfied.

Thanks, Barb.

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Barb - Thanks for the reminder. I have worked on this for years but always slide back to inhaling my food. I know where it comes from. My dad worked as much as 14 hours a day and when he got home from work he wanted to eat dinner and have dessert as quickly as possible so he could have a couple hours relaxation before bed at 9:00. And if we kids were too slow to eat he had to wait for dessert and that always got us yelled at to eat faster. amazing how many decades that programming has lasted. maybe it's time to deprogram myself.

another thing I have read that "thin" people almost always leave something on their plate when they are done eating....

I know there are times when I even licked my plate clean.....
lol
slowing down, will try that one.
c

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http://www.youravon.com/cnorulak
carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03 327/268/177
5/20/08/ - 348
onward thru the fog

I looked into this subject, and found an interesting slant - that pausing between bites might actually cause a person to eat more calories and feel less satisfied, and that making sure you have some good protein in your meal (duh!) will help you feel more satisfied. (We low carbers have known this for years!)

Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/...ch/eatslow.htm

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Nita

Interesting article. YMMV--the rule that ALWAYS applies.

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Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Savor the Flavor!!!
Thanks Barb!

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I am back!....
Atkins

I too tend to wolf down my food.

Eating slowly is something my Dad has harped to me since I was a little kid.

Oooo, I see a trend...I inhale my food too.

Came from growing up in a big family...if you wanted your portion, you better eat it fast...or someone else would eat it for you!!

When I was married the first time, I learned that if I didn't match my ex's speed in eating, I'd find myself alone at the table. (Nice guy, huh?!) I didn't grow UP that way - we always lingered over dinner and talked about the day's events and so forth. AND, we were members of the "clean your plate club" so sometimes it took me FOREVER to finish if there was an offensive object on my plate!!

My current DH eats as if he hasn't seen food in a week! He says he learned it in the military. Well, he hasn't been in the military for decades - I try to nicely remind him to slow down and it will work for a while.

I use the "savor the flavor" liine on him and he always thanks me for reminding him! LOL!

I love having leftovers to take to work the next day - nothing at all wrong with leaving something on your plate, no matter WHAT Mom and Dad said!

Char

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Save the Earth - it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!

Interesting article Nita. I note that the they used pasta to test this hypothesis. perhaps slowing down the consumption of an almost completely white starch meal gave it time to create lots of blood glucose and insulin spikes and the usual blood sugar yoyoing.

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