[findingfawn]

So about 2 weeks ago, I was having a heart to heart with myself.. doing some mental probing and it occured to me that I LOVE food (all of us do right?). I love the tastes of foods, the textures of some, and sometimes the "good feelings" that they can bring. I know to make this lifetime change work for me I can not tell myself I can never eat chocolate cake ever again, or I can't eat macaroni salad or I can't eat red meat. I have to learn to eat what ever I want, just in small, calculated portions. Ok.. this is all well and good and I can do that.

What I can't do.. slow down while I'm eating what ever it is that I'm enjoying at the moment. I'm not even sure how to put this into words to make it make sense... but I'll try. I think the reason I have spent sooooo many years over eating is becuase I will eat something that I enjoy eating and instead of eating it nice and slow and enjoying the taste for a while, I scarf it down and then want to enjoy more of that flavor so I will eat more of it.. sometimes up to 4 or 5 servings of that one thing.

I have not let myself just keep going back for more for over 3 weeks now... but I still find that I have scarfed down whatever it is that I'm eating and not enjoyed it like I could have if I would have slowed down and thought about the enjoyment I was getting from it. I end up being done with my meal or snack and sitting there thinking "Man, I wish I would have tasted that".

I guess I should put a sign on my fridge... "Slow down Sommer, there is no race to finish that plate".

[MugCanDoIt]

Yea, when I do occasionally eat chocolate now, I make sure to swish it around my mouth and tongue so I can REALLY taste it and savor it. It makes a difference to me.....but I know its really hard. I too used to scarf stuff down and still do at times, but the times I am able to eat it slowly, I get a wonderful flavor sensation. Almost like when you use a q-tip in your ear, that "eargasm" feeling. Hee hee!

[beerab]

There are things you can do- take a bite, put down your fork, chew it all the way through, swallow. Then take a drink and do it all again.

Try to stretch out your meals to 20 minutes (time yourself- if it takes you 5 minutes to each your meal, try to up it a few minutes at a time). This is what I do and it's helped

[DCHound]

The one thing I took away from Weight Watchers successfully in the early 90s was their instructions to PUT DOWN YOUR FORK between bites. Put it down. If you teach yourself to do that, the slowing down and enjoying food more will naturally follow. It takes a while, it ain't overnight, but it works.

[findingfawn]

Yeah, the fork thing pops into my head about the time I'm done with a meal and think "Man, I wish I had more of that". I will have to make a point of putting it down!

Beerab.. I so wish I had 20 minutes for a meal, I have a 3 month old, a 3 year old and a 4 year old and also a 10 year old who I homeschool... so most of the time by the time I finish making a meal someone wants something and I need to either tend to them and eat later or scarf something down before all h*ll breaks lose.

hahaha.. Mug.. hubby has to clean his ears after every shower, I never understood why he had to do it EVERY time before... now I do

[dragonwoman64]

In my family, I'm the youngest of 4, with 2 older brothers, there was something of a free for all they way we ate. If you wanted something, you'd better grab for it and don't expect there to be more once you finished! ha. I think that got me into the habit of eating fast to be able to go for seconds from an early age.

I don't have kids (I can see how you'd get to eating fast!), and I still have to think about not eating too fast and enjoying what I have in front of me.

[quiffy]

I struggle with the eating slow. I'm getting better but I don't always have time to eat slowly.

Sometimes I use the put down the fork method. Sometimes I am able to slow down and savor the food. I've noticed with my frozen yogurt, I have gotten good at slowing down.

Sometimes, I seek out the smallest fork or spoon to use. It is abit hard to eat overly fast when using a toddlers spoon. Or, I work on taking very small bites.

[fjcinzion]

I created a list of items that I need to work on and eating slowly is one of them. I really struggle with eating slowly but I will keep working at it. I look forward to the day when it happens without me even thinking about it.

[CountingDown]

1. Eat at the table only, prepare your food - on a plate, with nice presentation. Make an occasion of eating.
2. Put down your fork and sip a beverage between bites.
3. Use small plates/bowls/utinsils so that the portion looks larger and you take smaller bites. I've actually used a baby spoon to eat pudding, ice cream, etc.
4. Eat mindfully - do not do anything else while eating. No reading, computer, tv, etc.
5. Plan and prep your food. Surprisingly, taking the time to prepare something actually gets me thinking about eating. It helps me focus on the food and the process of eating.
6. Wait at least 30 seconds between bites - set a timer if you have to. Or try chewing your food longer.
7. Make a game of it. How LONG can I take to eat this? I love this technique when I am riding in a car. My record is 25 minutes for one piece of string cheese. This works really well with dark chocolate, etc. Taking tiny nibbles and savoring each and every one makes that ONE piece seem like a whole dessert.
8. Forgive yourself. It is a process. I STILL scarf down things every once in a while without thinking. No one is perfect
9. Practice, practice, practice

[toastedsmoke]

I'm a food inhaler too. I went to a high school where the last to finish at lunch had to clear and clean the table so it was always a rush. My ways of dealing with it are:

-If I'm eating alone, I use toddler utensils. If I'm eating with people, I use the salad fork and the teaspoon instead of the regular ones.
- I pause and drink at least half a glass of water after every 1/4 portion on my plate I eat. This has the additional advantage of ensuring I drink at least 2 glasses of water per meal, something which can be a challenge for me.
- I pace myself with other people on my table. I shouldn't be on my last couple of bites if everyone is only halfway through.

[findingfawn]

Well... I'm trying hard to do better. I went on a baby spoon hunt in my drawer and only can find rubber coated ones.. I can't even gut putting them into my mouth.. great diet tool then huh? I need to get some smaller spoons that aren't long ice tea spoons.

I already use small plates for meals, and that helps with portion control, now I just need to get my speed under control.

[sherrybwc]

Originally Posted by findingfawn

What I can't do.. slow down while I'm eating what ever it is that I'm enjoying at the moment. I'm not even sure how to put this into words to make it make sense... but I'll try. I think the reason I have spent sooooo many years over eating is becuase I will eat something that I enjoy eating and instead of eating it nice and slow and enjoying the taste for a while, I scarf it down and then want to enjoy more of that flavor so I will eat more of it.. sometimes up to 4 or 5 servings of that one thing.

I have a tendency to do the EXACT same thing! I've had people comment practically all my life that I eat REALLY fast and ask me why I do so. The best answer I could give them is "I don't know...I just DO".

I've tried to psychoanalyze myself many times...

Was I deprived as a child? Nope. I lived with my GGM and was loved, cared for, and doted upon as the only child in the house, so deprivation is out.

Was I afraid I wasn't going to "get my part"? Nope. Again, only child in the house...I got what I both needed and wanted.

Was I "stingy" or greedy? Nope. I remember sneaking MY Christmas presents out from under the tree and taking them to some of the kids at school who didn't have much hope of a good Christmas (got into a little trouble over that one, BTW).

So all I'm left with is as you described..."I scarf it down and then want to enjoy more of that flavor so I will eat more of it".

Man! I've spent the better part of my life trying to figure this out and an afternoon here solves the riddle.

Cool.

S

[Chicken Little]

My mother-in-law, who is in her 70's, has always followed this practice for as long as I can remember. She has always been able to maintain her figure. She literally eats whatever she wants, including a desert almost every day with her afternoon coffee. The one consistent thing that she does is put her fork down between each bite, chews her food slowly and thoroughly, stops eating when she STARTS to feel full, never exercises but does stay busy with housework and other household duties. She has probably been a size 6 for most of her adult life.

[Beverlyjoy]

I have been right there with many of you so very often. It seems as though we 'eaters' spend ALOT of time thinking about food. But, when it comes to actually eat - we eat SO FAST that we hardly even taste it.

It helps to turn off the tv or radio too - that's what I have the very most trouble with.

I have been working on all the things that Countingdown has mentioned. She's right - it take practice for me. Certainly doesn't come naturally.

[yoyoma]

I think it helps to have a high-volume low calorie density food or drink before I eat anything else. I will chug a glass of crystal light, eat some veggies or a salad, some broth, whatever. I start to register as stomach-full and that allows me to eat anything else more slowly.

BTW, I do feel two kinds of full -- stomach-full is the physical sensation of lack of room. Satiation (for me) comes from eating something heartier -- protein or healthy fat based foods. I am happiest if I feel both stomach-full and satiated after a meal. I allow myself to eat/drink quickly till I start to feel stomach-full then slow way down.