Well I thought about my dinner tonight.

Angie and I went for pizza.

We got a beer each, a small Margherita Pizza and a ceasar salad ~ we brought 1/2 the pizza home. I could have eaten the rest of the pizza easily...but I thought about it and knew I didn't need it!

In the old days I would have got my own large pepperoni (for leftovers to bring home) and no salad and at least 2 beers!

Thinking about every meal! It helps.

Other mindful eating tips:

Think about where your food has come from--who has prepared it--what has gone into it. Be grateful.

Smell your food and taste it as you chew. What are the different flavors? Is it mostly salty? Is there a sweet flavor? Are the spices complex or simple? Can you identify different tastes?

Think about the textures. Is it crisp? Crunchy? Chewy? Soft? Are there bits with a different texture? Can you identify them?

Don't try to talk while you're chewing--like momma told you. Concentrate on your food. You can make that wonderful point after you've swallowed.

This one is hard for some--try to think of meals as being more like a sit-down concert of pleasant music than like a field sporting event.

Jay

I tried this at lunch yesterday and it was amazing how hard it was! Usually I finish lunch in about 10 minutes, then spend the rest of my lunch hour trying to convince myself I'm full. I'm going to try it again today and see what kind of difference it makes.

Gary: No, we haven't ridden our bikes much this summer. We moved away from that area (to Normal Heights) and we could still go, but it is sort of a pain because now we live upstairs and would have to lug our bikes up and down the stairs. BUT....I want to get back to doing that. I'm glad you asked because I've been so busy, I forgot that we could go! Yes, the weather has been pretty nice except for a few really hot days. BTW, in case you were wondering where I've been, I've been around, I just have been on the Biggest Loser threads.

It sounds like a very loving gathering you have.

Angie's so good about the whole eating/exercising thing, she is really a good influence on you, huh? We didn't eat at the table last night, mostly because there is stuff all over it and I need to clean it off.

Jay: I like how you said "sit-down concert of pleasant music than like a field sporting event". That's a good way to put it.

thistoo: Yeah, we don't realize how fast we gulp down our food until we actually TRY to eat slower. And if we do eat slower, it just means we have all the more time to enjoy that delicious _______ that we are eating. I think that is part of why I overeat: I enjoy what I have so much that I want to taste it longer.