Nobody is trying to dissuade you from using them, it's great to slow down and focus on eating. What's important is learning to eat more slowly, it's important to do that no matter what utensil you're using if any at all. You cant eat a sandwich with chopsticks afterall. I've been incorporating techniques such as putting the fork down between every bite and not picking it up until I have swallowed. Taking breaks every few minutes helps too. Eating slowly and mindfully is a skill and it does not require special equipment. What are you going to do when you learn to use chopsticks as well as native Asians?

Once you have mastered the chopsticks, you'll have to just use ONE chopstick. That should really slow you down. You can only eat what you can stab ;)

Originally Posted by :
What are you going to do when you learn to use chopsticks as well as native Asians?

Use the fork again. By that time I will have forgotten how to use it.

With what I eat, there is just no way I will ever be able to eat as fast with chopsticks. Period.

You title made me crave for sushi! :drool:

And to increase difficulty, try your no-dominant hand.

Nice! Left-handed chopsticks.

I'll starve!

I find it both fun and helpful to copy "Asian" habits. For example, I like to buy tiny size plates and make everything look cute before I eat it. Chopsticks sounds like an awesome idea, whether or not some people can eat quickly with them. As someone not accustomed to using chopsticks, you will be more conscientious as you eat.

:lol: Those beans could be awfully slippery.

You should try the pickled quails eggs...

Originally Posted by pixelllate:
I grew up as a fat Asian, and felt so out of place when I went to Hong Kong. I went to Hong Kong at goal weight a couple years ago and I was the odd one out for the opposite reason - everyone in general got really big (in comparison to 12 years ago). Idk how much genes play into it...in my experience its a triple threat combination of an overall lower calorie diet, a lot of walking around and a ton of shaming based on particular standards of what is fat, which may differ from other cultures ideas of fat.

I think human beings in general were meant to walk around a lot. It's why we walk very well compared to a lot of other species.
On the topic of genes, we know there is increased susceptibility to chronic food-related illness in ethnic variations with less established civilized history (ie: recent tribal culture people) when eating simple sugars that their bodies had no evolutionary development with (not even alcohol.)
Of course, China has had the longest history of civilization, but the diet was always disciplined and convenience food was not brought in until very recently. Ballooning in Hong Kong makes sense on the drastic cultural shift in the last say 50 years.
Having extra pounds has always been a sign of wealth.

Ian this is genius! I'm going to start working my way to left-handed chop sticks the slow way. :)!