Everyday Systems

Tonight i discovered something about myself that i probably knew, but never really thought about til now...i am a FAST eater! I mean, i get my plate full of food and literally SHOVEL it into my mouth...sometimes i will take another bite before i even swallow the first bite! I've noticed that i do this when i am really hungry, not focusing on my food (thinking about something, or worrying), or if it is something i really like.

so, halfway through my dinner i realized that i am shoveling and not even thinking about what i am eating much less tasting it....so i made myself slow down, took smaller bites, occasionally put my fork down and chewed or drank some of my water, and really focused on the taste of my food....guess what? It was awesome! i actually felt myself get "full" with that one plate of food instead of three plates later! And i actually tasted my food (roast beef..YUM!) and enjoyed it.

no real point to this post, just wanted to share...i am going to try to do this with every meal (when i can remember, it may take time) and make this my new kind of "habitual" eating!

no real point to this post, just wanted to share...

What do you mean "no real point"?????
This is a major awareness triumph Tricia !!!

Two things I like to do, "habitually" before I eat, no matter how hungry I am, are have a glass of water before the meal, to take the edge off..
Sometimes I forget and then the food can get really inhaled if I'm very hungry.. But as a ritual, I never forget to say a prayer and thank God for the food... This always slows me down, no matter how hurried I feel before the meal, and I always end up appreciating what I have more, even if it's just a little meal of a fruit and nuts.. whatever..

Saying Grace is a great habit for me!

Enjoy what you have, savor it, be grateful for it!

Glad to see you are trying your best!
It will really pay off Tricia.. be patient...
Sometime soon, I'm hoping for Reinhard to post my "before" photo and my most recent "durings"... no I'm not Brittney Spears *yet*, LOL, but you will see that by sticking with it and doing some exercise on a regular basis, you can lose and maintain your weight loss with NoS...

You mention wanting a more effective workout than just going to Curves..
Did you ever investigate into a Hatha or Vinyasa Yoga class?
You know me! I believe everyone should practice Yoga! LOL....
But it really really helped me shape up, relative to how I looked last year..
I can't wait to see what I'll look like in one two or three years more practice...

Peace and Love,
Deb

Sounds like a great idea!

I do the same thing - shovel it in, that is. I was thinking that I would also try focusing more on what I'm eating but not unitl I get through my first 21 days. I thought I would add a rule that I have to sit (at the table- not the PC) and eat without doing anything else, such as reading. I plan to also, concentrate on what I'm eating. It's definitely going to be a hard habit to break. I tend to eat all my meals either with my 17 mo. old son or alone while he's napping. Eating with him means that I'm jumping up from my seat every two minutes to wipe something up and eating while he's sleeping means that I'm catching up on reading!

Maria

Maria
I find that there are so many bad habits we have that it would take a lot of effort to change them all at once... LOL...
Frankly, I wish we ate at the table more often too, but as for myself and eating my lunch in front of the pc or at dinner if I pop in a movie for us to watch, I still can experience my food as long as I just slow down the whole process...
Don't try to multitask your brain too hard to fix all your habits at once..
You are juggling plenty with your baby, and you deserve to enjoy your books whenever you get the chance... Just, as the cliched mother would say, "chew your food" and make a mental note of it as you eat it...

Now, doing work that's pressured or eating while totally immersed in something else which takes your mind totally away from the experience I am against.. And above all, I am against eating while moving around walking or standing!!!!
That is a rule I never break..
One must sit to eat a meal... (even in front of the computer or tv..)

Peace and Love,
Deb

Deb, still going to try that class, just haven't had a minute to look into it! I've been busy here, what with three teenagers and one preschooler! But i am still thinking of it, maybe it will help my stress level too. I've also ordered some belly dancing dvd's, just for fun and to hopefully tone up my abs.

Maria, i know how it is when you have a little one..i would always eat as fast as i could because any second i would have to change a diaper, feed the baby, rock the baby, you name it...it gets better trust me..being a mommy is an awesome experience! as you well know.

well, here's hoping today goes as well as yesterday...today i have preschool where the yummy snacks are..i must resist! wish me luck!

At some point in my life, I was told to put the knife and fork down between every mouthful. I don't do this regularly, but when I notice my eating speeding up I will go back to that discipline. It has the advantage of (a) making you aware of what you're eating and how long it takes (b) letting you savour your food (c) making sure you chew your food properly and (d) making you seem to be civilised and cultured

Silverfish, that is what i have been doing the last few days...funny that you said that! I'm trying to put my fork down every few bites and just wait a few seconds after i swallow to pick it back up...if i'm having a sandwhich or something, same thing...i put it down between bites and take a drink of water, etc. Definately helping me.

and literally SHOVEL it into my mouth...sometimes i will take another bite before i even swallow the first bite!

I'm still laughing. That's one of the first, true laugh-out-loud, milk-through-the-nostrils episodes I've had in a long time. Thanks!

thank you for laughing at my pain.....

Well, Tricia, someone has to. ..

Hey Tricia! How's it going with your new eating awareness evolution?!
I think it's great that you are taking an assessment of what kind of habits you are up against!
That's more than fifty percent of the problem solved!
Have a great day!
Peace and Love,
Deb

Kevin, may you have many years of milk-through-the-nostril episodes my friend...

Deb, i am doing good on the awareness i think. I had a good week and i think that is one of the reasons why. I am no longer mindlessly shoving food into my mouth, so that is something...(did i hear a snicker, Kevin!? ) but seriously, i think it is a big step when we realize what our own individual "bad" habits are because how can you work to change something if you dont' know what that something is?

just some deep thoughts by me...