Beck Discussion - Day 5 (how did I miss this???)

Not sure how I skipped this.. but you get to do two days now. Day 5 - Eat Slowly and Mindfully I know for me personally this has been a struggle since my surgery as I never got ill from eating too fast or got the foamies etc.. I still work on putting my fork down between meals. Do you with this? Eating slowly allows your brain to register when it is full. When you notice and enjoy every mouthful you feel more satisfied when the food is gone. Research says there is a lag time - about 20 mins - till your brain gets the message that your stomach is full. This is so true. I can finish a meal in less than 10 mins feel like I need more, make myself stop and 10 mins later, I feel satisfied. Also people tend to eat less when they eat slowly. She mentions an research study that was done on the speed at which people eat. If this is something you struggle with then she recommends the following: *changing something in your environment - this is supposed to remind u to eat slowly.. (I want to add a sabotaging thought right here but I am refraining *wink*) *Set a timer to beep every 1 to 3 mins. Hmmm... *take sips of water after every bite. NOPE sorry Dr. Beck.. doesn't apply to us.. SKIP THIS ONE! *Eat something hot.. forces you to slow down. *Time your meals.. write it down how long it took to eat each one in your diet notebook. Try to reduce distractions when you eat so you can focus on the meal itself. make sure the atmosphere is relaxed, focus on the intensity of your food (flavor and textures), later train yourself to eat with distractions b/c inevidably you will have distractions later one. At first try doing it without any till you get comfortable with eating slowly then try to add some distractions in slowly. She gives tips if you have kids how to deal with this. it is in the grey box on page 81. She then does the sabotaging thought stuff again and a "to do" list.. be sure to mark your todo's off. Remember.. dieting will be easier when you are mindful of each and every bite!

Ack! I'm out of time tonight...I will log in after work tomorrow. This is a biggie for me. Not so difficult at work where lunch is only half an hour but at home.... I may try a timer. See you tomorrow! Hugs!!!

I do enjoy my food much more when I actually am part of the eating experience, rather than inhaling the meal or snack. Foaming and sliming caused a mild aversion to overeating early-on for me. LOL I hate to vomit!!!! My nose "runs" when I'm eating too much or too fast. If a food is too dry, it's pouch pain that puts my fork down automatically. As for "lag time",... just kidding here... perhaps the biggest "lag" is relearning that if a smaller portion is taken, it might be all that is really needed by the "body". So the "mind" needs to come to grips with no getting immediate gratification... PLUS... the food will still be there later for another snack / meal. Brain Time vs. Brain Hunger...

The Baton Rogue researcher's study may have a flaw, as many people tend to try to please the coordinator of the test or try to figure-out the most "respectable" behavior to use during the test time. People Pleasers!!!! Have some over-weight little kids do the same test and record all of their gripes during the test. That would be interesting and probably more reliable. As for meal time with kids, the idea is OK. One old habit that I had to break was NOT to finish what my son left on his plate. Sure that this one has happened to many MO moms! I like the other suggestions that Beck has listed for the general reader; WLS will have to modify a bit as Melissa noted. I associate eating on paper plates and from paper cups with having a quick, get-it-over meal. There's some truth in upgrading your table and approach to serving food... It makes me feel "Special".... awwww!!!!