Scoffing down food

[Lawry]

Hi all,

This is a question really. I don't over eat much. I'm over weight but not greatly over weight. I'm around 5ft 9 and weigh around 175 pounds.

I do, however, eat really fast. I finish meals when my wife has only finished about a fifth of hers. I'm sure I do this because for that brief time while I'm eating, it enables me to forget about everything. It's a method of escapism and rather than feeling satisfied after eating, I feel emotionally empty.

I'm trying to battle this in two ways.

1) Trying to eat only food which isn't conducive to fast eating, for example all bran cereal / porridge / bread with no topping / fruit. These foods I eat slowly because either they are impossible to eat fast and they demand to be chewed or simply don't taste great hence don't provide the comfort element.

2) If I have to eat a normal meal, ie one that I would normally eat very fast, I have a rule where I have to use small mouthfuls and chew each one around 35 times before swallowing.

I'm hoping these two rules will enable me to stop seeing food as an escape mechanism. Can anyone offer any further advice on this? Does it sound reasonable ?

thanks
Lawry.

[Pony]

Welcome to the forum.

Well, one of the first things I learned to slow down my eating at mealtime was to put the fork or spoon down inbetween bites. Chewing slower and just enjoying the moment. Maybe a nice conversation with you wife during mealtime where you just taking you time and not 'shoveling' the food fast to get done.

[bikewench]

On the days I feel shaky around my food...
before I start to eat... I put everything down... bow my head... and ask God to help me stay conscious while I eat

I ask that I be reminded that feeding my body is doing honor to it... and to the Creator that made this all... good and bad...


you have some good behavior changes planned Lawry...

blessings on your efforts.

[Lawry]

putting cutlery down between each mouthful does seem to help. Prior to this I would prepare the next mouthful at the same time as swallowing the previous one. Now I chew each mouthful a lot and put the cutlery down between each mouthful. By only picking it up again when the previous load has been chewed, it then takes time again to prepare the next portion, lengthening even more time between pieces. It's great, I think I feel a little better already, as if my body can cope so much better being fed at this much slower pace. My meals yesterday and today have lasted somewhere around 30 mins each, whereas before I would have finished in less than 5 mins.

I'm not generally a religous man but I think a little thanks and reflection before each meal can still serve it's purpose and focus the mind towards what is supposed to be a nourshing experience rather than a binge fest for the taste buds.

[bikewench]

I'm not generally a religous man but I think a little thanks and reflection before each meal can still serve it's purpose and focus the mind towards what is supposed to be a nourshing experience rather than a binge fest for the taste buds.

I'm not a religious woman...
but that doesn't stop me from connecting with the Creator.. ;o)

you sound like you've got some good things going with your food...
let us know how you make out.. ;o)

[Pony]

Yes, it sounds as if it's working pretty good. 30 mins. is a fair amount of time for a meal. Eating slower does promote eating less as well because it gives the body time to let the brain know that you are satified.

Let us know how this does over a period of time for you.

[Evanna]

Excellent thread. Thanks for starting it Lawry. I wolf my food and to be honest it feels a somewhat shameful thing. I seem to just get out of control when that plate is in front of me. Some top tips here. I will try them out.

[Lawry]

Hi all,

Well it's been a week since I posted this thread and I haven't cheated once. A couple of times I almost forgot myself and started to speed up but remembered well in time.

It's hard sometimes becuase not all food is actually conducive to chewing, for example porridge. For these foods, I actually count out the time it would have taken to chew a mouthful, for example 30 seconds, sometimes longer. This mornings porridge actually took me about an hour to eat, I had to reheat it in the microwave. Although obviously taking some of the enjoyment away from eating (by having to count etc), I feel absolutely loads better for my week of not binging on food. Not only do I feel physically better but emotionally I feel tons calmer.

At the beginning of last week I asked the doctor for some pills to tackle anxiety issues, now I don't even feel I need them. I feel more relaxed around people and generally more easy going. I never thought this would make so much difference to the way I feel.

I never realised how much of an addiction and an escpae into fantasy eating really was until now.

Pony - now I eat slow, the conversations with my wife have improved. I went out to dinner last night with my wife and her parents and because I ate slowly, the escape into fantasy wasn't there so the conversation flowed and was much much easier than ever before. In the past I'd have finished way before anyone else and sat around feeling a bit uncomfortable while everyone else continued eating. I felt uncomfortable because I wanted that pleasure back, that pleasure of being lost in the moment of eating. But last night I didn't give myself that pleasure. I was eating but slowly and still aware of my surrounding. So when the meal was finished it was a feeling of satisfaction rather than guilt or confusion.

If anyone eats fast I'd recommend this to them. Chew every mouthful as much as you can. If you chew enough you don't even need to swallow food, it automatically gets digested as you chew and feed down into your stomach. Put your cutlery down between each mouthful. It is hard to do but the benefits are excellent and from my experience pretty quick. I started to feel better after a couple of days.

Lawry

[Pony]

Lawry, This is great! I am so glad things are better for you and you feel better. Yes, it is amazing what just taking your time and enjoying the people and events around you can make you feel.

Good job!

[Bozo]

Originally Posted by bikewench

and ask God to help me stay conscious while I eat
.

Probably the best advice I have ever read on one of these forums. Thanks, Mike.