Slow your Roll!

One of the keys for me on this program was learning how to....SLOW DOWN, believe it or not.

I mean just in general....'stop' overanalyzing every situation, 'stop' overthinking and overstressing, and just WORK the program.

And STOP gobbling my meals like there was no tomorrow! 

Maybe it was because I grew up with 4 other siblings...I don't know...all I know is eating SLOWLY and MINDFULLY has always always been a challenge for me.

Over the years, I read about things like 'Just put your fork down between bites' and how the brain needs 20 minutes or so to 'know' the stomach is full. But it was usually wasted effort because sooner or later, I'd be speed-eating again!

Well, when I started this program and GASPED at the SIZE of the meals (OMG is that one portion! A BIRD couldn't live on that! LOL)....I realized I had to do something if I was going to stick with it...and slowing down became not just an 'option' but a reality.

But HOW to do it?  Well I learned various ways....and hopefully they will help you!

- Make EVERY meal a 'big deal'. NEVER eat standing up if you can help it. Only eat in the car if it's absolutely unavoidable (running errands in the morning I usually do have to do this, resort to a bar or a bag of pretzels. Even THEN, though, I try to 'savor' each and every bite!)
- SAVOR savor savor.  ENJOY the feeling of eating....taste every drop....and tell yourself you're eating. It's amazing how sometimes we can be doing so many things at once that we barely realized we ATE! And then it's like, 'Wait! DId I eat? I'm STILL HUNGRY!'
- Don't watch TV and eat at the same time if you can help it. If you can't help it? Try to look down at your food...!  Try to taste every drop....and try to take your time.
- Have a glass of water WITH your meals...drink a full glass (if you can) BEFORE your meals...and have a cup of tea and/or zero calorie beverages WITH your meals!  The more liquids, the better...because the more you'll fill up your stomach.
- If eating with someone have a CONVERSATION over dinner. Try to make conversation....ask about everyone's day....share what happened to you today...you are eating WITH someone, so enjoy their presence, too.
- Divide your food up....I use a separate plate for my salad (which is STANDARD for me with every L&G now), and I'll use a small, 8 or 9 inch dinner plate....not those huge ones anymore if I can help it. Makes it look and feel like more. Also, a DARK colored plate makes it look like more (really!).  So you might want to invest in one or two place settings in a dark color.
- A cup of tea works wonders because it's HOT. Hot foods take longer....relax over your tea...take your time. For me it's a 'signal' that my meal is over. 
- NO family style meals...where you're passing around huge bowls or platters. Instead, divide up everyone's portions on their plates. If you live with family members who aren't dieting, they can feel free to get up and serve themselves 'more' if they like from the pot or whatever on the stove, but DO NOT have it on a platter or bowl in front of you.
"Out of sight, out of mind" (and stomach).
- Even a small MF meal can be extended...stretch it out...savor each bite...I cut my MF brownie into smaller pieces (really!) before eating. Use a fork or spoon....a SMALL fork or spoon. I use a salad fork for dinner now. A regular sized fork feels big to me...and the oversized (I swear!) ones they use in restaurants feel HUGE now.
- Take a break! Stop eating and sip from your water glass. Relax. Put your fork down ... and just take a bit of a break. No one's going to take your food away from you. TAKE YOUR TIME.
- If you're still hungry after you finished? Wait 5 minutes. STILL hungry? Go for a MF snack...always have a bowl of SF jello in the frig...or the MF chips work wonders sometimes...sometimes even just a pickle will help!  Check out the list of MF snacks and USE them. It's not a 'sin' to have your MF snack. Even EVERY DAY (I got to goal doing that, folks!)

Bottom line? SLOW YOUR ROLL.  Take your time and appreciate the fact that you're eating. Don't rush it.  If you rush it, your brain doesn't get the signal in time and you'll start complaining that you're "always hungry".  But you don't HAVE to be if you take your time and appreciate what we DO get to eat on this program.

And hey, REMIND yourself....we get to eat 6x a day!  How awesome is THAT?

Have a great day everyone! 

Keep on keepin' on!!!