It's hard to believe another three weeks have elapsed during which time I have been using (or trying to use) the 'pause and calm method' as my third test method in the eating slowly experiment.
Results. In my head: I pictured myself like this lovely girl in the photo above, calmly taking a moment before gently placing a perfectly portioned spoon of food in her mouth and taking a moment to tilt her head and take a subtle and perfect photo. In reality: I rarely remembered or had the self-control to take this small moment before shoveling food into my mouth while on the couch in my pajamas, my hair jammed in a messy ponytail. Some things aren't as easy as they seem...
This method was hard to do. At first, at least when I was eating alone, I would calmly take deep breaths before I began eating. When I did manage to do this, I found that the overall eating experience was only slightly slower. But really, it was the fork down method (which I am still using) that really made the impact.
Alternatively, when I was around others, I found this method uncomfortable and awkward to implement. I think I was asking too much of myself. Taking just a second (rather than a full minute) to stop and evaluate your plate before eating is important. But, this method certainly isn't the holy grail of slow eating. Not even close.
Alternatively, when I was around others, I found this method uncomfortable and awkward to implement. I think I was asking too much of myself. Taking just a second (rather than a full minute) to stop and evaluate your plate before eating is important. But, this method certainly isn't the holy grail of slow eating. Not even close.
How did/does the 'pause and calm method' work for you? Feel free to comment on this post and/or e-mail me (mylessseriouslife@gmail.com) with your feedback. Look for an introduction post for eating slowly method four soon!
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Yeah, that one is a little less than ideal. I kind of look more like this whenever I'm placed in front of food...
ReplyDeletehttp://littlekanga-roo.blogspot.com/2010/06/im-hungry-lot.html
ha! that image just cracked me up. yeah. i'm right there with ya. food is glorious and when i'm around it i want to eat it. hmmm. plan C?
DeleteI have always eaten super slowly! This is largely, I think, due to another problem I have: eating distractedly. I have always, since I was a small kid, eaten any meals or snacks I could with my nose in a book, while doing homework, or now, staring at a computer screen. It slows me down, but I can't say I'm focusing entirely on what I'm eating!
ReplyDeletehaha well i guess that is one way to do it. i eat really slowly in the morning for breakfast because i eat my cereal while reading blogs. other meals don't seem to go so slowly...
DeleteI've actually been eating much slower since implementing our Intuitive Eating strategies ( ;) ), but now that I'm eating more I think it will be a litttle more difficult to handle. Then again, who knows!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, are you reading the book?
Keep me posted! Yes, I started it and really enjoying it so far. Need more time to read though - will let you know what I think when I get further...
DeleteIt helped to do this before eating to get me in a calmer mindset. I found if I went straight from my rushed and frenzied lifestyle into eating I would eat faster. If I took a moment before eating to calm myself, I did eat slower. But I couldn't pause in between each bite or anything. It just helped overall to change the atmosphere of eating. I agree with you - the fork down method was the most effective overall, even if I only put it down between every 2-3 bites rather than every single bite. It still makes me slower than before!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I hear ya. It is all about the transition from hectic life to calm eating. I have found lately, especially at lunch, if I take my walk before eating (usually i do it after) i can take that time to separate myself and calm down a bit. this helps. fork down method wins so far. eating mindfully is next so i'm curious to see how that goes although it is somewhat similar to this method. thanks for commenting!
DeleteI'm going to have to give the fork-down metod a try. I also eat wayyy too fast. Thanks for trying a few things out for the rest of us :) I think I am think you- no matter how relaxed I am before I eat, I still shovel food in lol
ReplyDeletethe fork down method (if you can remember to do it) really does work. i think we all tend to be bad about shoveling it in. practice practice...
Deletehi Sara! I got into the habit of taking a sip of tea or water between bites. The plus side is that my dining experience is several magnitudes longer than it would have been. On the downside I really annoy waiters at restaurants with constant refilling, if I'm drinking something cold I get freezing, the smallest meals fill me up to the point of pain, AND I have low sodium. Anyway, thank you for these experiments, always a joy to read!
ReplyDeleteHi, Bianca! I like the taking a sip of water concept between bites. Similar to the setting your fork down method. Actually, funny because Paulina below you does the same thing! I'm not sure I could drink as much water as you! But, thanks for commenting and following along!
DeleteIt's so interesting to hear about the results of your experiments. I usually take sips of water in between bites which is the reason I'm most often the last person to finish my food. It definitely helps to eat slower and enjoy the meal though! :]
ReplyDeleteThanks, Paulina. Sipping water in between bites is super smart! I tried that a bit last night for dinner and it worked well. Thanks for the tip!
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