"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art." - Leonardo da Vinci
This week, put down the fork after every bite. Fork, spoon, knife, chopstick, sandwich or burrito...put it down until you swallow. It's the ideal way to eat in polite company anyway, civilized dining instead of brandishing knife and fork over your plate like a sentry guarding the treasure. After all, you are not a hunter warding away other predators from your kill.
While chewing, chew. Do not multi-task by preparing your next morsel. Our intention is to bring habitual behavior to consciousness.
Perhaps part of the reason that we eat fast is because we get nervous and embarrassed when we don't know what to do with our hands.
Make it Real:
If there is a time of day when you must rush through a meal or balance too many objects in your hands (i.e. eating lunch on the road while driving with several misbehaving children in the car), omit that meal from your challenge.
If all you're drinking at your meals is water, don't bother counting sips.
Food for Thought:
What is your posture like at table, your breathing, and how does it compare with those around you?
When you take the time to be more deliberate about your movement and remain still while eating, do people eating nearby appear barbaric, shoveling their food without pause?
You may notice other activities that due to frequency or familiarity you perform automatically. Let's bring awareness to detail. What other tasks to you take for granted while executing them?
Perhaps part of the reason that we eat fast is because we get nervous and embarrassed when we don't know what to do with our hands.
Make it Real:
If there is a time of day when you must rush through a meal or balance too many objects in your hands (i.e. eating lunch on the road while driving with several misbehaving children in the car), omit that meal from your challenge.
If all you're drinking at your meals is water, don't bother counting sips.
Food for Thought:
What is your posture like at table, your breathing, and how does it compare with those around you?
When you take the time to be more deliberate about your movement and remain still while eating, do people eating nearby appear barbaric, shoveling their food without pause?
You may notice other activities that due to frequency or familiarity you perform automatically. Let's bring awareness to detail. What other tasks to you take for granted while executing them?
Finally, a meal at which I didn't finish first! This one is worth doubling to two times per week. I think I'll add Wednesdays (Hump Day) to my Sunday exercise.
ReplyDeleteIt makes such a huge difference when you concentrate on just eating. You can really recognize those first few feelings of "hey maybe I'm satisfied with just this much" instead of cleaning my plate. I think the hard thing though is being consistent. Thanks for the reminder
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Adam. I find I'm choosing smaller portions just so that my food doesn't get cold now that I'm taking longer to eat it. The whole approach renews my hope and I've decided to boost my diet efforts by giving up alcohol until May. Twice this week I ate out at fancy French restaurants. Saying no to the wine was not easy.
ReplyDelete