This morning I found out that some girls
follow me on Facebook (?!), so I thought that I could describe the
rules in a more schematic manner, without digressing on personal
thoughts, so that whoever wants to refer to them can do it without
needing to take a day off.
I return therefore to the first, and most
important: Slowing down.
Notice: this rule, like the others, doesn’t need to be applied to a specific diet or servings, but it could be matched with both if it helps give you confidence.
Notice: this rule, like the others, doesn’t need to be applied to a specific diet or servings, but it could be matched with both if it helps give you confidence.
How to /
1 • With “slowing down” I mean sitting down calmly to eat thinking only about eating. Distractions like television, books, mobile phones ad such must be avoided, so that you can only concentrate on eating, at least at the beginning.
1 • With “slowing down” I mean sitting down calmly to eat thinking only about eating. Distractions like television, books, mobile phones ad such must be avoided, so that you can only concentrate on eating, at least at the beginning.
2 • When eating it’s important to take
small morsels and chew slowly, even 20 times if needed, so to be
actually able to savour the food.
Every crumble, the scent, the texture, everything should be enjoyed.
Enjoying is the key word here.
With foods that don’t require chewing, like yogurt, it is still possible to slowly savour what is being eaten, instead of swallowing spoonful after spoonful. Same goes for the drinks: you can take small sips and let them over your tongue, like a sommelier. Even before taking food or drinks to your mouth, you can enjoy the scent.
With foods that don’t require chewing, like yogurt, it is still possible to slowly savour what is being eaten, instead of swallowing spoonful after spoonful. Same goes for the drinks: you can take small sips and let them over your tongue, like a sommelier. Even before taking food or drinks to your mouth, you can enjoy the scent.
3 • Especially at the beginning, it can be
difficult to cut some mental space among the problems and the rush
many face every day. It takes an effort, a conscious decision, to
allow ourselves half an hour of relaxation, like we’re going to
get a massage. We can all allow
ourselves some peace during the meals, because we deserve it.
Benefits /
4 • Body: Normally,
the sense of hunger lasts about twenty minutes.
If in those 20 minutes you scoff down
food, it’s automatically obvious
that you’ll ingest more calories.
Eating slowly, concentrating on the food, also keeps you more
perceptive to the signals from the body, and helps to really
notice when you’re feeling full,
instead of not noticing it at all until the stomach starts aching.
5 • Mind: savouring every morsel you have a real perception of the fact that you’re eating. When nibbling absentmindedly, food is introduced almost without noticing; it’s almost like you didn’t really eat, and soon you’ll be craving more. Conversely, if you're focusing on the flavours with attention, you’ll soon get bored with that food and will hardly need more that soon.
6 • Spirit: slowing down during the meal makes the time you dedicate to this activity feel longer. Without distractions you can perceive the longer time, you can relax and sometimes you even feel like you’ve eaten more than usual. It is more satisfactory and improves the mood.
5 • Mind: savouring every morsel you have a real perception of the fact that you’re eating. When nibbling absentmindedly, food is introduced almost without noticing; it’s almost like you didn’t really eat, and soon you’ll be craving more. Conversely, if you're focusing on the flavours with attention, you’ll soon get bored with that food and will hardly need more that soon.
6 • Spirit: slowing down during the meal makes the time you dedicate to this activity feel longer. Without distractions you can perceive the longer time, you can relax and sometimes you even feel like you’ve eaten more than usual. It is more satisfactory and improves the mood.
Little personal suggestions /
7 • Start with a glass of water.
It will silence your stomach for a moment, allowing you not to throw
yourself on the food, and sipping it slowly will help you calm down.
8 • Between a morsel and the next, rest the
fork on the dish. Holding it all the
time will push you to take another bite immediately, somewhat
hurrying you. If at first you feel
silly putting down the fork, maybe
because you’re with others, do like me: buy
time.
Between a bit and the next I pour myself a drink, I fix my hair, I take a sip of water, I observe the conversation, sometimes I hold the fork but just keep it there next to my mouth. After a couple of weeks it’s become automatic for me, and I don’t even think about it any more.
In any case, as long as you don’t do it too obviously nobody will notice: you are not refusing food, you’re just eating slowly. If you feel embarrassed saying it’s an alternative to a diet, you can say that the food is so good you want to enjoy it: it’s the truth.
Between a bit and the next I pour myself a drink, I fix my hair, I take a sip of water, I observe the conversation, sometimes I hold the fork but just keep it there next to my mouth. After a couple of weeks it’s become automatic for me, and I don’t even think about it any more.
In any case, as long as you don’t do it too obviously nobody will notice: you are not refusing food, you’re just eating slowly. If you feel embarrassed saying it’s an alternative to a diet, you can say that the food is so good you want to enjoy it: it’s the truth.
9 • If possible, cook.
After all, cooking even only for yourself is pampering yourself, a
prelude to the pleasure of food, and it prolongs that pleasure
because “the wait for pleasure is pleasure itself”,
even if you’re just deciding how to compose a sandwich or a salad.
Thinking that you’re preparing something for yourself that you’ll
later on eat without guilt is even more satisfying, and
yes, you can also nibble while you
cook. This way, the stomach will give
the signal that the meal has started, and the “full” signal will
arrive quicker, while you’ll have spent part of that time cooking.
10 • If at first you forget to slow down, or
find it difficult, don’t worry.
It’s not a competition, and for many it’s not easy because we’re
used to doing everything in a hurry. It’s
a habit that needs training, and if it
doesn’t work once, never mind: try again.
Slowing down is about the mind. So keep
calm and let’s enjoy this blessed
food.
If we learn to appreciate it in peace, food will stop being a temptation against which to fight, demanding our mental energies and willpower; it won’t be the focus of daily worries, but it will become a little pleasure to accompany life.
If we learn to appreciate it in peace, food will stop being a temptation against which to fight, demanding our mental energies and willpower; it won’t be the focus of daily worries, but it will become a little pleasure to accompany life.
Moon [-4.1kg]
