Although not on my resume or Linked In profile, one of my achievements in life was winning a pizza eating contest at the undergraduate school I attended, SUNY Binghamton. Each dorm submitted a team of two people competing against other teams of 2 as to who could finish two large Dominos pizzas in the fastest time. I believe my teammate and I devoured the 2 pizzas in 6 minutes and 38 seconds. Score!!! A Win!!!
My fast eating prowess had it’s roots in my childhood, as I had 2 older brothers that were around the kitchen table. If I did not learn how to eat fast, the older bros would get the extra slice of pizza, larger dessert, etc. I had to eat fast!. Then, during medical school and residency, there was precious little time to eat (or sleep) so I needed to eat very quickly. This has carried over to my later years even though the time pressure is not as much.
Eating fast does not translate into “healthy” eating in most cases. When we are under a time crunch, the fast food drive through, a sandwich/chips eaten in the car or some other “quick eating” event occurs often derailing our weight control efforts. Even in the evenings, many people (including me) are “guilty” of eating meals too quickly, almost like a habit.
Try to “slow down” your eating as you journey through a weight control effort. Plan meals and allow the time needed to ensure an SP-compatible meal AND the time to eat in a more relaxed fashion. Slowing down allows us to make better choices and “think through” our behaviors.
Here is an idea: I should develop a radar device similar to the ones on the road that show us our car speed compared to the speed limit. Place the device on our tables and when we are seen to be eating too quickly, the lights flash. Anyone wanna invest??? No hands raised???
