Eating Productively

Random Observation/Comment #325: Did I mention I love mashed potatoes?

moules!

As a man that does not just eat to live, but lives to eat, I find writing this post slightly hypocritical because I don’t exactly follow all of these rules. In fact, I would rather ingest more calories and spend a bit more time working out just because food tastes so good to me. Alas, I do feel the need to share some tips and tricks:

• Eat slower. It takes about 15 minutes for your brain to tell you you’re full, so if you eat slower, you’ll probably get the message sooner instead of bending over at your desk cursing the invention of all-you-can-eat mashed potatoes and gravy (Just kidding. I love you, mashed potatoes).
• Get smaller plates.  If you want to lose weight by eating less, you can subconsciously fool yourself by filling your plate 1/2 size or eating fewer plates. If you have larger plates and you’re like me, you’ll probably feel the need to finish the whole thing. Smaller plates force you to go up and feel fat for getting 2nd and 3rds.
• Always eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal because it gives you the energy you need to get through the day. I usually eat a large breakfast into a medium-sized lunch into a small dinner.  Eating less before you go to sleep will also help you digest better and reduce acid reflux.
• Eat many small meals. I’d like to think of my meals like tapas. It increases the amount of things that can be tried and you’ll feel more satisfied having a larger palette satisfied in your meal.
• Reduce sugar/dessert/soda intake.  Not only is diabetes a bad thing, but also a massive intake of sugar always makes me sleepier and feel a level of personal disgust for having just eaten a whole cheesecake.  It’s sometimes just better to pass the indulgence.
• Reduce intake of beer. I need to mention this, although I am the most guilty of doing this out of anyone I know. I drink a beer every day at 5:30pm happy hour New Castle at Spin while playing table tennis. It’s delicious and I can’t stop. At least I’m working off the beer as I play.

Of course, none of you will eat less as a result of reading this post, but I hope you’re aware of these simple tasks to lose or just maintain your weight. As my metabolism slows, I can’t just eat a bunch of junk hoping my body will figure it out and still stay in decent shape.  Sooner or later, it’ll become a few shapes and then just blob into a beer belly. Oh dear…

~See Lemons Love to Eat