[Charlotte Groth]

Eating slowly.............generations have been told to eat slowly. I think all our grandmothers reminded us of that constantly. In our house - we ate slow. I think it was because our table was always the family "meeting place".

I've been focusing on this the last few days: choose healthy foods (which has pretty much always been my habit), and eat slower. Four pounds have disappeared since I originally responded to this thread.

I had an odd experience regarding this. We went to lunch with my in-laws last Sunday--to a Chinese place. They ordered these fried eggrolls that really did look good. I took one bite; ate it slowly; swallowed--and immediately got a flash stomach ache! The idea of taking another bite..was abhorant. My system practically screamed--even though it tasted good--don't eat that!

It occured to me that..in slowing down--even a little--you're not as likely to go ahead and swallow something that isn't pleasant. Several small bites instead of a couple of big ones--feels like..you're left with a mountain of the stuff.

I don't put my fork down, like my grandmother did, but--I'm finding that eating quickly is the same as eating slowly in the sense that--they're both almost unconscious habits--and both are learned. In other words, you can reverse it--without too much effort.

The big surprise is..I feel SO much better.