Experimental

Let's try a little experiment, shall we? I've actually been testing it on and off for a couple of weeks but I think I need a broader group from which to gather data.

I can't even type that tiny bit of scientific language with a straight face. I am so not that. However, I have been trying this thing to do with food and appetite and approach and brain and you know, stuff and I want someone else to try it and tell me how it feels for them. You game?

I want you to choose a meal or snack and, in essence, put your empty fork down between bites. Now, for me I've been using a bag of Oreo Thin Crisps (2 points!) and I often try the experiment when I'm walking or on the bus. So my challenge is to take a crisp out the bag, put it in my mouth and do nothing food related until that crisp is swallowed and perhaps even the stubborn bits sucked from between my teeth. I can't put my hand in the bag to choose a new crisp, I can't jiggle the bag to settle them and eyeball a new crisp, I can't shove one into my maw right after the other, I just have to wait. And chew. Chewing is good. Please don't anybody choke while working the experiment.

This is harder than it appears. When I tried it with actual meal food I found that I have a habit of prepping the next bite on my fork while I chew and it's a really hard habit to break. It's like lighting a new cigarette with the butt of the old, all in the name of continuity. I apparently like to steamroll right on the end of my meal. Not sure where the habit came from, could be short school lunches or living with ravenous boys after college or just being a Capricorn who likes to check things off her to do list.

I can recommend a distraction while you try this but I'm willing to bet that reading blogs or watching TV will be too much of a distraction and make it easy to cheat. I haven't tried it with other people around so you may want to do a test drive while you're alone before you add the pressure of other people watching you and other people's habits and eating speeds. You might, however, be a terribly advanced student so you go ahead and do whatever feels comfortable to you.

Then please come on back and tell me how it goes, though, will you? I need to know if I'm the only one who's been chain smoking m&ms all her life!