Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink

Back in September I saw three very favorable reviews for Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More than We Think and put in a library request for the book.

Eventually I ordered the book (through the A2K Amazon link); read the book and passed it on along the family grapevine.

http://snipurl.com/15ytj

Wansink guestimates (but he's a scientific type and his guess is probably accurate) that the average person makes about 200 decisions a day about food and eating--and a majority of these decisions are made without much conscious thought.

Armed with this excerpt from the reviews, I started noticing just how often I crammed food into my mouth without thought and continued to eat after I was full.

This morning I filled Mr. Noddy's pre-measured serving of Corn Curls. Four corn curls wouldn't fit in the container. I could have eaten them, but instead I put them back in the Corn Curn bag and closed the bag.

Four corn curls--perhaps 20 calories.

Then I thawed a bowl of homemade clam chowder for breakfast. I remember that I'd frozen the servings measured for Mr. Noddy's build. He's eight inches taller than I am and 100 pounds heavier. I removed about 50 calories worth of clam chowder from the bowl.

I poured myself a glass of blueberry juice--which I adore but find cloying if I have too much. Instead of filling the 6 ounce glass, I poured only four ounces--saving about 30 calories.

Wansink makes the point that eating just 100-200 extra calories every day will result in an extra pound at the end of the month. Conversely, eliminating 100-200 extra calories from each days intake will result in the loss of a pound at the end of the month.

Most of us gain extra weight slowly, slowly, slowly but we gain.

You don't notice 100-200 calories--until your waistband starts getting snug--and frequently those extra calories aren't particularly enjoyable. I've been known to eat every morsel on my plate, whether I'm full or not, because I'm not paying attention to whether or not I'm enjoying my food.

Resolution for 2007: I'm no longer a member of the Clean Plate Club.

I've been known to bite into a pretzel, discover it is stale, finish it anyway and then pick up a second pretzel, just because the pretzels are there.

No more sitting next to the pretzels, stale or fresh.

Whole grain bread comes in enormous slices--almost half again as big as the customary Wonderbread acreage. I've started eating half sandwiches--less bread, less spread on the bread, less filling between the half-slices.

My Bone Man sentenced me to eight weeks of Physical Therapy which jumpstarted my metabolism. I'm continuing with a Wellness Membership to the Rehab Center.

I'm losing weight relatively painlessly just by paying attention to what I stuff in my mouth.

Control Freaks of the world, take heed.