Anyone else ever heard of this?

[jroche5998]

I was talking with an extended family member on the train today and we were discussing exercise and diet, and he mentioned something I had never heard before. I was wondering if anyone else had ever heard of it, because it makes sense to me.

Here it is: While trying to lose weight, one of the tricks to use is to eat with your non-dominant hand. For example, if you are right handed, eat with your left hand, and vice versa. What this does is force the actual feeding process further up into your conscious thought process and you tend to eat slower, and realize you are full sooner because you have to think more about the action itself.

It makes sense to me. How many of us have unconsciously munched on whatever without thinking about it at all and then realize the bowl/plate is empty.

Anyone else ever heard of this?

[spirittalker]

Never heard of it however it makes complete sense to me. Too bad I didn't hear about it 80 lbs ago :geek

[not2late]

Never heard of that one but there are many of tricks to use to control portion size. Visual tricks include, using a salad plate in place of a dinner plate will make your portions look "bigger" or using a dark table cloth makes your portions look bigger. Physical tricks include eating slowly (chewing your food completely) and putting your fork down between bites.

I also like to "work" for my food as a means to slow down my eating. For example, whenever I eat nuts plain, I try to get them in their shell. Cracking the nuts, adds an extra bit of work, that slows me down----easier and faster to overeat them if you can just shove a tablespoonful into your mouth at one time.

[borntolose]

I have done just that, now I am ambidextrous :icondance
BJ Webb

Not only can I eat with either hand; I can feed a baby, with the hand I am not using, at the same time.

[jroche5998]

I have done just that, now I am ambidextrous :icondance
BJ Webb

Not only can I eat with either hand; I can feed a baby, with the hand I am not using, at the same time.

I thought that it might only work for a while, because eventually you would become ambidextrous, at least to some degree. Did it work? At first at least?

[Buddrfly]

SOUNDS GOOD

I've never heard of it before, but it sounds like a plan to me. If you think about it if you switch up on anything you normally do a certain way and start doing it a different way--you stop yourself every now and then to think about what you are doing.

It sound to me like it makes you think about what you are putting in your mouth and how much.

[borntolose]

No, it never worked as far as eating. I do have 3 children and I do have lots of practice.
When I had to have surgery on my hands, two weeks apart, I found out that I do different things with my hands that don't depend on dominance. For some reason I wash my hair with my left hand and it is difficult to wash it with my right, dominate, hand. I brush my hair with my right hand. There are other little quirky things like how you reach for things. Pour liquids with your left and hold the glass with your right. Try it, wrap your dominate hand in an ace bandage and see what happens it could be interesting. I think we will always be in exploration of our selves we are unique beings.
:joy B

[Heather150]

It works because by the time the food actually hits your mouth, there's a whole lot less on the fork/spoon because of all the shaking and wobbling using the less dominant hand. :eating

Here's a new diet tip. Eat with your Feet. Hold the fork in between your toes. Don't tell me THIS won't work. ensive

hee hee.

In all seriousness...I'm ambidextrious as well. I have always eaten with my left hand (I'm right handed). Since childhood my parents thought I would be left handed, but I'm not. I don't even think about it unless someone points it out to me. I just think the thinking behind this scenario is the fact that you have to literally concentrate on using your less dominant hand, and so it takes you longer to actually eat, so therefore filling up before you're done-or eat with your right hand, but slow down so it takes you longer. No magic here I'm afraid.

[jroche5998]

In all seriousness...I'm ambidextrious as well. I have always eaten with my left hand (I'm right handed). Since childhood my parents thought I would be left handed, but I'm not. I don't even think about it unless someone points it out to me. I just think the thinking behind this scenario is the fact that you have to literally concentrate on using your less dominant hand, and so it takes you longer to actually eat, so therefore filling up before you're done-or eat with your right hand, but slow down so it takes you longer. No magic here I'm afraid.

I wasn't suggesting it was a magic bullet. And even though you are ambidextrous you say that you only eat with your left hand. Try eating with your right. I agree that the simple act of slowing down will help you eat less, and I think that is where this tip helps. The whole fact of having to think about what you are doing while eating makes it a primary action instead of a secondary (non-thinking) action.

[borntolose]

Or you could tie a bow on your hand to remind you to slow down. :joy
B

[DebbietheHugBug]

Many years ago I lost a lot of weight by using a saucer plate instead of a dinner plate. I would eat everything on it but never, ever go back for seconds. I also ate slowly and felt full faster. I ate everything I wanted but small portions.

Why don't I do that now? I don't have the willpower I had back then. I was also single so no one was trying to shove food in my face or serve me with a big plate.

I never thought of eating with my "off" hand. It kinda reminds me of eating with chop sticks. By the time you got it to your mouth, nothing would be on the utinsel LOL

[v-sly]

I once ate a piece of key lime pie without hands, feet or utensils. It was a dare and I was young and stupid (read: drunk). Anyway, I bent over the plate and scarfed it down with ease and wasn't embarrassed until the next day.

[spirittalker]

Heya v-sly, I noticed you were in Denver. Howdy from another Denverite! Ok actually Littleton, but you are only the second person I have seen on ha from Colorado. So I thought I would say hey.

[ttdriver]

Somehow I believe if you're bent on eating off plan or eating too much, you'll figure out a way .. regardless of whether you use your hands, feet, or just scarf it down off the plate.

Just my 2 cents.

Betty

[sadie147]

I actually do the small plate thing and have (at least at home) since i started this woe. I really do feel that puttng a meal on a smaller plate tricks your mind into thinking there is more...I have beautiful antique china plate that i use..i dunno why i think it makes me appreciate my meal more .

I'm curious now to try this, I thnk it would work for a while. I've also always thought that eatng with chopsticks would help too...since i wouldn't be able to shovel nearly as much into my mouth. :geek