The Way I See It: Big Fork=Small Waistline?

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I read an article yesterday that said new research found that people ate less when they used bigger utensils. I've got to tell you... I'm really getting frustrated with all these new studies. Why can't we just figure out how to eat appropriately without all the gimmicks?

I am the first to admit that my body is not in shape the way it should be. I spent a year doing everything "right," studying all the different nutrition websites I could, and learning as much as possible about diet and exercise. I did lose weight for awhile, but as soon as I was put on a medication that didn't allow me to have the dedication I did originally, the weight came back. Quickly.

There has got to be more to losing weight and maintaining health than simply tricking ourselves to eat differently. I'm not 100% convinced anymore that I have to shun sugar and foods that I love. I'm not interested in playing games with my eating habits, such as using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. The reason? I've found that if I'm not satisfied, I WILL go back to the kitchen looking to fill that void. Call it will-power, call it devotion... whatever you call it, trying to deprive myself just doesn't work. I would guess that's true for about 99% of us.

Looking back at old pictures of myself when I was a teenager, I was a cutie. No doubt about it, I had little fat, beautiful muscles, and I spent my days bouncing around from one place to another. I also ate terribly! I can remember one day when my mom told me I couldn't have any more steak because I had eaten about half of what she had cooked for the entire family of four. My favorite dish most days was potatoes- any way they were cooked worked for me. I ate candy and cookies. Oh, I also skipped breakfast. Regularly. My mom used to get so angry. Some days I would skip breakfast, eat French Fries for lunch at school, then eat my regular dinner. I ate what sounded good, and I ate when I was hungry.

So why doesn't that work now? There are two reasons: First, I developed a thyroid condition at age 22. Although it is not impossible to lose weight (or to maintain a healthy weight), it is definitely more difficult than before. The second reason is that I became an adult. I know... sounds silly, right? Hear me out for a moment. As a teenager I walked EVERYWHERE. And by everywhere, I do mean everywhere. Before the days of my friends getting cars, if we wanted to go somewhere, we were hoofing it. Our parents all made it clear that they were not going to drive us around all weekend long. Sure, they took us to the occasional skating rink or movie theater, but for the most part we were on our own. I don't think I stopped moving from after school on Friday until Sunday night when it was time to settle down and get ready for school the next day. During the summer we were constantly swimming or doing something active. Our days started early and ended late so we could take advantage of the cooler temperatures.

I have come to the conclusion that weight loss has little to do with what kinds of foods I eat. I think even before our radical change in diet, we ate pretty well. We have always had fresh fruits and vegetables in the house. Now we just eat more of them and have focused on being sure to get some in with every meal. We always had a balance of protein, carbs, and good fats. The only difference was that I didn't know the science behind it. I just cooked dinner like I was taught to do based on what I ate as a child. It seemed to work. I really believe that we (Americans in general) just don't realize how MUCH we are eating. Every holiday or social event focuses around food. Every celebration or grief also has food at its center. We don't know how to enjoy each other without bringing out the party trays and pot lucks.

Do I believe eating with a larger fork is going to do anything at all for losing weight? Clearly I do not. The article even mentioned that they found this study to be true only while dining in a restaurant. Let's face it: Most of us eat out in a place where forks are required infrequently at best. I'm not sure why this wouldn't also be true at home if it actually works to make one feel satisfied. Yep, this is just another study that was a huge waste of money. Let's start eating when we are hungry, eat a well balanced meal, and enjoying some physical activity. If we quit trying to find the easy way out that might be a good start.

I'm linking this post up to Pour Your Heart Out. Welcome blog hop readers! I hope you enjoyed this post and will stay to read more.