I have a new toaster. In fact this is about my 5th toaster in as many years. My wife says I have a fetish around toasters, but the truth is they’ve all been too slow. This morning I stuck my English muffin into my new toaster and began to wait. My latest toaster has a digital count down timer, so now I can actually watch the seconds tick always as “the perfect” toast is being created just for me – At least, that’s what the box said. However, what the box didn’t say is that it would take too long! As the seconds ticked by, I realized something crucially important about me, food and time!
It’s all about instant gratification. The quicker food goes in my mouth, the better I like it! It’s not the toaster’s fault! It’s really about me hating to wait! In fact, our world has become all about speed and our intolerance of time. From the guy honking behind you when the light changes, to drive-through banking machines. The faster it happens, the better we like it. No wonder we have microwaves, fast food and meals in boxes!
Understanding how we think in terms of our impatient nature can lead to an entirely new approach that may significantly improve your weight loss/diet success. So here’s an action plan to help you:
- Make food hard to get
- Get rid of self serve cookie jars or other easy to eat foods
- Store snack foods in the most difficult to reach places you can
- Never snack in-front of your TV
- Reduce microwavable dinners
- Reduce prepared foods in your kitchen
- Do buy as much fresh food as possible
- Make better fast food choices – Starbucks protein plate is way better for you than any fast food hamburger joint
- Take time to prepare healthy food
- Sit down to eat – always!
- Chew slowly
- Get a clock and time how fast you eat – you’ll be surprised! (remember, it takes 20 mins for you stomach to signal your brain that you’re full.)
- Take a deep breath, relax … and wait for the toaster!