I just got back from my Healthy Lifestyles course. Right now we're on weight management. The obesity crisis in the United States is crazy. People are fat but malnourished at the same time. Part of the crisis is also that people are eating bigger portions of food than they need, and a lot of that eating is unconscious eating. With that said, we were discussing eating behaviors today. While the professor was discussing different behaviors one should start, I was laughing as I was wondering how some of them would pertain to someone whose foods are unconventional. She challenged the class to try to adopt the eating behaviors in its entirety for two days. I've accepted the challenge. I'm wondering if other Nigerians can too lol.

Disclaimer: You may laugh. You'll probably be like "wtf". Issokay. i did the same in class.

- Eat with a smaller plate. It's easy to eat a bigger portion with large dinner plates. Using a smaller plate like a sandwich or salad plate is a more realistic proportion.

- Load your eating utensil half-full before each bite (if you're using a fork, you should still see half of the prongs of the fork).

- Chew and swallow one small bite at a time.

- Put the eating utensil down until the bite is swallowed and gone.

- Drink 8 ounces (1 cup) of water before and after eating. This is to stimulate signals from your stomach to your brain. It takes between 10 and 15 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it is/you are full. Water is heavy, so when it hits your stomach, it allows your stomach to stretch. The stretching stimulates the signals and they make their way to your brain.

- Chew each bite 15-20 times.

- Do not put serving dishes on the dining table. Take food from the kitchen and take your plate to the table and eat it there.

- Eat one plate of food and wait 10-20 minutes before going for seconds. Afterwards, ask yourself, "Am I still hungry? Do I need more food?"

- Do not eat while reading or watching television. Reading and watching tv are distractions and can cause you to eat more food than you realize.

- Practice completely conscious eating!!!!! Enjoy the different tastes in your mouth.

I do some of these subconsciously. I always have water before and after meals. I use smaller plates sometimes too. That's about it lol. I was kind of laughing in class. How can I chew eba and ofe ogbono 15-20 times before swallowing? Isn't it called swallows for a reason? Anyway, I will be trying it. This isn't exactly a challenge for Nairalanders, but do feel free to try it for a meal and share your results lol.

You wan chew half a fork full of rice 20 times? Wetin go remain for ya mouth by that time? By the way, i read somewhere that the more delicious a meal, the less inclination to chew it. E.g if your rice sweet, you no go chew am for long. Anyway, i'm slim sef so i need more food

These work for me
1. Never go hungry or skip meals. When you do, your body reacts by trying to hold on to as much fat as possible. The next time you eat, the food the body doesn't need gets stored as fat in anticipation that you might skip another meal. Instead, eat about 6 small meals a day to keep your body metabolism revved up without feeling hungry.
2. No heavy meals after 8pm. This one is hard to do. If you have to snack before going to bed, something light like yogurt would work. You want whatever you eat for dinner to be mostly digested by the time you go to sleep.
3. Avoid fast food like the plague. They are greasier than you think. You never know what kind of oils are being used, or how often they have bee re-used.
4. Drink water regularly. This greatly reduces the urge to drink soda and other sweet drinks, and keeps you semi-full.

sexkillz: Pls come again. . . Especially for the garri, akpu and amala loving people like us.

them say make you begin de take half mould of ya akpu,chew am like 20 times then make you swallow am. No put meat for ya soup o!

sexkillz: Bros, is that possible?

lol. Ask the OP na. Although she put caveat for her list sha. . .but seriously i think its for fat or obese people. Me need more food sef.

sexkillz: In fact, i am taking the opposite of this advice!

why will i chew for so long?

i wonder ooooo. abi na ya gum you de use chew? thing is, there are some fat people who are just naturally like that. they will never slim down. so please we should be careful how we dish out eating advice o.

I might start to follow Ogugua's advice. I'm like 195 lbs and 6th 1/4 inches. I will eat fast-food only twice in 2 weeks and walk for 2.5 miles afterwards.

Don't eat fast food, use a small plate, eat when hungry, stop when full.