I'm always interested in finding new, simple ways to help me use my lap band tool.  My doctor reached out to me and asked me to try an experiment:  "Don't eat with your hands."  Think about what that really means; it sounds simple, but it's really hard.  At first I decided that I didn't want to try it, after all I'm maintaining my weight and I still eat with my hands sometimes.

Then one night I got a text message from Dr. Billy, my bariatric surgeon, with a picture attached.  It was a French fry on a plate with a knife and fork with a caption that said "eating a French fry with a knife a fork." Now we shouldn't be eating fries, and eating a fry with a knife and fork is ridiculous, so that's the point, isn't it!  OK, this was now a challenge, if my doctor was willing to try this himself by eating a French fry with a knife and fork, then I would too, but I'd skip the fries!

So I tried not eating with my hands for a week, and I have to say it's was an interesting lesson.  Not eating with my hands forced me to be very mindful of all bites large and small that I might otherwise pop into my mouth.  By not eating with my hands, I'd pretty much eliminated anything that comes out of a bag, crackers, cheese slices, nuts, and other finger foods.  It also stops me from taking tastes of what my husband or kids are eating - aka mindless empty calories.  I was a little worried about a cross-country flight I'd be taking 2 days into my new challenge.  Here's how I handled that trip.  I brought sliced pork tenderloin, and cooked broccoli, strawberries, along with paper plates, and a plastic knife and fork.  It was an evening flight; I was flying during dinnertime.  At 30, 000 feet, I took out my dinner, put it on the plate, and ate with a knife and fork.  I didn't buy any nuts, or protein bars, or anything else from the news-stand at the airport because those are things I eat with my hands...and I enjoyed my dinner and was proud of myself for the choices I made.

Not eating with my hands definitely helps me make better choices, and eliminate mindless eating; it made me realize that I was doing more mindless eating than I realized.  Now I have to stop and think, do I really want those walnuts, if I really, really want them, I can eat some with a spoon.  Just how many do you think I'd eat with a spoon - not too many before I say OMG, this is ridiculous, time to leave the table!  Then there was the pickle.  I like pickles, I always have, and I'm not willing to give them up, so I found myself eating that pickle with a knife and fork.  This is really an interesting experiment for me.  It works a little like journaling, forcing me to slow down and think about what I am eating, before anything makes it into my mouth.  So, just like journaling, I'm adding this tip to my toolbox for those times when I need to get back to basics and focus on avoiding grazing or mindless eating.

Regardless of where you are in your own journey, consider practicing eating mindfully and "Don't Eat With Your Hands" for a week.  This can also be an interesting experiment for anyone on your team - friends, family, support group members, whether or not they have a lap band.  Let others in our Banded Living community know how it works out for you by posting on our message boards.  Tell us:  How are you doing with this challenge?  What did you learn?  What foods did you miss?  Do you have any other tips to avoid mindless eating that you'd like to share?