一次就咬一口　One Bite at a Time

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly

stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

～Luciano Pavarotti

For the past several years, with varying degrees of success, I've begun each January with the same two resolutions：lose weight and slow down my hectic pace of life.

Little did I know that the ability to achieve both resolutions would be connected to ten almonds.

After many attempts to lose weight, and with a history of yo-yo weight loss, I finally succeeded in moving the numbers on my bathroom scale down from the plateau that had plagued me. The magic solution wasn't so magical after all-a common-sense approach to eating sensibly and exercising regularly.

A loss of twenty-five pounds gave me reason to celebrate, at least until I hit the next plateau. This one lasted several months.Since I'm not, by nature, a patient person, the frustration from my most recent lack of progress carried over into other areas of my life.

Maybe I was missing something. I returned to the diet books.My newest diet plan included a mid-afternoon snack consisting of only ten almonds.It looked reasonable on the page……until my hunger pangs began to growl.Later that day, I didn't need a clock to tell me that it was time for the permitted afternoon munchies.I removed ten almonds from the jar and held them in the palm of my hand.The snack suddenly seemed paltry at best.

I popped several almonds into my mouth. They tasted good-I think！I was so hungry that I practically inhaled them.The first three nuts didn't make a dent in my appetite, so I gobbled the next four and then finished off what remained.

And then there were none.

It didn't take me long to retrieve the jar of almonds from the pantry. Ten nuts might be an adequate snack for a squirrel, but not for me！I devoured another handful before reluctantly placing the jar back on the shelf.

The next afternoon, I reached for my mid-afternoon snack once again. I dutifully counted out ten almonds.I lined them up on the counter and eyed them skeptically.Ten little soldiers all in a row.

Once more I popped a few into my mouth, repeating the action until I eliminated the line of almond soldiers.

I resisted the urge to reach for reinforcements. This was ridiculous.If the diet plan restricted my snack to ten almonds, then I should be able to accept the limitations.

The third afternoon, I counted out ten almonds, determined to make this work. This time I would do it right.I picked up the first almond and bit into it, slowly chewing and enjoying the flavor and texture.Then I picked up the next one.Once again I chewed slowly, savoring the light, nutty flavor.By the tenth almond, I realized that this was the first time I had slowed down long enough to truly enjoy what I had eaten.More importantly, it was enough.

As I changed the way I snacked, I realized that my eating habits had sabotaged my dieting efforts. With apologies to a particular brand of potato chips, not only could I not eat just one……I could not eat just one at a time.I would pop two or three chips into my mouth, justifying my behavior.After all, they weren't whole chips；they were broken pieces.

I soon became aware that these poor eating habits went beyond snacking. Even when I enjoyed eating sit-down meals with others, invariably I was the first one finished, having gobbled down my food and dutifully cleaned my plate.

I had to re-learn how to eat, to actually experience the taste of what I ate, instead of thoughtlessly shoveling food into my mouth. I began to eat my meals more slowly, making a conscious effort to enjoy the various colors, textures and favors of each morsel：soft or crispy, tender or chewy, sweet or sour, salty or spicy.Eating more slowly enabled me to fill up more quickly, which meant I ate less but enjoyed it more.I learned to truly appreciate what I ate-one raisin at a time, one peanut at a time, one chip at a time.One bite at a time.

I soon discovered a surprising benefit, having nothing to do with dieting, but having everything to do with life.

For years I had complained about my hectic life. I spent most of my days running from one errand to the next, from one meeting to the next, and from one commitment to the next.And I prided myself on my ability to multi-task.Taking a telephone call while tracking my e-mail.Reading the newspaper while eating breakfast.Doing a load of laundry while cooking dinner.Balancing the checkbook while watching television.

I had forgotten what it felt like to do one thing at a time and do it well. Instead, I had resigned myself to doing several things simultaneously with mediocrity.

Those ten almonds taught me a better way. To truly savor each moment, I needed to concentrate on the task at hand, not the one coming later or tomorrow or next week.

The year is half over, and I've broken through my weight-loss plateau. The pounds are coming off again, slowly, but surely.

And I'm learning to live life……one precious bite at a time.

～Ava Pennington

生活最美好的一点就是，我们必须经常放下手边的事情，然后专心品尝美食。

——卢西亚诺·帕瓦罗蒂

过去几年里，我取得了一定成功，而每年一月我都会立下这两个决心：减肥和放慢生活节奏。

我没有想到，最后实现这两个决心竟然和十粒杏仁有关。

经历多次减肥未果、体重忽上忽下之后，我终于打破了减肥瓶颈期。浴室里的磅秤不再是困扰我的噩梦。其实，最后的解决方法并没有那么神奇，方法再普通不过了：合理饮食，坚持锻炼。

我减掉22磅，觉得至少在遇到下一个瓶颈前可以好好庆祝一下。这一次的减肥成果持续了好几个月。我天生没有耐心，所以，最近减肥进展缓慢也让我对生活其他方面心灰意懒。

我的节食计划是不是漏了什么呀？我又拿出了减肥食谱。我最新的节食计划规定，要在下午三点左右吃十粒杏仁当做点心。书上写得挺有道理……但是，我饿得咕咕叫的肚子可不讲理。那天下午，不用看表我也知道，是时候满足吃零食的欲望了。我从罐子里掏出十粒杏仁，放在手心。这么点吃的瞬间变成杯水车薪，如此微不足道。

我把几粒杏仁塞进嘴里，嚼得嘎嘣作响。味道真好！我太饿了，几乎是囫囵吞枣般地咽了下去。前三粒杏仁连塞牙缝都不够，于是我又狼吞虎咽地消灭了四粒，接着把剩下的一扫而光。

没得可吃了。

很快，我又从食品储藏柜里拿出了罐子。十粒杏仁给松鼠当点心还差不多，对我可不够！我又吞下了一把杏仁，才恋恋不舍地把罐子放回去。

第二天下午，我又等来了午后点心时刻。我老老实实地数出十粒杏仁，把它们在柜子上放成一排，疑惑地盯着看。它们就像站成一排的小士兵。

这一次，我又把几粒杏仁塞进嘴里。我吃了几口，把所有“杏仁士兵”消灭得一干二净。

我努力克制自己，不让其他“杏仁士兵”前来增援。太荒谬了。如果节食计划只让我吃十粒杏仁，那我就应该恪守这个规定。

第三天下午，我又数出十粒杏仁，下定决心这次一定要成功，不能再出什么乱子了。我拿起第一粒杏仁，咬了一口，慢慢地咀嚼，享受杏仁的味道和口感。然后，我又拿起第二粒，还是慢慢地品尝，享受淡淡的果仁味。吃到第十粒时，我才发现，这是我第一次放慢速度，好好品尝嘴中的食物。更重要的是，吃完这些，我就不想再吃了。

改变了吃零食的方法后我才明白，是自己的饮食习惯破坏了减肥成效。对某个牌子的薯片广告真要说声抱歉了19，借用一下你们的广告，我不仅吃一块就停不下来……而且就连一口只吃一块也做不到。因此，我也任由自己把两三片薯片一起扔进嘴里。毕竟在我眼里，这些薯片都不是完整的一大块，而是小碎渣。

我很快反应过来，自己饮食方面的糟糕习惯不仅限于吃零食。即使我坐在桌边和别人一起吃正餐，也总是第一个吃完的，而且每次都是狼吞虎咽，把盘子舔得干干净净。

我必须重新学习如何进食，学习如何细细品尝，而不能乱吃一通。我开始放慢吃饭的速度，有意识地享受每一口食物的色香味：软的还是脆的，嫩的还是有嚼头的，甜的还是酸的，咸的还是辣的。慢慢进食也让我更快就能吃饱，所以我吃得虽少，享受到的滋味却有增无减。我学会如何真正品尝食物，一口一粒葡萄干，一口一粒花生，一口一片薯片。一次就咬一口。

我很快有了意外的收获，这收获跟节食无关，而是来自生活的方方面面。

这么多年来，我总是抱怨生活节奏太快。大部分时间都疲于奔命，会议不断，忙完了这个忙那个。我也总自豪地认为，自己能一心多用：可以一边打电话，一边查邮件；可以一边看报纸，一边吃饭；可以一边洗一堆衣服，一边烧饭；一边算账，一边看电视。

我已经忘记全神贯注做好一件事是什么感觉了。我甘于分散精力，同时做好几件事，结果什么事都做得稀松平常。

那十粒杏仁教会了我更好的方法。要想认真品尝每一分每一秒，我必须一心一意做好手头的工作，而不是想着干完之后、明天或者下周的事情。

今年已经过去一半，我终于突破了减肥的瓶颈。体重又开始下降，虽然缓慢，但很稳定。

我也学会了如何生活……一次就咬宝贵的一口。

——艾娃·潘宁顿