Destroy That Steak: 4 Tips for Handling More Food

Akuma has been churning out some consistently excellent, not to mention well-worded (pecs being large and invariably in charge, anyone?) threads recently and that’s motivated me to contribute some tips I’ve picked up recently.

They actually come from research showing how to reduce the amount you eat and I’ve adapted them to exploit whatever psychological instincts cause people to eat more for the purpose of bulking. Yes, rather than recipes for a 2,000 calorie milkshake, they’re psychological tricks to help you handle more food.

Even Professor X mentioned having limits, so I would hope these could also help those who already eat so much that it takes them a while to move their steaks.

#1 - Use large crockery: Using large plates, bowls, spoons and forks etc has been shown to increase the amount people eat. You might find switching tricks your brain into thinking your pile of steak and cornbread looks smaller and thus easier to demolish.

#2- Use distractions: I liked this tip. Being distracted while eating makes eating a lot a lot easier. Imagine being given a jumbo sack of popcorn and then left alone for 2 hours at a bare table to eat it all. Then imagine watching an awesome film with the same bag. Which scenario would it be easier to eat more popcorn in?

So instead of stoicly drawing yourself up to the dining table at 6am and mad-dogging your (now XL) plate of eggs and grilled bear, watch something engaging on tv or listen your favourite songs. Anything that will distract you could well help you manage XXL portions, and if you’re the sort who blends tuna and flax oil, take your mind off what you’re eating!

#3 - Keep food in sight. Research shows food that’s visible and easy to reach gets eaten faster, so for example if you have a tupperware with a meal in it, instead of leaving it in your bag, keep it somewhere you can see it, which may make it easier to eat, especially if you normally wouldn’t have been hungry.

#4 - Use a mirror at the table: Researchers believe being able to see yourself while you eat makes you more aware of your body and your diet goals. If you’re trying to bulk, this could be a great motivational tool when you eat - you glance over from the latest episode of Magnum PI, see your reflection and imagine yourself 20, 30, 50lbs heavier, before steeling yourself and shovelling that last seemingly insurmountable helping of buffalo meat into your mouth.

I hope that everyone, from beginners to those on 5,000cals a day, could benefit from these little tricks.

My best tip is to learn how to cook AWESOME FOOD. It’s a hell of a lot easier to eat a plate full of barbecue chicken thighs then it is to eat two dry-ass chicken breasts that were cooked on a foreman grill. Not to mention it’s a hell of a lot cheaper. A family pack of thighs costs about 7.50 and will feed me for 5 meals, as opposed to 8-10 bucks per meal at KFC or something.

I don’t have time right now, but later I will post my recipe for THE MOST AWESOME STEAK EVER. Go ahead, doubt me… you’ll see.

i totally agree about the large plates deal

in the morning i used to be able to only eat 5 eggs because i putting them all in a small bowl. Transfering them to a big plate allowed me to eat 8 plus if i wanted, i seriously couldnt beleive it hahaha

[quote]JayPierce wrote:
My best tip is to learn how to cook AWESOME FOOD. It’s a hell of a lot easier to eat a plate full of barbecue chicken thighs then it is to eat two dry-ass chicken breasts that were cooked on a foreman grill. Not to mention it’s a hell of a lot cheaper. A family pack of thighs costs about 7.50 and will feed me for 5 meals, as opposed to 8-10 bucks per meal at KFC or something.

I don’t have time right now, but later I will post my recipe for THE MOST AWESOME STEAK EVER. Go ahead, doubt me… you’ll see.[/quote]

Bone-in chicken is a lot cheaper and more flavorful than boneless. I’ll probably have to go pick up some tonight, now. On the other hand, I don’t mind dry chicken either.

OT: Good tips. I try to do the opposite of 1-3 when on a diet, but I suppose #4 would work for either goal.

I have the benefit of working from home (except when I’m traveling to customer sites, etc).

Each meal of mine can take upwards of an hour to eat, especially later in the day or my last PM meal. I just can’t wolf down a pound of meat in 10 minutes at every sitting. However, I can work it for an hour or so. That’s been a saving grace for my meal consumption.

Ingredients:
Steaks. My favorite cut is New York Strip, 1 1/4"-1 1/2" thick
1 Bottle of Moore’s marinade (16oz.)
1 tsp. of your favorite hot sauce, I like Trappey’s for my steaks
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. Liquid Smoke (Hickory)
1 tsp. garlic salt
bag of Kingsford Hickory charcoal

Put the steaks in a ziplock bag. Add the spices to the Moore’s and shake (this step is best done the night before). Marinate for 2 hours.

When you’re just about ready to put the steaks on the grill, add about a dozen briquettes to the coals. The fresh stuff will smoke extra flavor into the steaks.

Now, being able to tell how done a steak is by poking it with your tongs is an essential man-skill. A rare steak will feel like it’s filled with liquid. Medium-rare will feel just a bit smushy. Medium-well feels like soft rubber (think thick rubber band), and well-done feels like the sole of a shoe.

Don’t bother putting steak sauce on the table.

I currently am best friends with the cooks at work. Hey pete we got a problem over here. What? to much prime rib…fix it. Done. <3. I think im finally finding a balance in that suck ass job.