Slow Down While Eating

Do you remember your mom telling you to slow down at dinner or you'd give yourself a stomach ache? Once again, mom was right. Not only will you eat until you are sick, but research actually shows a link between fast eaters and risk of overweight and obesity.

How long does it take you to eat a meal? I think you'd be rather surprised, as many of my clients are, that if you timed yourself at meal times, you might be eating way too quickly.

Weight Loss Tip #22 - Eat Slowly

The Connection:​ If we allow ourselves to get too hungry between meals, we may have a tendancy to eat rather quickly. ​Many other factors may contribute to fast eating such as a busy workplace without a set lunch time or simply a habit that we have built over the years.

When we eat too quickly, our body is unable to get proper signals to and from the brain in time to tell you that you are full. This process to get a "full" signal back to the brain takes about 20 minutes. If we eat too quickly, we often times overeat and feel stuffed after our meal. ​Not only does eating slower help you to consume less calories, it also allows you time to be more mindful about your food and enjoy the dining experience.

Once you are aware of your hunger, eating more regularly and slowing down at meal times you will savor your bites and enjoy eating. Look back at my blog on mindful eating for more on this!

Tips for slowing down while eating:​ - Set the intention at the beginning of the meal - Use a timer or clock to learn how fast or slow you currently eat - Chew each mouthful 15-30 times (may vary based on the food) - Set down on your food or fork between each bite - Eat without distractions (turn off TV, computer, phone) - Take deep breaths between bites - Eat with your non-dominant hand ​

My challenge for you this week is to pay more attention to your hunger (see last week's blog post) and work on stretching out your meals to last about 30 minutes. ​ Take a short break from eating if needed to reassess your hunger during your meal and be more mindful.

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by thousands of different opinions about which diet is the best or the next magic weight loss product, please remember... Whatever you do to lose weight you must continue doing to keep the weight off.

There is no magic pill - simply take these small steps towards a healthier lifestyle and better habits and you'll find yourself feeling happy and healthier without an extreme diet or starvation. Reach out if you're struggling - I'd love to help!

​ I'm here for you and I believe in you!