Eat slowly, eat less. You’ve probably heard it before, but most people still eat too fast. Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your body to signal that it’s full. So when you eat too quickly, you end up eating more. A recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found eating slowly led to lower hunger ratings in both normal weight and overweight people. So if you have some weight to lose and feel you may be racing through your food, there is a way for you to train yourself to slow it down.
Eat regularly
When you’re starving, your eyes become bigger than your stomach, and you want to scarf down whatever food is placed in front of you, regardless of its flavor. Avoid this situation by scheduling meals within four hours of each other. This way, you won’t be ravenous when you sit down to eat and are more likely to focus on your food and savor the flavors.
Sit down
Eating on the go, standing at the counter, or on your couch is a surefire way to eat too quickly. Sitting down at the table allows you to focus on the meal in front of you and keep track of how much you have eaten. It’s harder to keep track of how much you have eating when you’re getting up constantly to go to the fridge or grazing all day.
Turn off the tube
The television is a distraction. One study found viewers ate almost double when watching an action flick than those watching a talk show. Why? The action flick was more distracting. Get rid of this distraction completely by turning off the TV while you eat. You will survive 30 minutes without background noise and feel better about your weight loss progress.
Put your utensil down between each bite
If you’re having trouble slowing down, one technique that may help is putting your utensil down between each bite. This allows you to focus on the flavor while chewing your food before taking another bite, giving your brain more time to signal that your body is full.
Eat on a smaller plate
We’ve all been raised to “clean our plates.” So it should come as no surprise that we tend to finish all food in front us, regardless of how big that plate is. Try this: next time you sit down for a meal, serve yourself on a smaller plate. You’ll get that same satisfaction of finishing your food, but in reality you’ll be eating less than you usually do
