How fast do you eat?

How fast do you eat?

More people than not tend to eat very fast.  I typically finished eating my meal within 5 minutes.   I don’t even think about it most of the time but it seems I subconsciously want that next bite before I am done chewing what I have in my mouth.  Throughout the years I continued to eat faster and faster, partly because of the culture, partly because of the hectic schedule, and partly because my friends are eating fast too!

I have read several articles advising people to slow down their eating because when you eat slower, you feel full sooner and end up eating less.  Some studies say that our brains take about 20 minutes to receive the signal that we have had enough to eat.  Also, it never hurts to give your body a break by chewing your food completely before sending it down to the stomach.

Several ways to get yourself to eat slower:

• Put knife and fork down between each bite and not picking them up again to cut your next bit of food until you have completely finished eating your previous mouthful.
• If you like to “wash down” your food with water during meal, then consider not drinking during your meal.  By doing this, you will pace each bite, chew, and swallow each bite.
• Some advise people to try eating with non-dominate hand.  In other words, if you are right handed, then, you can try eating with only your left hand.

I do not plan to consciously pause or put down my fork and spoon between bites, but I will try to eat at a pace which allows me enjoy my food.  Nowadays, my eating time is be more than 5 minutes, but definitely will not be 20 minutes.  It is more important to choose foods that are low in calorie density and with nutritional value than focusing purely on the eating rate.  What is the point to eat slower when I am eating the oily French fries and burger in the fast food restaurant?

How about you, have you tried to eat slower and have great success in weight control? Whatever trick works for, use it to your advantage no matter what people say!