In Praise of Slowness
May 30 2012
Did you know that you are three times as likely to be overweight if you eat too fast? Eating in a hurry has been proven to lead to all kinds of health issues as well as weight gain. Conversely, the slower you eat the fewer calories you ingest.
Eating quickly is a tough habit to break. I know because for years I was a speed eater. Working in restaurants you regularly scarf down as much as quickly as you can because you’re never sure when you’ll get a break to eat again. And, as a kid, I couldn’t wait to get outside to play so eating fast was a bad habit I grew up with.
There are steps you can take to slow down your eating habits and by extension prevent unwanted weight gain:
• Don’t wait too long between meals/snacks Try not to go more than 3 to 4 hours without eating something. Try snacks such as yogurt or fruit between main meals.
• Drink more water Have a glass of water before and during each meal; this will help you fill up your belly. Also, having a sip of water between bites will help you slow down your eating habits.
• Cut your food into smaller bites and chew chew chew Smaller pieces of food chewed thoroughly will again help with slowing down. One study showed weight loss success by chewing 20 to 30 times before the next bite. Also, chewing food thoroughly leads to better digestion as well.
• Know when to stop This is the hardest part, especially when what you’re eating is really yummy. The trick is to stop eating before you fell full. This will take some practice but learning when to stop eating is the most important thing when it comes to weight loss.
• Portion control We preach about this one a lot at MealEasy because we believe it is one of the most important and easiest ways to not overeat and therefore lose weight. Stick to your portion size.
