Chewing more -- are you changing how fast you eat? Did it work?

HeidiCooksSupper

The mindfulness craze has me thinking about how I eat. I'm ready with a second bit on the fork before I've fully chewed and swallowed the first. I eat fast. I look down at the plate and wonder where the food went. So, I'm trying now to eat more mindfully. I'm trying to notice each forkful and fully chew and swallow before I take the next. Is anyone else having success with this? Does it help you satisfy your urge to eat with less food?

bellaesprita000

It was one of the first things I implemented as I started CICO. It doesn't necessarily satisfy my urge to eat but keeps me feeling full. Let's my mouth and stomach catch up with my brain. I find that I leave more food on the plate or the food goes cold before I'm done.

bpetrosky

It's a strategy based on the idea that if you slow down when you eat you enjoy the food more and your hunger cues catch up with your pace of eating.

This is still no substitute for portion control, if you're eating the same amount more slowly you're still eating more than you probably need to.

cwolfman13

Not really...but I'm not a speed eater by nature. I'm more or less a foodie and in general I tend to savor and enjoy my food.

When I think "mindfulness" I think more about things like, "am I really hungry or just bored?" I think about mindfulness in regards to food choices and portions and calorie awareness...that kind of thing.

Famof72015

My Gpa has done this for years. And he is stick thin. Chews each bite 30-40 times.

seska422

I was a fast eater and barely paid attention to the food compared to the attention that I pay now.

I don't chew that much more but I take smaller bites and stop any other activity I'm doing and pay attention to the food, pausing between bites (usually with a sip or three of water) rather than plowing through my meal without paying much attention to it. I usually drink 32 fl oz of water with meals now.

It takes me longer to eat while eating smaller portions of calorie-dense foods than I used to eat and I'm able to better appreciate the flavors and textures.

I like being more mindful with my eating. It especially helps with satiation. However, it's just a small part of my overall food plan and not an ultimate answer for me. "Full" was never an impediment to continuing to eat and it really isn't now either. I'm going to need to keep logging if I want to keep the weight off.

Meghanebk

I don't chew more, but I do put the fork down between bites. In general I try to pay attention to my food more - it does seem to help me adjust to smaller portion sizes.

seltzermint555

I eat faster than average and don't make a huge effort to slow down. I plan out exactly what I will eat, and eat that amount. While I don't necessarily weigh every bite I am good with measuring and eyeballing and I set myself up with only what I will eat. For example, I'd never eat out of a big bag of chips without putting my 10 chips into a bowl or whatever...stuff like that.

I find if I try to eat very slowly to match someone's pace, I just feel bored and want to stop eating all together and go on to the next activity. I'm very hyperactive and fast at everything (i.e., typing, talking, walking, writing). My husband's a fast eater too. When I eat with family it is hard for me not to jump up and start clearing and/or washing dishes, but of course I'd never do that because it would be rude!

As for losing interest in food... I guess in a lot of ways that COULD be a good thing if I just didn't eat much, haha, but I do want to be healthy and eat appropriately.

shaunshaikh

I eat way too fast. I don't think it's affecting my weight (since I plan and count/weigh everything), but acid reflux or indigestion.

Anna_137

If I'm eating something I view as a 'treat' rather than for nutrition, like a piece of chocolate, then I try to eat it slowly and savour it.

For most food I don't really think about it since I already have my portions measured out. Sometimes I need a meal that I can eat quickly and it's less important that I enjoy it.

kayeroze

I try to make my meals last 20 minutes or longer (even when I'm ravenous). I found that sipping water between each bite really helped with slowing down how fast I ate. I had an issue with overeating to the point of stuffing myself, and made the move to make it to point if fullness instead without being uncomfortable. Mindfulness is about enjoying your food, so slowing down how quickly I ate made a huge difference especially when you have smaller portion sizes (not a fan of volume eating).

Note: I slowed down how fast I eat about 4 years ago.

Lillymoo01

Everything is prelogged and weighed so I know that I have to eat what is on my plate or I am undereating. I know that if I am still a little hungry after a meal that it is ok because that hunger won't last for more than 10 minutes. I also like eating my food while it is still hot. For these reasons I don't slowdown and domindful eating. This may change however if/when I get to the point that I have been successfully in maintenance for awhile and want to scale back on logging and weighing.

counting_kilojoules

Eating slowly is supposed to help you realise when you've reached satiation. But at the same time, there was a diet craze in the early twentieth century that had people chewing each bite a lot and that didn't help people loose weight. So I really don't know. If it helps you do it I guess?

livingleanlivingclean

I eat more mindfully and find it helps a lot with satiaty and satisfaction.

The speed at which I eat is only one factor - I made a rule to not eat in the car, or when trying to do lots of other things. I used to eat small meals/snacks on the run a lot - my food would disappear really quickly and I was always hungry.

I now eat less meals, and make the meal the most important thing I'm doing at the time. This slows down how fast I eat because I take more time to enjoy the food and actually think about what I'm eating.

distinctlybeautiful

I took small bites and chewed for a long time when I was stuck in disordered eating. It's too obsessive for me.