It's a fork not a shovel!

Amf5627622

Since I been on this journey I have been paying more attention to not only what I eat but how I eat. One thing I noticed is that I eat way too fast. I find myself at my desk mindlessly shoveling my lunch into my mouth. I need to slow down, chew slowly and completely (some bites I'm not even sure I've chewed!) and remember it's a fork not a shovel! Anyone who is/was a fast eater have any great tips for slowing down?

ajbeans

My biggest tip is to not eat while you're doing something else. Don't eat in front of the tv, or while doing work on the computer, or while reading a book. Just eat when you're eating. Maybe talk with a friend if there's someone there, but otherwise, nothing. It helps you focus on how fast you're eating, how the food tastes, and when you're actually full.

summersk

Don't eat alone or in front of anything that will take your mind off of the food you are eating. I have found that I slow down and eat less when I am eating with someone else and can talk to them; another trick I have been told to do is to put your fork down between bites, this way you do not feel as though you need to keep shoveling the food in.

Hope this helps.

LethaSue

LOL I don't have any tips, just had to say I like that phrase ( It's a fork, not a shovel) never heard that before.

aliciagetshealthy

Braces! Totally killed my ability to eat fast...haven't had them for almost 30 years yet I'm still a ridiculously slow eater!

Savemyshannon

This is my BIGGEST problem! I inhale my food without even thinking about it.

I've tried to start counting my bites while I eat, generally trying to make it up to 20 bites before swallowing and then allowing some "down time" before I shovel the next bite in.

sahmed15

Oh yeah, I used to be the same way! In order to slow myself down, I forced myself to take working lunches. That way I have to stop eating to type/work. Now it's become a routine so I take a bite, do some work, take another bite, etc. and I'm able to stretch my eating out over a full 30 minutes instead of 5. Also, since it's a working lunch, I have more time for walk afterwards!

moriaht

I was shoveling food into my mouth with a fork while reading this! Going to treat it like a fork from now on, not a shovel

sahmed15

Lol I guess I'm the only one who recommends doing something else while eating!

scottberrydsm

Best advice I ever got (and didn't use!) was to always chew every bite of food 25 times. I DID try it for a while, and frankly your jaw gets so tired and you get so bored that its pretty hard to overeat

ElizabethRoad

I just decide how much I'm going to eat before I start. It doesn't matter how fast I eat it.

em9371

Lol I guess I'm the only one who recommends doing something else while eating!

no i do this too, it used to bug the hell out of everyone in the office! if I eat while doing nothing else i eat way too fast, if i eat while working often my food will nearly be cold before i get round to finishing it.

blueyegrl

Best advice I ever got (and didn't use!) was to always chew every bite of food 25 times. I DID try it for a while, and frankly your jaw gets so tired and you get so bored that its pretty hard to overeat

I just imagined doing this with my oatmeal and can't imagine it working, would be liquid I think! :laugh: But I think I might give this a go with my more solid foods!

hhorncastle

I read on here recently the suggestion that you take a sip of water between every bit. So, putting down your shovel <grin> and taking a sip will slow you down. I eat pretty slowly anyway, but it might be worth trying.

sburde2

I do this at lunch all the time b/c I'm sooo hungry by the time noon rolls around so I eat in less than 5 minutes. Had soup today which helped b/c it was so hot I had to eat it slowly.

Grokette

I read on here recently the suggestion that you take a sip of water between every bit. So, putting down your shovel <grin> and taking a sip will slow you down. I eat pretty slowly anyway, but it might be worth trying.

I have been told by numerous Doctors that we should not drink while we eat.

When eating fruits and vegetables you should not have beverage for at least 30 minutes before or after eating because you are diluting the stomach acids and messing with the Ph level in the stomach.

With fats and proteins, no beverages for at least an hour before or after eating for the same reason.

I started doing this and it has changed the way my body digests foods.

Maryfullofgrace

I keep each bite, chewing or whatever, savoring... in my mouth until I TASTE it.... Before, I would finish a plate and not really have even TASTED the food.

jgic2009

Lol I guess I'm the only one who recommends doing something else while eating!

no i do this too, it used to bug the hell out of everyone in the office! if I eat while doing nothing else i eat way too fast, if i eat while working often my food will nearly be cold before i get round to finishing it.

I also eat much more slowly when I work while eating.

However, this only works because my hands are busy typing or whatnot -- it doesn't work if I'm doing something passive (like watching TV).

jsteffen80

I believe eating quickly is one of the biggest continuing problems in my struggle with weight.

When I eat fast I can destroy mountains of food in minutes and not really feel it until I stop (at which point I'm miserable). When I eat at a more moderate pace I can feel myself fill up, and generally leave the meal more satisfied while having eaten much less.

I have found that starting a meal with a healthy portion of carrots and/or celery sticks reduces the urgency of the meal if I'm feeling very hungry, and ultimately slows me down a bit on the main course.

Amf5627622

Lots of great suggestions - thanks all!

jecka31

I was (and sometimes still am) a fast eater. I read somewhere once to put your fork down in between bites. Take a bite, fork down, chew, swallow, pick fork up for next bite. This makes you focus on what you are eating. I've found this helps a lot! I eat much slower and actually know when to stop instead of shoveling food in my mouth until I'm full only to realize I'm too full and should have stopped eating about 30 bites ago.