Suggestions to help me eat slower

cherub159
cherub159 Posts: 7 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am a notoriously fast eater and always feel the need to finish my plate resulting in a while later me feeling very full and full of regret
I KNOW I don't have to finish my plate, but I just always do.
Does anybody have suggestions to encourage slower eating, to allow me to register when I am full which will hopefully convince me to not finish that plate!

Thanks in advance :)

Replies

  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    For slowing down, try putting down the knife and fork between bites... instead of having a forkful of food ready to go before you have even chewed the current mouthful. For the issue of finishing your plate...start putting less on the plate to begin with, then you can finish it without it being an issue. Also try using a slightly smaller plate. Studies show that if you start out with a smaller plate, you just naturally put less on the plate. (not too small though or the mind trick doesn't work)
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Put less on your plate. Use a smaller late. Stop in between bites and take a sip of water, make sure to have lower calorie things (like vegetables) on your plate.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    I am a notoriously fast eater and always feel the need to finish my plate resulting in a while later me feeling very full and full of regret
    I KNOW I don't have to finish my plate, but I just always do.
    Does anybody have suggestions to encourage slower eating, to allow me to register when I am full which will hopefully convince me to not finish that plate!

    Thanks in advance :)

    get smaller plates.

    not a joke.

    :)
  • daydream_believer
    daydream_believer Posts: 332
    bump. i have the same problem.. often burn my tongue trying to chow down my food while its hot!
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    smaller plates is definitely a key factor. If you put your food on a larger plate you will put more food on it.

    Or try to cut your food down to eat at smaller intervals 2 or 2.5 hours. Then you can think that you are going to eat soon after the last plate full?

    A lot of it is psychological with food.

    Drink half pint of water 1/2 hour before your planned meal, or go for a walk.
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I had to break the eating too fast habit in 2012... here are my new habits...

    First , try not to eat any bite bigger than 1/2 a teaspoon... if you need to put a spoon on your plate to measure at home, do it.
    Second, I put my fork or spoon down and counting my "chews" I can now chew about 10 times now before swallowing.
    Third, if you have any kind of finger food, cut it in quarters (I do this with my lettuce wraps, my husband with his sandwiches)
    Forth, things like sushi you use to it in one mouthful, cut it or bite it in half and chew!

    I started out being super careful only at meals at home, and it quickly spread to my business lunches and meals out.

    Some people drink water in between every bite, I haven't gotten there yet.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    I am a notoriously fast eater and always feel the need to finish my plate resulting in a while later me feeling very full and full of regret
    I KNOW I don't have to finish my plate, but I just always do.
    Does anybody have suggestions to encourage slower eating, to allow me to register when I am full which will hopefully convince me to not finish that plate!

    Thanks in advance :)

    Eat higher fat/lower carb.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    I am a notoriously fast eater and always feel the need to finish my plate resulting in a while later me feeling very full and full of regret
    I KNOW I don't have to finish my plate, but I just always do.
    Does anybody have suggestions to encourage slower eating, to allow me to register when I am full which will hopefully convince me to not finish that plate!

    Thanks in advance :)

    Eat higher fat/lower carb.

    ???? to eat slower??
  • treatmentplan2
    treatmentplan2 Posts: 1
    Hi, I was eating too fast too.... google mindful eating. It is a script for you to use when you eat. Mostly things like.. look at your plate... what color is your food, are the items chunky, soft? Put a little on your fork...raise to your nose and smell... what does it smell like...... put the food in your mouth don't chew for 3 seconds (which felt forever to me lol) how does it feel on your tongue... is it sweet tasting, chaulky, salty, hot etc.

    It took me a while and at first I thought this was nuts but now after one week I am starting to enjoy my food.

    Hope it helps.... another one to google is mindful eating chocolate
  • 2S_1R
    2S_1R Posts: 171
    Dinner time conversation with family. Really helps to make you eat slower.
  • jackoninny
    jackoninny Posts: 39 Member
    Hot Sauce
  • jestersand
    jestersand Posts: 61 Member
    I took etiquette classes that helped me in this department..weirdly enough. They teach us how to cut out food, not to speak when we chew, and to leave food on your plate for appearance purposes. If I am eating with company, I make conversation and speak while I eat so naturally I will eat slower. If I am by myself, I read as I eat, or if I know I am going to punch someone in the face because I'm that hungry, I prepare myself a larger portion of veggie salad which i devour. By the time I make it to my actual meal, I am fuller, so I don't eat as much of it. Next time you eat fast, think of how it makes you feel afterwards. Miserable right? Eat time you eat, think of that miserable feeling, and know that you will experience it yet again. What you want is to avoid that feeling. tell yourself that this is not exactly your last meal ever. You can set a little aside which you can eat two hours later. But actually, if you get into the habit of eating slow and enjoying each bite, you will find that after the 4th bite, you are simply putting stuff in your mouth to chew. The aroma will not be there, and you will find that it tastes either bitter and salty, or bland. Indulge in your senses and thoughts. it will help.
  • badbradley
    badbradley Posts: 38 Member
    Use chopsticks. Not kidding.

    Do not take another bite until you have fully chewed your existing bite and swallowed.

    Stop eating 1/2 way through your meal and wait for 5 minutes before resuming the chow down.

    I had the same problem and a combination of suggestions like this broke me of my speed eating habits.

    Good luck.
  • bluebear_74
    bluebear_74 Posts: 179
    I have the opposite problem! Often when I'm out with friends they're all done and I'm still eating (I think I pause a lot to listen when someone is speaking, and at home I get distracted by the TV).

    The only things I can think of is counting your chews, and maybe smaller cutlery so you can only pick up so much at a time.
  • aberc
    aberc Posts: 98
    Set a "goal time" when you want to finish your meal:
    Everytime I sit down to eat, I look at the clock tell myself "okay, finish eating when the clock reads...", usually I aim for twenty minutes.

    So if I sit down at 3:25, I make sure my meal lasts until 3:45
    I often end up not even finishing my meal or making it to the time because after about 15 minutes, I feel satisfied. So 20 minutes is usually perfect.
  • JeneticTraining
    JeneticTraining Posts: 663 Member
    Drink water before you eat and during. Put less on your plate and use a smaller plate. Space out your foods if you want hehe. It helps!
  • cherub159
    cherub159 Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks guys, these are great ideas - now just to implement them!
    I think portion size is my key issue because I generally eat very well, I just eat too much of it :)
  • TheAlly1
    TheAlly1 Posts: 2
    Add spice. If you are a bit of a wimp around hot foods like me, but still enjoy eating them. Adding a real kick of heat will slow down how fast you eat without adding calories.
  • halleymw
    halleymw Posts: 246 Member
    You could preorder a HapiFork.

    http://www.hapilabs.com/products-hapifork.asp

    Mike
  • phoenixgirl81
    phoenixgirl81 Posts: 309 Member
    I stop part way through and then enter everything into MFP on my phone app. I know it's anti-social, but my partner understands completely and encourages me to do it. It helps me take my mind off the food in front of me and gives me time to let the food go down before starting again.

    And definitely smaller plates.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    I do that too, what helps with slowing down and increasing the satisfaction I have
    is eating foods that take longer.
    peeling an orange/grape fruit some kind of citrus, eating one slice at a time
    eating whole carrots, not for everyone, but there's no prep and
    instead of eating the whole bag of baby carrots i know how many I've eaten
    unless I just ate them all day long for some reason,
    shelling nuts
    i do this with peanuts, pastachios are particularly delicious, almonds,
    you'll eat a lot less nuts if you have to use a nut cracker too
    works as a football or other sports snack too
    while they are eating some greasy food you are getting your protein and healthy fats
    and satisfied :)
    I second the spicy eats, if nothing else you'll be drinking water between bites
    if you eat spicy asian vegetable based recipe, then it will be healthy,
    spicy and you can eat it with chop sticks and no one will look at you weird
    if you're in public
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    What I did:
    Use a smaller plate
    Put food on your plate and put away the pots and pans - don't leave them sitting on the diner table.
    Use smaller fork, spoon and knife (this may seem weird but worked for me)
    Don't get distracted (no watching tv or reading)
    When you talk with someone, don't eat at the same time
    Drink 2 glasses of water right before diner
    Don't keep looking down at your plate, trust your instincts
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    http://podcasts.personallifemedia.com/podcasts/216-inside-out-weight-loss

    it was a few years ago, but this was free to listen to
    she has at least 1 session addressing this topic
  • tootoop224
    tootoop224 Posts: 281 Member
    If you log everything first, come up with the calorie and macro amounts you want, and only put that much on your plate, it really wouldn't matter how fast you eat it, as long as you stopped eating at that amount.

    As for your question, I read somewhere to use your fork in your non-dominant hand. Might want to try that. Also, agree with everyone re: smaller plate/putting less on it.
  • pterradactyl
    pterradactyl Posts: 35
    Count how much you chew each bite and try to focus on that each time, don't get a new bite until you're finished chewing and swallowing the first. Take a drink between every few bites. Also, if you are with other people, make it a point to say something every few bites to take a break.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    Make your food too spicy or not as delicious.

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