easting s l o w l y

FitMolly182
FitMolly182 Posts: 303 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
They always say you should eat slowly. Taking 20 minutes for each meal, even if it's just a sandwich. I always tell myself how I don't have time for this. One of the many books that I have read even said that an Andes mint should take 6 bites. 6? Two, max.

Figuring this is something that I could work on I decided to start with just breakfast. I could time myself eating my breakfast every morning, and try to take my time each morning making the time longer and longer.

Today was day one and about 3 minutes in I was already getting impatient lol. I just do not like to sit still. Taking my time to eat just feels like a waste of time. There are so many more things I could be doing! I get antsy and stop paying attention to my food and think about everything else going on in my life, which defeats the purpose anyway, so slow eating is just not for me! Anybody else have that problem?

Replies

  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Six bites for an andes mint? Not freakin likely!

    I tend to be a shoveler and while I've improved a bit with some practice, I still eat way faster than other people I know. My whole family eats fast so I've been doing it my whole life which makes it a hard habit to break. I try to make sure I take a drink between bites so that slows me down a bit and also helps me to feel full faster. Not sure I'll ever be a slow eater but I'll keep trying.
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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I eat fast too, but I prepare the correct amount of food and only eat that, and trust that satiety will occur in 20-30 minutes. It always does, every time, even when I feel more hungry right after I've eaten!
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    It depends on how hungry I am. If I'm really hungry I eat faster than normal but typically I just eat at a steady pace. I tend to do things in between bites e.g., check/respond to emails, sip some water, etc. I don't think it matters to weight loss. The problem that occurs with me is if I eat too fast I get too full too fast... then I can't finish my appropriate portion... which results in not enough calories.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    It's the same calories, whether you eat them in 5 minutes or 30, standing or sitting, blah blah doesn't matter.

    As long as you're not noticing any burning or tightening pain in your chest, you're probably fine. Some people who eat too fast get reflux, which can be damaging over time.
  • AdrianBry
    AdrianBry Posts: 138 Member
    it doesn't matter how fast or slow you eat if you eat too much anyways (when concerned about weight loss) BUT YES... the advantage of eating slowly is that it basically signals your brain to tell you "you're full and stop eating"
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Maybe that's a psychological thing for some people, to make them feel fuller. But I wouldn't put too much stock in it. Whether it takes you 20 seconds or an hour it's the same food, same calories.

    I eat fast too. Never stopped me from losing weight.

    Registered dietician suggested eating slowly since it takes 20 minutes for your brain to sense you've been eating. The average American consumes each meal in 14 minutes. While it is the same calories, for many people struggling with their eating habits, slow is better then fast. Everybody is in a different place of learning what works for them.
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  • ekat120
    ekat120 Posts: 407 Member
    I've read about a few studies that found that decreasing your eating speed is associated with eating less, though I assume the people in the experiments weren't also counting calories. I personally find that eating more slowly helps me feel more satisfied, and mentally makes me feel like I've really eaten (instead of, "Oh, did I finish that already? I barely remember what it tasted like. Maybe just a few more bites."). I also like the idea of doing something between bites.

    But if you're not having trouble staying in your calorie limits or feeling satisfied, it probably doesn't really matter.
  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
    I like to eat slowly now because it gives me more time for conversation and makes me feel fuller. It takes 4 bites to finish a Hershey kiss and about 15 minutes to do those bites, 30 minutes to eat 3 oz of chicken. I've found it is easier to do if you have more than one thing on the plate. I tend to run in cycles, like one bite of corn then one bite of chicken then one bite of spinach. Also, have friends around to talk to. It is so much easier to eat slowly when you're busy talking!
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    It's the same calories, whether you eat them in 5 minutes or 30, standing or sitting, blah blah doesn't matter.
    I think the implication is that perhaps if you eat more slowly then you won't eat as much and, therefore, it won't be the same calories after all. I don't know how realistic that is.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Maybe that's a psychological thing for some people, to make them feel fuller. But I wouldn't put too much stock in it. Whether it takes you 20 seconds or an hour it's the same food, same calories.

    I eat fast too. Never stopped me from losing weight.

    Registered dietician suggested eating slowly since it takes 20 minutes for your brain to sense you've been eating. The average American consumes each meal in 14 minutes. While it is the same calories, for many people struggling with their eating habits, slow is better then fast. Everybody is in a different place of learning what works for them.

    So is it "registered dietician" says to eat slowly, or everybody is different?

    Brett, obviously you figured it out for yourself. For some people, believe it or not, they need to understand their body a little differently. The RD I referenced also ran her first marathon last year which qualified her for the Boston Marathon. maybe she knows a little more then others, then again, maybe not. Best of luck with your goals.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I find food a lot more satisfying if I eat it slowly.

    but as long as you're logging carefully and staying within your calorie goal without too much difficulty, then really it doesn't matter how fast you eat. Eating slower may help you to feel fuller on the same amount of calories, which may help people to stick to their calorie goal. But that's about it.

    ETA: I have no idea how long it takes me to eat my meals, I just don't wolf them all down within the first minute or two. I eat them slow enough to really enjoy what I'm eating.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Who's they?

    I don't think there's anything magical about eating really slowly. I believe in enjoying my meals and savoring the flavors and whatnot...but there's certainly nothing magical about taking 20 minutes to eat a meal. I've never timed my eating and I never will...I just enjoy my meals.
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  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Maybe that's a psychological thing for some people, to make them feel fuller. But I wouldn't put too much stock in it. Whether it takes you 20 seconds or an hour it's the same food, same calories.

    I eat fast too. Never stopped me from losing weight.

    Registered dietician suggested eating slowly since it takes 20 minutes for your brain to sense you've been eating. The average American consumes each meal in 14 minutes. While it is the same calories, for many people struggling with their eating habits, slow is better then fast. Everybody is in a different place of learning what works for them.

    So is it "registered dietician" says to eat slowly, or everybody is different?

    Brett, obviously you figured it out for yourself. For some people, believe it or not, they need to understand their body a little differently. The RD I referenced also ran her first marathon last year which qualified her for the Boston Marathon. maybe she knows a little more then others, then again, maybe not. Best of luck with your goals.

    Soooo..since the OP says she hates eating slowly, and that she prefers to eat fast.... and since it makes no difference whether you eat fast or slow, maybe she can eat how she'd like.

    It's obvious you were trying to find something in my post to nitpick. I'm offering helpful advice. You said "dieticians say to eat slowly, but also you can do whatever you want." As far as I can tell you were attempting to contradict me, but really said nothing of any substance. Just talking to hear yourself talk.

    So we're done, and I'll go back to giving helpful advice to people asking for it.

    OP, go ahead and eat as fast as you'd like. So long as you don't go over your calories you're fine. If it really bothers you and you feel like you have to force yourself to eat slowly, don't worry about it.

    So to be clear for Brett. RD suggests eating slower period No I'm not nitpicking but I can see how you read it this way. The OP eats fast best of luck to OP, best of luck to Brett. The idea of eating slower would work for people who do not understand their bodies signals. For me personally, I do not time how long it takes me to eat.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    My husband has lost over 100 lb and he snarfs everything down really really fast. I have lost 128 lb so far and I eat fast, too. It hasn't caused any problems for either of us.
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
    I know people say to sit down and focus on your food rather than eating while watching tv etc... but since I eat alone that is pretty boring and if I ate that slow it would be torture.

    So instead I multitask. I prepare my food in the correct amount and leave it on the table. Take a bite then go start cleaning or something. Every few minutes I walk back to the table, take another bite and go back to what I was doing while I chew. Sometimes I get distracted and forget to go back! It can take me an hour to eat a slice of pizza this way. And bonus - sometimes by the time I finish one meal its almost time for the next :) Works for me! And my house gets cleaner ! And I get lots of steps in during my meal. Triple bonus :)
  • Odinisgod
    Odinisgod Posts: 46 Member
    Eating slowly just gives your brain some additional time to realize you are sated. If you know exactly how much you are going to eat in a particular meal before starting (and you should if you are dieting), then it doesn't matter. If you scarf it, you may feel "hungry" when you finish, but give it 20 minutes, and you'll brain will realize your sated, just as if you took 20 minutes to eat.

    Time is precious, spend it where you see value.
  • uglyclub
    uglyclub Posts: 83 Member
    I think the whole eating slowly concept is silly. If you eat fast and you're satisfied, that's all that matters. Calories are calories no matter how slow or quickly you consume them.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I've read about a few studies that found that decreasing your eating speed is associated with eating less, though I assume the people in the experiments weren't also counting calories. I personally find that eating more slowly helps me feel more satisfied, and mentally makes me feel like I've really eaten (instead of, "Oh, did I finish that already? I barely remember what it tasted like. Maybe just a few more bites."). I also like the idea of doing something between bites.

    But if you're not having trouble staying in your calorie limits or feeling satisfied, it probably doesn't really matter.

    This. Eating slowly allows your brain to register when you are full. If you're counting calories, it won't change your weight loss, but it might change your satiety.

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