Tips for eating slower?

Kiyomoo
Kiyomoo Posts: 354 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
A minor setback I have in my weight loss journey is that with most foods, I find it very difficult to take eat slowly. I usually eat food in under 5 minutes. I know that there is a suggestion of chewing 20 times first, but I can't do that, after the third or fourth chew I just have to swallow. Afterwards, I can't even take my time getting to the next bite, I just rush right into it. In the times where I tell myself to be "patient", that patience doesn't last for more than a couple seconds.

I notice I do this with certain foods more than others. Things like sandwiches I can eat in merely 2 minutes. But for something like chips, I usually do take my time chewing them and "savoring" them more. The slowest foods I eat are yogurt and oatmeal. For some reason, I think it's because of the texture maybe, it usually takes me at least 15-20 minutes to eat these things.

I wish I ate more food as slowly as I do oatmeal. I'm not sure what I can do to make that possible. Whenever I eat things too quickly, I end up not being satisfied at all, and it's like a complete waste of calories as the meal did nothing for me.

I am wondering how many other people have experiences similar to this, and if you've been able to find any tricks that help you slow down.
«1

Replies

  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    i am big on volume eating and can eat very fast. i tend to avoid sandwiches because they get eaten so fast, pack high cals and i get pretty bummed!

    So most of my meals include lots of low cal vegetables cut into small slices. i eat each slice one at a time. this keeps me busy and makes meals take longer.

    I also tend to eat things "deconstructed" simply as it takes longer to eat.

    also, i drink carbonated water. it helps fill me up as i eat.
  • talkinghead86
    talkinghead86 Posts: 66 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    i am big on volume eating and can eat very fast. i tend to avoid sandwiches because they get eaten so fast, pack high cals and i get pretty bummed!

    So most of my meals include lots of low cal vegetables cut into small slices. i eat each slice one at a time. this keeps me busy and makes meals take longer.

    I also tend to eat things "deconstructed" simply as it takes longer to eat.

    also, i drink carbonated water. it helps fill me up as i eat.

    what about cheese stuffed crust pepperoni pizza? :#
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited April 2019
    I pre-portion and log my meals and put everythign away before i eat. after eating i will have tea. it helps change things up to get "over" being done eating.
    talkinghead86 wrote: »
    Panini911 wrote: »
    i am big on volume eating and can eat very fast. i tend to avoid sandwiches because they get eaten so fast, pack high cals and i get pretty bummed!

    So most of my meals include lots of low cal vegetables cut into small slices. i eat each slice one at a time. this keeps me busy and makes meals take longer.

    I also tend to eat things "deconstructed" simply as it takes longer to eat.

    also, i drink carbonated water. it helps fill me up as i eat.

    what about cheese stuffed crust pepperoni pizza? :#

    Ah now i DO eat pizza. smaller portion to fit in my day with a side of cut up vegtables and carbonated beverage to stay full ;) Definitely not stuffed crust or even deep crust ;)

    I did used to pick off the topings to eat first but haven't done that in awhile...

  • GreenValli
    GreenValli Posts: 1,054 Member
    Count as you chew.
  • SageJJ93
    SageJJ93 Posts: 96 Member
    Agree with @maxxitt. I had to do that when I started too. Honestly, it gets so much easier!!! I'll send you a request! :)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    greyhoundwalker wrote: »
    Maxxitt wrote: »
    Put the sandwich down between bites. Make the bites smallish if you usually finish a sandwich in 4 or 5 bites. Have a sip of your beverage between bites. Take a breath. Next bite.

    Would second this. I also find it helps to do something else when I’m eating if I’m alone like reading or watching TV. That’s opposite to a lot of advice for mindful eating but for me I feel uncomfortable if it’s just me and the food with nothing else to focus on so it gets rushed.

    Funny. I'm the same. I rush right through it if I'm not doing something else. I found a middle ground between being mindful and being distracted. I take a bite, savor it mindfully, then focus on whatever else I'm doing for a few seconds (usually it's clicking a few things in a mobile game), then take another bite, and so on.

    I don't think it's bad (at least for me) when food is not the only focus during a meal. I also don't think it's a "kids these days" kind of thing or morally inferior like some people seem to make it sound. When eating with family or friends it's the conversations that slow us down, so why is this different?
  • avlucia
    avlucia Posts: 66 Member
    I have this issue too and while I haven't resolved it the best thing I've found is to make myself take a drink between bites. This forces me to put my food or utensil down(don't ever hold things in both hands) while still giving me something to put in my mouth. It's a VERY, VERY slow learning process, it's so easy to just forget and shovel it in.

    If I'm eating with others I try to eat at their pace, I don't recommend that if you're already self-conscious about eating around people.

    The chew twenty times before swallowing is garbage and ruins eating for me.
  • 150poundsofme
    150poundsofme Posts: 523 Member
    How about toasting your bread? Maybe the crunch and texture would take you a bit longer to eat.
  • Rockin_reese
    Rockin_reese Posts: 103 Member
    No, covering it in sticky peanut butter
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited April 2019
    greyhoundwalker wrote: »
    Maxxitt wrote: »
    Put the sandwich down between bites. Make the bites smallish if you usually finish a sandwich in 4 or 5 bites. Have a sip of your beverage between bites. Take a breath. Next bite.

    Would second this. I also find it helps to do something else when I’m eating if I’m alone like reading or watching TV. That’s opposite to a lot of advice for mindful eating but for me I feel uncomfortable if it’s just me and the food with nothing else to focus on so it gets rushed.

    i do this too. i'm online (often on this board) while i eat so actually end up putting fork down to type a response! I actually put my oatmeal down to type this ;)

    Between that and taking lots of breaks to drink (and cutting up my veggies real thin) it really takes longer to eat without trying.

    i honestly cannot imagine counting my bites and slow chewing :open_mouth:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,895 Member
    greyhoundwalker wrote: »
    Maxxitt wrote: »
    Put the sandwich down between bites. Make the bites smallish if you usually finish a sandwich in 4 or 5 bites. Have a sip of your beverage between bites. Take a breath. Next bite.

    Would second this. I also find it helps to do something else when I’m eating if I’m alone like reading or watching TV. That’s opposite to a lot of advice for mindful eating but for me I feel uncomfortable if it’s just me and the food with nothing else to focus on so it gets rushed.

    Along these lines, if I am doing DuoLingo (free language learning app) while eating it REALLY slows me down without effort. I don't recommend this for something you really want to savor, like dessert, as it interferes with the experience for me anyway.

    I do eat pizza much more slowly now that I am eating less of it, but it is an effort.
  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
    Eat with chopsticks, or better yet... use chopsticks with your non-dominant hand. That would certainly slow me down :#
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    I eat fast. It's a habit I picked up when I didn't get lunch breaks at my old job. Although I still eat fast, I figure that as long as I eat within my calorie allowance it doesn't matter much how fast my intake is. Not really the answer you were looking for, but I haven't damaged my body and the weight loss still happens and I've forgiven myself for not being perfect.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,231 Member
    1BlueAurora wrote: »
    I eat fast. It's a habit I picked up when I didn't get lunch breaks at my old job. Although I still eat fast, I figure that as long as I eat within my calorie allowance it doesn't matter much how fast my intake is. Not really the answer you were looking for, but I haven't damaged my body and the weight loss still happens and I've forgiven myself for not being perfect.

    Like your comments and agree. Would like the challenge of competing against you in a fast eating contest one day.
  • Daisy_Girl2019
    Daisy_Girl2019 Posts: 209 Member
    Weight loss has nothing to do with eating food fast. I too eats really fast to a point that sometimes it makes me feel self concious whenever I eat out with friends or if I eat with anyone around. I finish right away as soon as my food gets on the table then end up staring at my friends while they eat. Haha!
    I manage to lose 43 lbs total not by eating slowly but by eating less and doing calorie deficit. Choose food that are low in calories vs amount, like most fruits and veggies, also choose lean white meat like chicken breast.
    From time to time I still eat junk and sweets but very mininal since I have to stay within my daily calorie limit.

Categories