Any tips to eat slower?

qtkt1
qtkt1 Posts: 20 Member
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
I'm such a fast eater. I always have been since I can remember. Anyone have ideas on how to train myself to slow down?

Replies

  • Daisy_May
    Daisy_May Posts: 505 Member
    Make your meal an event! Pretty dishes, even put your water in a nice wine glass, savor every bite.... It takes 20 minutes for you to reilze your full, take your time and really enjoy what your eating:happy:
  • jb_sweet_99
    jb_sweet_99 Posts: 856 Member
    What about taking a sip of water in between each bite? Then you are pausing between and filling yourself up on water while you're at it. Or try to chew every bite 20 times or something like that until you can get used to it.
    Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • darthkatalyst
    darthkatalyst Posts: 39
    drink water inbetween bites.. i do that whenever i eat anything. sounds silly, but it works.
  • margaretthedevil
    margaretthedevil Posts: 215
    Don't eat while in front of the tv or something. Eat at the dinner table. Chew more like a lot more. If you eat things with more fiber, I believe that requires you to chew a lot more especially with grains. I know it's really hard to chew a lot with softer foods, but with something like bread you can choose to buy harder bread with more fiber much better than white. Just remember to taste your food. =)
  • MDF08
    MDF08 Posts: 57
    A few tips I keep trying to instill in my military hubby are these:

    Put your fork down in between bites. If the shovel isn't in your hand, you can't keep shovelin'!

    Breathe. Take a sip of water or whatever you're drinking.

    Don't eat in front of the TV, while reading, or on the computer. You don't pay attention to what you're doing if you do it that way. (I tend to be a mindless eater where I sit and just keep putting food in my mouth without thought.)

    Those are three ideas. A more extreme one maybe to actually get up from your plate and walk around the table between bites. Makes you slow down and think.

    Good luck!
    :flowerforyou:
  • omid990
    omid990 Posts: 785 Member
    put your food (or fork) down between bites.
    chew more
    sip water in between each bite.
    divide your food up into four portions. Eat a portion, wait five minutes, then eat the next, then wait five minutes to each the next, etc.
  • xsargex
    xsargex Posts: 768
    I have the same problem too. It was even worse when I enlisted, cause you only had 15 minutes to eat most of the time.

    I started using chop sticks to slow down my eating. But now I've improved my chop stick skills, so I went back to regular utencils. The drinks of water helps. Plus water naturally makes you feel full. Win win right there.
  • Poison5119
    Poison5119 Posts: 1,460 Member
    I find that when I take the time to prepare good clean food, and dress it up a little it's easy to relax and enjoy it..

    Some things that help: having someone to talk with during a meal. Eating is a social thing for most of us, so taking the time to put your fork down and chat helps to prolong the enjoyment of the food.

    Also, if you have it in your daily food budget, eat something small about 45 minutes before your main meal.. that way you're not so hungry that you bolt your meal down without a breathe! HTH.
  • n8tveca
    n8tveca Posts: 12 Member
    Even 10 years after the military I eat fast. I still do, and I dont fight it anymore. However, I drink a 8oz glass of water or a small protein shake (depending on what I'm eating for that meal) about 15 minutes before I start eating.

    Now I can continue to eat fast, but I feel full much faster.

    Cheers
  • qtkt1
    qtkt1 Posts: 20 Member
    I never thought of these ideas. Thanks! I love the drinking water inbetween ideas.
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    Smaller utensils help a lot. Go nab some baby spoons- can't really gulp down anything if you're eating with a spoon the size of a thimble :)

    This is embarassing but I like to pretend I'm a judge on a cooking show and it's my job to evaluate the food on texture, flavor balance and presentation. I have to go slow so I can give a proper score.

    Told you it was embarassing :blushing:
  • xsargex
    xsargex Posts: 768


    This is embarassing but I like to pretend I'm a judge on a cooking show and it's my job to evaluate the food on texture, flavor balance and presentation. I have to go slow so I can give a proper score.

    Told you it was embarassing :blushing:

    hahahahahaha, oh my god. Seriously, I was laughing outloud at work at this. That is classic!
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member


    hahahahahaha, oh my god. Seriously, I was laughing outloud at work at this. That is classic!

    I live to serve :laugh:

    It really works though! That's the freakish part!
  • CaGinger
    CaGinger Posts: 180 Member
    A few tips I keep trying to instill in my military hubby are these:

    Put your fork down in between bites. If the shovel isn't in your hand, you can't keep shovelin'!

    Breathe. Take a sip of water or whatever you're drinking.

    Don't eat in front of the TV, while reading, or on the computer. You don't pay attention to what you're doing if you do it that way. (I tend to be a mindless eater where I sit and just keep putting food in my mouth without thought.)

    Those are three ideas. A more extreme one maybe to actually get up from your plate and walk around the table between bites. Makes you slow down and think.

    Good luck!
    :flowerforyou:

    Great tips!

    My mom always puts her fork down between bites. She fully chews and swallows before taking a drink of water then pickes her fork up to repeat! It looks really natural after some practice.

    Also try striking up a conversation if you are not eating alone. If you are talking between bites you will eat slower. :flowerforyou:
  • kdm9295
    kdm9295 Posts: 126 Member
    I try to take smaller bites. I cut my pieces in half of what I would normally eat.

    I don't know if it will help you, but it helps slow me down.
  • Jennplus2
    Jennplus2 Posts: 984 Member
    I was told as a child that after to take a bite you should put down your fork. Chew slowly then drink a sip of water before picking up your fork again. I thought it was garbage but now I see that Grandma was trying to get me to slow down. :blushing:


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  • Jennplus2
    Jennplus2 Posts: 984 Member
    Smaller utensils help a lot. Go nab some baby spoons- can't really gulp down anything if you're eating with a spoon the size of a thimble :)

    This is embarassing but I like to pretend I'm a judge on a cooking show and it's my job to evaluate the food on texture, flavor balance and presentation. I have to go slow so I can give a proper score.

    Told you it was embarassing :blushing:


    :laugh: Your funny, I always enjoy your input!

    228826.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary
  • hollychristine
    hollychristine Posts: 124 Member
    It helps to make each meal special with nice plates and so forth. Also putting your fork down and chewing slowly so that you can taste every morsel. I would advise against drinking between each bite tho.
    If you are dieting you are more than likley restricting your intake in some way, so you need to absorb all the nutrients you can from your food. Drinking with your meals can interfere with the digestion process. It does not help you digest the food quicker as I have read on some other posts, it does the opposite.

    Check this out.

    http://www.westonaprice.org/transition/digestion.html
  • hiddensecant
    hiddensecant Posts: 2,446 Member
    Ooh, chopsticks with your left hand (or right if you're a lefty). :bigsmile:
  • Poison5119
    Poison5119 Posts: 1,460 Member
    Smaller utensils help a lot. Go nab some baby spoons- can't really gulp down anything if you're eating with a spoon the size of a thimble :)

    This is embarassing but I like to pretend I'm a judge on a cooking show and it's my job to evaluate the food on texture, flavor balance and presentation. I have to go slow so I can give a proper score.

    Told you it was embarassing :blushing:

    Nothing embarrassing about that.... you're right -- if you took the time to prepare it, and made it presentable to the eye, shouldn't you slow down and enjoy every bite?? Good on YOU!!!
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