Slow eating?

I know that you need to eat slow and the slower you eat the fuller you will feel.

How do you make yourself do this?  I seem to be the last one to sit down and eat and I always seem to be the first one done every night.  I try to make myself take a bite put my fork down, take a drink of water-maybe my bites are too bit-I just don't know.  I have no idea why I am like this or how it started but how do you fix it?

Anyone have any luck changing this behavior?  Please tell me what worked.

Thanks

i do this too

i just scarf it down like i haven't eaten in a month

try hot sauce

it'll make you drink that water without having to force yourself to, but because your mouth will be on fire

Don't wait til you are very very hungry to eat - it's a lot easier to go slowly when you don't feel ravenous.

An old-fashioned answer to eating more slowly was to chew every mouthful 50 times.    Sipping water between mouthfuls is great.  If you have companions at the dinner table (which it sounds like you do), chat to them rather than eating in silence ... that's a good way to spin things out.  If you fill half your plate with vegetables and make a point of eating them first... you'll find that by the time you get to the meat and potatoes (or whatever it is) you're not quite in that ravenously hungry phase.

That is one thing that is a problem because it feels like I am choking or going to gag if I keep the food in my mouth too long.  I will try to chew longer.  It will probably help if I wasn't soooo hungry before sitting down to eat.  Maybe a small snack an hour or so before dinner.

Thanks for the replies.  Will see how it works!!!

Thanks

I have this problem too. I just remind myself when I'm eating that I need to slooow down. I take way too big of bites and eat way too fast. Forcing myself to take smaller bites helps me overcome that ravenous feeling I sometimes have by dinner time.

Tried that tonight-much smaller bites and it took a lot longer to eat.  Need to make a habit of it!!

Thanks!!!

Some little trick a friend of mine used: she started eating with chopsticks, this made it impossible for her to eat fast and it forced her to take small bites.

I also eat fast!!!  The easiest thing I have found to help slow me down is to eat only with one hand.  Promise after each bite to put your fork down, then drink water.  Not only will you drink more water but you will eat less, and feel more full.  Aim to drink atleast 2-3 glasses of water with each meal.  If it is a food you would normally eat with your hand eat with a fork, it will control how much goes in your mouth at a time.  Think of yourself as a food critic, enjoy every bite, who knows you may get bored and stop eating, and find lots left on your plate with a full stomach.  Good Luck, you can do it!!!!   

I also have issues with this.  What I have found to help me is to have a glass of iced tea (I prefer that to plain water, and it also has 0 calories as I make it with splenda) while I am preparing a meal, then by the time I sit to eat, I am not feeling so hungry.  Then I try to measure my bites in accordance with whomever I am eating with.  I came from a family of 8 so it was eat quick or you may not get enough to eat!!  Then I joined the military which again you either eat quickly or you go hungry.  This is a hard habit to break, but this has helped me.  I still eat faster than others, but I have slowed way down.

Me too, me too! It bugs me so when I look at my husband's plate and his salad is still more than half there,and my plate is almost empty. His sister, not the skinny one, is the slowest eater in the west.

I like the food critic idea. Since I have been older, and since my last 40 lb weight loss, I have spent more money on flavorful items, fresh parmesan, fresh basil, balsamic vineger, capers, kalamata olives...and garlic. Less food more flavor I would say. But I still wolf it down.

Adding a good glass of wine, not more than 100 calories worth, seems to make eating more like "dining". Thank you for all your help!

Original Post by soliwit:

Some little trick a friend of mine used: she started eating with chopsticks, this made it impossible for her to eat fast and it forced her to take small bites.

I do that too. It REALLY helps.

chopsticks rele do work! My bf is chinese and owns a tiny take out place and im pretty sure i like took all their chopsticks lol

he makes fun of me because when we eat rice, he holds his bowl to his mouth and uses the chopsticks like a shovel to make it easier to the rice, when i sit there and take small bites. Hes like "You have to eat it like a china man!"  and im like "But I'm trying to eat slow!!" 

I never thought about trying chopsticks like that...I always have such a hard time with them I give up after a bit, but that sounds like an awesome idea!  Thanks I'll have to try that now lol. 

I doesn't sound like you're in complete control of what you eat, but if you prepare your own food it might help.  Lots of small portions of different things, so your meal becomes more like sampling.

A good glass of red wine slows me down, but you may not be in control of that either.

Some foods were made to be eaten fast.  Avoid them if you can. I really chow down the noodles if I have chopsticks.  Certain central european foods, like pierogies, are made to be practically inhaled.  And any food you can eat out of your hand...chips, tacos, burgers, pizza.  In the case of pizza you can slow this down by eating with a steak knife and fork, European style.  But it's hard to do it with the others.

Try to chew eat mouthful of food 30 times before swallow it down.

Chewing 50 times each bite is a bit of overdoing it.

I have the same problem.  To make myself eat slower, I eat with my fork in my left hand - I'm so right handed that this really slows me down - of course I spill half of it on my shirt in the process.  LOL

I'm also a compulsive eater, if there is food out I will unconsciously stuff it in my mouth (a problem at work, we have a co-worker who  brings plates of sweets and has them sitting out in the kitchen).  I'm not really aware that I've been snacking  until I check my blood sugar and it's off the chart for apparently no reason - then I go "Oh yeah - cookies in the kitchen".   Anyone else have that problem?

Chopsticks. I live by them. You have to eat small bites with them, and slower. Also, now you can show off your chopstick skills to friends.

Chew every piece of food you put into your mouth very well. I have gotten into that habit for two reasons, to enjoy it, and it burns calories!

Try reading a book! Your jaw won't hurt from chewing your food a billion times, and it's good for the mind.

I always eat slowly.  I guess it just comes naturally to some of us.  I have noticed that my eating has slowed even more from eating while watching a movie because I'll stop to watch the scene instead of eating.  I've noticed that I can't eat fast because my stomach doesn't like me to.

I have read that Monks chew each bite 40 times - even milk (they put a small piece of bread in it).  You see on television how thin they are.  In my case I find I can only chew one bite about 25 times, but it does seem to help with the amount I eat.

Also, I've seen that chewing produces more saliva which helps stop heartburn, so the more chewing would help that problem also if that is needed.

Happy Chewing!