How to Control Eating Fast

Eating quickly while on the run is a common occurrence for many with a busy lifestyle. However, eating fast may lead to increased caloric intake, weight gain and flatulence. Learning how to eat at a slower pace is a habit that can be formed over time and takes practice. Eating slowly aids in digestion and will result in better overall health.

Instructions

• 1

  Sit at the table while eating. Eating while standing up or driving in the car is a trigger to eat fast and may result in overeating. Sitting at a table will send a message to the brain that it is time to eat a meal and will result in more conscious eating.

• 2

  Take a break from work at lunchtime to concentrate on eating.

  Eliminate distractions while eating. Focus on tasting and savoring the food and being mindful of your speed and intake. Avoid watching television or reading which leads to mindless consumption of food. Pay attention to all five of your senses while eating in order to focus on the experience.

• 3

  Pay attention to the time. It takes 20 minutes for the body to digest a meal and begin feeling full. Eating too quickly before the body has fully digested the food may cause overeating. When preparing to eat, set aside at least 30 minutes to give yourself plenty of time to practice eating slowly.

• 4

  Avoid skipping meals. If you wait until you are starving to eat it will be hard to resist eating too fast and too much. Eat regularly and eat until you are satisfied but do not eat beyond that point. If you are busy and cannot help occasionally missing a meal, carry emergency snacks such as dried fruit and nuts with you at all times so you are not famished when its time for your next meal.

• 5

  Use small plates so that your portion of food seems larger.

  Eat smaller portions. Many people have a hard time leaving food on their plate and will generally eat whatever is placed in front of them. A large portion of food may send a signal to the brain that everything must be eaten fast in order to clean the plate before becoming too full. Serve yourself smaller portions and practice stretching out the meal by taking each bite slower.

• 6

  Put your fork down after every bite. It is considered polite when eating at the dinner table to put your fork or spoon down while chewing but it is also a way to slow down the eating process. Instead of holding the fork and shoveling the food in, placing it down allows time for chewing and enjoying the food before the next bite.

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