PSA: Eat slowly.

I've been maintaining my weight loss (30+ kgs) for a year now, but I'm always on the lookout for small habits I can incorporate that makes it easier to maintain weight. There's more to maintaining a healthy weight than what we put on our plates. I notice this when I observed my coworkers, and what they grab from the buffet in the canteen.

My slim coworkers eat more salad than my overweight or obese coworkers. They also have smaller portions, less sauce, more whole grains, all the things you'd expect. But one thing I've noticed that is not so obvious, is that my slim coworkers tend to eat a lot slower. Some will just take a long time to chew. Some will eat fast, but suddently become involved in conversation, and forget their food for minutes at a time. Some will pick at their food with their forks a lot before taking a bite. The overweight or obese coworkers will generally just eat it quickly. I recognize this tendency from my own life. When I was obese, I would wolf my food down as fast as possible. As a kid I was underweight if anything. Back then, I would eat a lot slower, just like my slim coworkers seem to do. I lost that habit when life became busy.

So I've been experimenting a lot with eating slowly over the past weeks, to get back to the habits I had when I was slim as a kid. I chew my food until my mouth is completely empty before taking the next bite. I'll put down my utensils between bites. I will pick at my food with my fork. What I've found is that I eat a lot less now, and am a lot more mindful about being full. What I've noticed is that not only do I feel full with a lot less food, I also feel full for longer. I need far smaller portions to be satisfied.

If you're a fast eater, try eating slower. Chew longer. Put down your utensils. Drink a mouthful of water now and again. Commit to taking at least 20 minutes (Ideally longer) to finish your meals. When you snack, try to extend the snacking for as long time as possible. Got a bowl of nuts and dried fruit? Eat it over the course of 3 hours instead of 10 minutes. Pace yourself.

After I've begun to do this, I have become a lot more in tune with my hunger levels. Some foods are difficult to pace. Certain foods trigger that binge tendency, where I want to inhale it. But usually I can catch myself, and start pacing how fast I'm eating. And when I do - I always end up eating a lot less than what I would have eaten otherwise.

submitted by /u/dalsgaard
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