Can / Does Eating Slowly Help You Lose Weight?

Franziska Spritzler RD CDE writes:

"Many people eat their food quickly and carelessly. This may lead to weight gain and other health issues. Eating slowly may be a much smarter approach, as it could provide a number of benefits.

This article explores the benefits of eating slowly.

Eating too fast can cause weight gain

Summary: Studies show that people who eat quickly tend to be heavier and gain more weight over time, compared with slower eaters.

Eating slowly helps you eat less

Eating slowly can increase fullness hormones, and decrease calorie intake.

Summary: Eating slowly increases the levels of gut hormones responsible for feeling full, which may help reduce calorie intake.

Eating slowly promotes thorough chewing

Summary: Chewing food thoroughly slows down your eating pace and reduces the number of calories you take in, which can lead to weight loss.

Other benefits of eating slowly 

Eating slowly may also improve your health and quality of life in other ways, including:

• increasing your enjoyment of food
• improving your digestion
• helping you better absorb nutrients
• making you feel calmer and more in control
• reducing your levels of stress

Summary: There are many other good reasons to eat more slowly, including improved digestion and reduced stress.

How to slow down and lose weight 

Here’s some advice to help you start eating more slowly:

Avoid extreme hunger. It’s hard to eat slowly when you’re very hungry. To prevent extreme hunger, keep some healthy snacks on hand.
Chew more. Count how many times you normally chew a bite of food, then double that amount. You may be surprised at how little you usually chew.
Set your utensils down. Putting down your fork between bites of food will help you eat more slowly and savour each bite.
Eat foods that need chewing. Focus on fibrous foods that require a lot of chewing, such as vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Fibre can also promote weight loss.
Drink water. Make sure to drink plenty of water or other zero-calorie beverages with your meals.
Use a timer. Set your kitchen timer for 20 minutes and do your best not to finish before the buzzer goes off. Aim for a slow, consistent pace throughout the meal.
Turn off your screens. Try to avoid electronic devices, such as television and smartphones, while eating.
Take deep breaths. If you begin to eat too quickly, take some deep breaths. This will help you refocus and get back on track.
Practice mindful eating. Mindful eating techniques help you pay more attention to what you’re eating and gain control of your cravings.
Be patient. Change takes time, as it takes about 66 days for a new behaviour to become a habit.

Summary: With practice and a few tried-and-true techniques, eating slowly will become easier and more sustainable.

The bottom line 

Eating too quickly can lead to weight gain and decreased enjoyment of food. However, slowing down can increase fullness and promote weight loss. It also provides other health benefits. If you minimize your screen time, chew more, and focus on high-fibre foods, you’ll be well on your way to slower eating."

The above words are just a snippet from Franziska's original article, which can be seen with all information and research links here

On a personal note I think there is nothing more enjoyable than having a relaxed healthy meal with all screens turned off ... smartphones (and the like) are banned from meals! 

Have you any thoughts on the above article, do please share them in the comments.

Dear reader, a variety of articles, and recipe ideas, are within this blog, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan