Diet Talk - Eating Speed

DIET TALK is a series of 56 topics addressing the psychological and social aspects of successful, long-term weight management. DIET TALK is based on my NPR series. This lecture addresses eating speed.

Transcript

Eating speed.

Most overweight people eat quickly and efficiently.

They clean their plates and linger at the table after eating.

This results in eating more,

Chewing improperly,

And enjoying it less.

It takes about 20 minutes to feel full after starting to eat,

And it takes only a small amount of food to trigger the I'm full signal.

There are advantages to eating slowly.

You chew more and this stimulates the taste buds.

The muscles in the jaw and tongue are more fully utilized.

Food is digested better,

And doing so speeds up the time it takes for the chemical messages to reach the brain to signal a stop to eating.

Here are some tips to help you slow down your eating.

Before you start eating,

Keep your utensils on the table for two minutes while you think about slowing down your eating rate.

Cut the food into bite-sized portions.

Put one portion in your mouth and put down your fork.

Do carefully and thoughtfully.

Focus on the experience of eating.

Join in conversation before taking another bite.

Be the last to start each course so you extend the time you spend eating.

And get up from the table as soon as you're finished.

By following this plan,

You'll cut down on the amount eaten,

Digest your food better,

And increase your feeling of satisfaction.

Also,

Be sure to savor each bite and remember to stop eating after 20 minutes even if there's food left on the plate.

Many people spend their lives thinking about food,

But they eat so fast they don't ever fully experience it.

So start giving food some time in your life.

Reviews

Interesting on the twenty minute rule. Thank you!