Eating Slowly Makes You Lose Weight!

In this fast paced world many people eat their food quickly so that they do not waste their time.

This might be one of the causes for your weight gain and other health issues!!!

A smarter approach which provides a number of benefits would be to eat slowly.

In this article you can explore the benefits of eating slowly and methods to help you slow your eating process.

Eating too fast can cause weight gain

There are many studies which prove that people who eat quickly tend to gain more weight than those who eat slowly. People who eat fast are more than likely to become obese while slow eaters do not gain much weight easily.

In a study done by Otsuka R at the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan — Tests conducted for over 4,000 middle-aged adults showed that adults who ate quickly are likely heavier and also gained weight.

Another study by Tanihara S at the Fukuoka University, Japan for over 8 years showed that there was change in weight in 529 men. People who reported being they eat quickly most of the time were weighing twice as much as that of slow eaters.

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

Hormones plays an important role in your appetite and the amount of calories you take in.

A main hormone which controls hunger in your body is called called Ghrelin (also known as hunger hormone). Once you have your meal, your belly reduces this hormone by releasing fullness hormones.

These fullness hormones sends a signal to your brain that you have eaten enough and you are full.

This entire process takes approximately 20 minutes, so when you slow down the process of eating the hormones do their job and signals the brain to make you stop eating as your stomach is full.

Eating slowly can increase fullness hormones

When you eat hurriedly it will lead to over-eating because, your brain does not receive the fullness signals until you have over eaten.

A study by Kokkinos A at Athens University Medical School, Greece, test was conducted on 17 healthy people were made to have 10.5 ounces (300 grams) of ice cream on different situations. The first situation was that they had to eat the ice cream within 5 minutes, and the second situation was that they had to have the same quantity of ice cream for 30 minutes. The reports of the two showed that the fullness hormones levels increased drastically when they had the ice cream slowly.

Eating slowly can decrease calorie intake

A study conducted by Shah M, considered normal weighted and also over weighted people and these people were made to eat at different paces. Slow eating of the meal made everyone in the group to eat less calories. Even though the difference was only statistically convincing in the normal-weight group, all of them felt fuller for longer after eating more slowly. They reported that they were less hungry after 1 Hour of the slow paced meal compared to that of fast paced meal.

If calorie intake reduces on a constant basis, weight also decreases over time.

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

Benefits of eating slowly

Eating slowly not only improves your health but also improves your quality of life by:

• increases your enjoyment of food
• improves your digestion
• nutrients gets better absorbed
• 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 are few tips which can provide you help to start eating more slowly:

• Avoid extreme hunger. When you have not eaten for a long time it’s hard to eat slowly. To prevent this from happening, always keep some healthy snacks in your bag.
• 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. I find it best to chew between 15–20 times for better results and not getting bored at the same time.
• Set your utensils down. Putting down your fork between bites of food will help you eat more slowly and savor each bite.
• Eat foods that need chewing. Focus on fibrous foods that require a lot of chewing, such as vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Fiber can also promote weight loss.
• Drink water. Make sure to drink plenty of water or other zero-calorie beverages with your meals or even better before your meal.
• 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 smart phones, 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 activity or behavior 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.

Eating slowly will increase fullness and promote weight loss. It also provides other health benefits.

If you minimize your screen time, maximize your chew time and focus on high-fiber foods, you’ll be well on your way to slower eating and a happy and healthy life.

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