When it comes to a weight management program and overall weight loss, eating is obviously a pretty important factor. How many calories you consume is a vital part of your weight loss, as is the quality of these calories.
At Dr. Simonds Weight Loss, our physician supervised weight loss programs include significant attention paid to various areas of your eating, including one area that damages many weight loss attempts: Eating too quickly, and therefore eating too much. Let’s go over some basic tips to slow down while you’re eating and help limit your portion sizes.
Eat More Often
When you build up hunger for several hours leading up to a big meal, you can build your stomach up to a ravenous point where all you want to do is scarf down food. This will make you less likely to savor any flavor and more likely to just shovel food down as quickly as possible, which will raise the chances that you overeat – your body takes about 20 minutes to tell you it’s full, after all.
Limit Distractions
Things like the TV can be a distraction during eating, and this can affect your portion control. A recent study found that the more distracting a show, the more likely you are to eat more subconsciously while watching it. Turn the TV off for better results.
Use Smaller Plates
Many of us were raised to finish everything on our plates, so it’s no surprise that we gain weight when too much food is put in front of us. To fix this, try using a smaller plate – this brings the same satisfaction of finishing the plate, but with fewer calories.
Be Seated
Eating on the go or while standing brings a hurried sense to the meal, which will cause you to eat faster. Instead, sit down for all meals and take the time to track what you’re eating at each meal.
Utensils and Bites
If you’re still having issues with eating slowly, try this technique: Between each bite, put your utensil down on the table while you chew. This allows you to spend time focusing on the flavor before you take another bite, and also gives you more gaps in between bites so your brain has more time to signal that you’re full when the time comes.
For more tips on slowing down while eating, or to learn about any part of our weight loss clinic, speak to the staff at Dr. Simonds Weight Loss today.
