Just slow-on down already!

I'm always surprised at how difficult it can be to SSSLLLOOOWWW down. You'd think we'd be all over that considering how over busy and booked everyone seems to be. This seems most noticeable when it comes to our eating habits. Eating slowly is one of the most important things a person can do if there goal is to lose weight (conversely, if your goal is to gain weight, eating quickly turns out to be fairly effective too!). If weight loss is simply a matter of taking in less calories than you are working off, then why does it matter if you eat slowly or not? Two things come to mind here:

1) Eating slowly allows your brain to recognize when you actually feel full, thereby letting you know when it is time to quit.

2) Eating slowly also allows you to actually experience your food - all the flavour, textures etc - which will ultimately lead you to feeling more satisfied with your meal and therefore more likely to be able to stop eating before you over-eat.

3) Eating slowly also makes you feel more present with your meal - making you take note of what you are actually eating, how much you are eating and whether you still need to keep on eating or not.

So, if eating slowly is that important, yet so hard to do, what are some good strategies to help with this?

1) Sit down when you eat. Sitting down automatically makes you think that you are having a meal, and not just snacking or mindlessly eating.

2) Start with three slow breaths before you take your first bite. This slows your mind, relaxes you and mentally prepares you to enjoy your meal, rather than rush through it.

3) Mindfully choose to chew for longer and more slowly. Count your chews. See how many chews you can make each mouthful last.

4) Put your fork down in between bites to allow you to swallow one mouthful before taking more in.

5) Pause for a sip of water or a deep breath in between bites.

6) This sounds crazy, but actually time how long your meal takes. Then challenge yourself. If today's meal took 8 minutes to finish, can you make it to 9 or 10 minutes at the next meal? How about 15? 20 minutes?

7) See if you can be the last to finish your plate of everyone at the table. This works great if you are out with friends, eating in your lunch room or eating with your family. (If you usually eat alone, then this strategy is irrelevant and you'll have to focus on the others instead!)

What strategies do you use to slow yourself down at meal time?