How To Stop Over-Eating At Meal Times And Easily Lose A Few Extra Pounds.

For example, try to chew your food at least 20 times before swallowing.

Why?

Because chewing does several things. Firstly, it breaks down the food into smaller pieces which means the digestion system can get more nutrients out of it and digest it easier.

But more importantly, chewing also takes time. The longer it will you take to eat, the less likely you are to overeat. This is because there’s a delay between your stomach being full, and your brain receiving the message that your stomach is full. By chewing more, and generally eating slower – you’re giving yourself more time for the “full” signal to get through.

Another suggestion is to put your fork down between bites. Slowing down the rate at which you eat is good thing to do, as we just explained. Putting the fork down each time will also make you conscious of how much you're eating as opposed to using the fork repeatedly without paying much attention.

You could also try taking a sip of water between bites. Most of us don't drink enough water anyway, so this is a good way to get that extra water, too. Something else to consider is that sipping the water will replace a mouthful of food. This means you’ll eat less and take more time over eating.

The next tip for eating slower is to always eat with other people. A dinner partner will usually mean conversation. Obviously, talking will slow down the rate of your food consumption.

Something else to be aware of is that it’s usually not a good idea to eat in front of the television. This is because it leads to mindless eating. Your attention is on what's going on in with the television, and not what you’re eating. You’ll also enjoy your food more if you pay attention to what you’re eating.

By the way, have you ever noticed that television advertising is often very food focused during meal times? The food advertising isn't necessarily good for you, either. But it can sure seem very appealing.

Reminding yourself of that calorie laden triple deluxe burger when you're having a salad may just make you feel deprived, which is only going to de-motivate you. Do you want a deluxe cheeseburger, or do you want to achieve your ideal weight?

Here’s a great idea to help you eat less without feeling deprived: Start your meal with an appetizer that takes awhile to eat. It could be a shell-on shrimp cocktail, crab claws, a few pistachio nuts in their shell, or a just a bowl of soup.

The appetizer slows you down while you take the time to consume it. It also puts something in your stomach before your main meal. Your brain takes around 20 minutes to recognize the signals from your stomach which say you've had enough to eat. The appetizer gives you that head start, and means you’re less likely to overeat. This alone can mean you’ll loose a few extra pounds, simply by not overeating.

Here’s an unusual tip that you may find useful: Listen to mellow music while you eat. The slower pace of the music slows down your eating. The mellow music relaxes you and lets you enjoy your food, too.

This tip is very effective, although may seem frustrating at first. Simply eat with your non dominant hand. If you're right handed, put the fork in your left hand. You'll slow down your eating pace considerably by doing this.

Finally, it’s a good idea to wait around ten minutes before you decide to go for seconds. The odds are you won't want the food anymore. You’re just feeling hungry because your brain hasn’t received the “full” signal yet.

In conclusion, losing weight doesn’t have to be hard. You can easily lose those extra pounds by changing a few simple habits, gradually. We’ve given you plenty of tips to slow down your eating in this article. Pick your favorites and gradually integrate them into your meal times. You’ll find yourself feeling full much quicker, and you will reduce the chance of over-eating.