I'm 119 and I want to get down to 112. I've been doing intuitive eating. However, I've always eaten quite fast and even though it's allowed me this much weight loss, I feel like I could lose that extra 7 pounds simply by eating a lot slower, so that I don't get past my fullness signal.

Has anyone else lost weight by eating slowly? I'd love to hear your experience and start/finish weights, for inspiration.

I can see where that would work, but I have always been the fastest eater I know and probably always will be. I think, though, that I get that signal fast, too. I always know when I don't need to eat any more, and I never feel overly full.

For me, though, it's ultimately more about calories in and out. Signal or no, I know how much food is on my plate, I eat what I have allotted myself calorie-wise, provided I'm that hungry; and if there is more than that on the plate, I put it away for later. I went from 129 to 108 in under three months that way.

If I still feel hungry later, I will allow myself to have a snack. I never let my body get truly hungry. But in general I calorie count.

I red about something like that, in the past, that was saying that eating slowly had benefits on the quantity of food we eat. I know it's something up about the mechano-receptor in the stomach, that sense the tension of the organ when we have food intake : it sends some signal to the brain saying ''need more food (still hungry)'' vs '' stomach full enough (stop eating!)''. it was something with the time that the signals take to go to the brain...

Like if we eat too fast, we'll still feel hungry cause the brain didnt received the signal yet, even is the stomach had a big enough food intake.

So scientifically, it all make senses.... I don't know if it can result in a significative weight loss, but it sure can't harmful

I've read that if we eat quickly we chew our food less, then its harder to digest. I've also read that if we eat slowly we eat less, getting the 'full' signal faster. I try to eat slowly; I feel it helps me enjoy my food, which makes me feel more satisfied with each meal, then I'm less likely to overeat or snack later. And if I just spent an hour creating a meal, I want to get all the enjoyment of it that I can before I have to clean up and do the dishes!

Hubby is a fast eater so he will have finished eating before I do but that gives us time to sit at the table while I'm still eating, and chat about our days, which is something we don't do often enough.

I don't have any insight about eating more slowly leading to weight loss, although it makes sense. I want to eat more slowly because I think the reason I often go back for seconds at dinner is because I ate so fast I don't feel full and/or I don't feel like I've received enough sensory pleasure from the experience. Somewhere I read that to eat more slowly, you should use your non-dominant hand. Maybe I'll try being a leftie tonight at dinner.

I'm sure that would be the case with me since I'm a very fast eater (bad habit started as a kid because I hated sitting at the table and wasn't allowed to leave until I was done dinner....enter fast eating). Supposedly it takes 20 minutes for the full signal to hit your brain, meaning that it'll take 20 minutes for you to actually feel full.

If I'm sitting with people, talking with them really helps me slow down, or eating really hot food since I have to blow on it to cool it down. I've also heard that doing 30 chews before swallowing will help you slow down, but counting 30 chews per bite per meal can get tiresome VERY fast. But other than that, I'm also trying to find ways to be a slower eater....everyone always notices that I'm the first one done. Ugh.

Nothing slows me down. I talk when I'm done eating and no food is too hot for me. I always hoover my food, and I am always the first one done. But it has never inhibited my weight loss. It's as if it's been a part of me for so long that my body works with it. There's no reason why I became that sort of eater: I just always was, and my weight has never suffered because of it. When I'm done, I'm done. I don't go back for seconds. I don't eat off my boyfriend's plate. And I'm not overly full.

The idea of chewing my food a lot honestly sickens me. I really don't want to eat overly masticated food.

All that said, though, I believe the science. I believe that slowing down gives your brain time to catch up with your stomach. I just don't feel the need to change because eating the way I do works for me. I suffer no ill effects.

that perfectly helps to lose weight.
kind of if you eat slowly then you will know when your full so you wont over eat and wont gain as much weight if you eat fast then you cant tell if your full or not

I used to be a slow eater which annoyed my parents to no end. So through nagging and whining I learned to scarf down my food, which no doubt contributed to my weight problems.

I'm learning to slow down now, but there are still times that I gobble up my food and it's gone before I've really enjoyed it. Now though, those times are few and far between. I want to enjoy the taste of my food after all!

Wow I feel like I wrote this haha.
I'm such a fast eater it's crazy. I tried eating slowly (masticating 10 times
every bite anyone?) and I find it disgusting haha.
I eat my food almost whole: I know it because the few times I was sick
and puked (sorry TMI) the pastas and vegetables and all were almost whole.
It has suprised me every time haha.

Hahaha - I agree totally with you Petite Powerhouse and Magalo.

I learned to eat really fast because my parents ran a group how and there were always like 10 people at the dinner table. If you didn't eat quickly it would be gone and you wouldn't get any.

I've tried to break the habit..but I can't. I also find that I'm just finished before other people, but I know when I'm full and can usually stop.

I've always found the mandate to chew your food twenty times to be kinda disgusting. I know it needs to be somewhat masticated but...ewwww.

I have two people in my life who eat really slowly. I've watched them to see how they do it. They don't chew their food THAT much longer than me, but they take bites much less frequently. They are talking or listening or just being and they don't always have their fork in their mouth at lightening speed.

The last time I was with my slow-eating friend, I tried taking a bite only when she did. It drove me crazy! I was hungry.

After years of working at places where we were only allowed 30 minutes to eat lunch, I was used to stuffing my face! I had to control the portions somehow.

Along with the 'eating slowly' I have found that drinking a big glass of water before you eat can help as well. When you eat the food, and it hits the water in your stomach, it expands slightly, and makes you feel full faster. I also switched to using 'salad forks' (the smaller forks) chew slowly (I don't do the chew 20 times-yuck). Think of your fork as a fork, not a 'shovel'-don't load it up with food...small portions of food...and I use my fork like they do in Europe, so it points down...then I am not tempted to load up on big mouth fulls of food.

Good Luck!

Oooooh...I like that idea.

I recomend the whole Try Eatting with your other hand apporach.
I did it, until my hand learned how to use a fork and spoon. Back to square one HaHAH