A lot of the calories we consume are “mindless” calories. These are the result of automatic, hand-to-mouth feeding when we’re occupied with other things, like snacking in front of the TV or wolfing down calories at a bar. Eating on the run—when your stomach has no time to catch up with your brain—almost guarantees that you’ll take in more calories than you would if you sat down and really enjoyed your food.
Americans gobble their meals far more quickly than people in France, Italy, or other Mediterranean countries. Rapid eating is a sure-fire way to take in excess calories. Here’s why: once your stomach’s stretch receptors sense that it is close to being full, they send a signal to your brain to stop eating. Unfortunately, this signal can take as long as twenty minutes to get there. So people who eat quickly tend to consume a lot of extra calories before their brains get the message. Here’s how to avoid this:
1. Keep your hunger under control by eating frequently, say every two or three hours. This will prevent you from becoming so famished that you practically inhale your food when it’s set in front of you.
2. Take smaller bites and chew slowly. Appreciate the aroma, texture, and flavors, rather than gulping down your food.
3. Eat at the table, not at the kitchen counter. This will help you relax, slow down, and appreciate the food’s flavors and aromas.
4. Get in the habit of putting smaller amounts of food on your plate and on your fork. Don’t overload, either.
5. Set down your fork between bites. Pick it up again after you’ve chewed and swallowed your food. Americans have a habit of filling their fork for a second bite before they’ve finished the first. Food-in-hand quickly becomes food-inmouth.
