How many times have you wolfed down a meal without even realizing that you were eating? Maybe you were at your desk working or watching tv or even in a restaurant when you were really hungry. Research has shown that your eating speed can have an impact on your weight by affecting how many calories you consume.

Researchers at the University of Rhode Island performed an experiment to see if eating speed affected caloric intake. They served pasta to 30 women in a laboratory setting. In the first test, the women were told to finish their lunch quickly - in about 9 minutes. In the second test, they were told to slow down the rate of eating. They ended up taking 29 minutes to eat. These women were encouraged to chew each bite of food 15-20 times and stop eating only when they felt full.

The results: the women who ate slowly ended up consuming 67 few calories than the women who ate quickly. This would translate into a 7 pound weight loss a year. Not bad for making no other changes except slowing down eating speed!

I am sure most of you have heard that it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to signal the stomach that you are getting full. This study is more evidence that this theory is true.

We can all learn a little from this experiment. I bet many of you who eat lunch on the run eat quickly. I know I often do. Most of my clients want to see me on their lunch hour so I literally have 2 minutes to eat lunch in between clients. Sometimes I even eat lunch standing in the storeroom because I do not want to office to smell like food…

Tips to slow down your rate of eating:

1. Really be aware of your eating speed. Make a point to slow down. You may even want to set a goal of taking at least 20 minutes to eat a meal.

2. Get a big bottle of water and tell yourself you have to finish it by the time you are finished with a meal. Alternate sips of water with bites of food.

3. When eating with other people, try to be the last person to finish your meal.

4. Eat food that takes longer to eat. Examples: soup or salad. Studies have shown the people who start their meals with these foods end up eating less at the meal.

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