10 Reasons Why Eating Slowly Is Hard

By Ginette Lenham- Registered Counseller

10 Reasons Why Eating Slowly Is Hard 

Are you a fast eater? Don’t worry, you’re not alone!  

One thing we encourage our patients to do is to slow down when eating and to chew their food carefully.  

Why? Chewing well helps to signal the beginning of the digestive process and relaxes the stomach before digestion. Eating slowly allows you to listen to your hunger and fullness cues to prevent overeating. However, for many people this is challenging! 

Here are some common reasons why our patients tend to eat fast: 

• Growing up in a large family where it was ‘first in first serve’. If you missed out it was bad luck and you had to wait for the next meal. 
• Going to boarding school where you had to eat quickly, or you would miss meals. 
• Getting too hungry and missing the cue to eat so then you become extra hungry and eat quickly. 
• Eating quickly as a defense mechanism. Some patients eat quickly to almost pretend they haven’t eaten as much food as they have. 
• Secret Eating. Eating quickly when you don’t want anyone to see you due to shame. 
• Perceiving eating as a chore that takes you away from an activity you enjoy. Eating as fast as you can to get back to what you were doing. 
• If you are on a tight work deadline and only have a small window for when you can eat e.g. 5 minutes between meetings. 
• Parents with newborn babies or toddlers as you are busy feeding children and putting them to bed so don’t have the time to eat slowly. 
• Being told as a child that if you don’t eat all your dinner, you won’t get dessert. Or, being told as child that you must finish everything on your plate. 
• Mimicking other people’s eating habits. If you are in the company of fast eaters, you may find yourself trying to eat at the same pace. 

 Understanding why we eat quickly can help bring about a positive change in our eating habits and help you achieve your health and weight loss goals.  

At The BMI Clinic, our weight loss programs offer gold standard care including support from doctors, nurses, dietitians, exercise and behavioral specialists, as we understand that weight loss is not as simple as eating less and exercising more. 

Want to learn more about how our programs can help you achieve your goals?  

Book in a FREE, commitment-free call today with our friendly team and they can answer any questions you have.