My name is Emily and I’m a fast eater.  Phew!  It feels good to come to terms with this.  My husband often jokes that I could give Kobayashi a run for his money some days.  Ugh.  It’s a problem I’ve been trying to overcome for years.  I just read an article in which a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating slower leads to lesser calorie consumption.  It went on to say that, “if you rush through each meal, you could end up eating more calories than you need to sustain energy, and over time, these larger portions could lead to weight gain.”  Turns out, in the movie Clueless, Cher was actually onto something when she told Dionne “you lose weight by doing it like this, cutting it really small.”

Here are 4 things I learned on how to slow down while eating:

1.  Stop multitasking while eating.  By focusing on your food and observing your portion size, you’ll force yourself to be more present while eating.

2.  Drink more.  By sipping your beverage in-between bites, you slow down your pace of eating.

3.  Savor the flavor.  Taking the time to experience your food makes it an experience you’ll want to savor and make last longer.

4.  Put down the fork.  The physical act of putting down and picking up your fork will slow your pace, according to a study published in Appetite. In fact, those who put their fork down in between each mouthful consumed 10 percent fewer calories than faster eaters.

Bon appétit!