Slow Down Speed, Eat Less

The Problem with Fast Eating

Eating quickly often leads to overeating, poor digestion, and disrupted hunger signals. When you eat too fast, your brain doesn't get enough time to receive the “full” signal from your gut, which usually kicks in about 20 minutes after you start eating. This delay leads to consuming more calories than needed before your brain says, “stop.” Fast eating is also linked with higher risks of obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.

The Lipostat: Your Internal Regulator

Your body has a built-in system called the Lipostat, a regulatory mechanism that helps maintain your ideal body weight. When you eat slowly, your lipostat has a better chance of detecting caloric intake in time and adjusting hunger levels. Fast eating, especially with ultra-processed foods, overwhelms this system. 

The Power of Slow-Mindful Eating

Slow-mindful eating is about paying attention to each bite, chewing thoroughly, and being aware of your body’s hunger and satiety signals. Slower eating allows your brain to process flavors, feel satisfied with less food, and reduce the emotional urges to snack or binge.

Virtual Coaching Tips to Eat Mindfully:

• Put down your utensils between bites
• Chew at least 20 times per bite
• Avoid screens or distractions during meals
• Practice gratitude and presence while eating

Ultra-Processed Foods: A Speed Trap

Modern diets rich in ultra-processed foods are engineered to be soft, hyper-palatable, and easy to swallow quickly. This increases eating speed and bypasses natural satiety mechanisms. So, I recommend focusing on whole healthy foods that require more chewing, slowing you down naturally and improving digestion, such as more vegetables and/or fruits. Highly watered foods help you feel more full on top of providing less calories, truly helping to boost your weight loss goals. 

Move Slower, Eat Less

Just like with physical activity, slower and more intentional movements at mealtime promote balance and awareness. Taking time to enjoy your meals helps regulate the body’s hunger hormones, like ghrelin and leptin, leading to improved fat metabolism and fewer cravings.

How Virtual Coaching Supports Mindful Eating

Our Free Online Coaching program not only focuses on exercise and custom meal planning, but also teaches sustainable habits, like slow-mindful eating. With our expert guidance, you’ll learn how to:

• Build awareness around food triggers
• Create a mindful eating routine
• Use slower eating to naturally reduce intake 
• Using the right meal portions
• Intuitive eating (with caution)
• Combining the best foods with the best exercises
• Setting long-term weight loss goals
• Checking up on progress
• etc, etc

Last thoughts

Slowing down speed at the table is a small habit that yields big results. Whether you're looking to lose weight or just feel better, mindful eating is a powerful, no-cost tool you can start using today.

Join our Online Training experience and discover how slowing down can speed up your results:

"One bite at a time"