Too full! NEED ADVICE!

[tk21872 1]

I eat too fast. This was also a problem before surgery. I eat so fast, I don't know I'm full till I get up from eating and then I'm stuffed! I need advice. I am terrified of stretching out my nice, new tummy. What tricks do y'all use to SLOW DOWN???? Are there any? I have tried to follow everything and do it right but I am still having trouble with this!!

[mariamitani 405]

I have the same problem and deal with it everyday. I'm 5 months post op. I always eat with a fork and knife and cut everything very small and take each bite at a time. I TRY to chew 20 times before swallowing. Very often I use chop sticks to eat and that has really helped with slowing down. I chop what I'm gonna eat small then use the chop sticks to eat it. I got the chop sticks at the dollar store they had a four pack for a dollar.I also bought a scale on walmart.com the weight watchers one 18 dollars , its awesome. I weight my food and try to keep the total at 4 ounces so if I eat fast I'm not over stuffing. hope this helps

[magpie30 187]

It takes a while to learn to slow down, i mean, think about it all our lives we've been taught to hurry up and eat; now the slower the better. Set a timer, allow 2 min between each bite. It's a bit of a pain at first, but eventually it will become second nature to you.

[FeeIsMe2 508]

How about cutting everything into small pieces (no bigger than a dice)... try giving it a try, my NUT suggested it and it definitely helped me to slow down.

[kulita 243]

I eat with a shrimp fork, and a baby spoon. It helps me a lot. Before I used to eat really fast too. I swear someone would have thought that I served time in prison (never did). Using the smaller utensils helps a lot. I also eat off of smaller plates too.

[Indigo1991 1,612]

Using a small plate and fork, I eat half what's on my plate then stop for a few minutes to see how that feels. If that's ok, I eat half of what's left on the plate - then stop again for a few minutes. If I can eat more, I eat half of what is still on my plate, then stop again.... You get the idea. Depending on heat I am eating, sometimes I clear my plate, sometimes I leave some but I don't get the stuffed feeling.

Lots of good ideas in the answers, hope they help.

[joatsaint 2,814]

My favorite way to slow my eating is to play Bloons tower defense. It's a free online game. I take a bite, play one wave of bloons. Take another bite, play another wave.

I try to incorporate activities in my meal that require my attention. I basically live at my computer, so it's easy to do things like read part of a blog, take a bite, read some more, take a bite.

[yazzy 105]

I use to use a rocks glass ,,i new that if i ate it all even when i ate too fast it was never more than my tummy could fit...so i would never overeat..

[newat52 1,612]

My favorite way to slow my eating is to play Bloons tower defense. It's a free online game. I take a bite, play one wave of bloons. Take another bite, play another wave.

I try to incorporate activities in my meal that require my attention. I basically live at my computer, so it's easy to do things like read part of a blog, take a bite, read some more, take a bite.

That is exactly what I do. I get on the computer or play Work with Friends or even come on here. It distracts me and before I know it, its time to take another bite.

[CharmingTortoise 83]

find a book or class on mindful eating. It is really helpful. The tenets are basically that you never easy while doing anything else - no Facebook, no television, etc. No eating while standing up or driving or at your desk at work. Sit down and enjoy every meal or snack. East everything of a plate or bowl instead of out of a bag or box. It really helps you enjoy your food more and realize how much you're eating.

When I took the class the dietitian said she was intentionally not mentioning Portion Control because intentional eating will eventually cause you to limit your portions.

I highly recommend learning about it, even if you don't follow all the tenets it really gets you thinking more about what you are putting in your mouth.

[tk21872 1]

THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH! There are some incredable tips in here! Going to try them all and see which works best for me!

[buplee 556]

Cutting your food into small bites and chewing at least 30-40 times helps a lot. You should also put your fork down between bites and during chewing.

Sent from my iPad using VST

[lsereno 2,525]

I used a clock with a second hand. Chew for 30 seconds, swallow, wait 30 seconds and then take another bite.

Lynda

[Amie 90]

I pretty much just measure everything. But if I am out to eat, I just really think about how fast I'm eating and try to talk in between bites.

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

I TRY to focus on chewing my food well.. then I play on the the internet for a minute.. take another bite..chew.. internet... wash, rinse, repeat.

I am a SUPER fast eater.. I NEVER even chewed my food previously.. even meats would receive maybe two or three Chomps and get swallowed. It's been the hardest thing to get used to!