Eating Slower Can Help in Your Weight-Loss Plan

Ever have those times at work or at school where you literally have five minutes to scarf some food down and then go? I know I have several times! When I think about it, what I ate during those five small minutes is not healthy at all. Usually the food I have is a prepackaged, convenient piece of food that I don't even have to heat to eat. Additionally, I eat that food like I'll never eat again and then about an hour later I'm hungry and usually craving chocolate or sweets to give me that energy to get through those last few hours of work or classes. Then, I started to gain weight and in the course of one year I gained a full twenty pounds that was difficult to drop. In our busy lives, it is hard to find time to exercise so I thought to myself, is there something I can do to better myself without hitting the gym? I don't have time for a gym! I'm a stay-at-home mother of a one year old very energetic child and when I did work, I barley had the energy to put a healthy dinner on the table. I found some very interesting research on how we can better ourselves with just some common sense and a minimal amount of effort. After I had our son, I started to literally drop the weight and I was so grateful yet I did not exercise very much. I just didn't have the energy so here's what I did to help me lose the weight.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned is to not eat fast! I used to eat my food in 3 bites and then I would still be hungry. My mother-in-law told me that there is something to be said about eating slowly and that your stomach feels fuller when you eat slower than if you scarf your lunch down. Also, drinking water is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Water is a natural booster and is arguably more effective than those sugar filled caffeine drinks.

Secondly, I had to make better eating choices. Sounds easy but it isn't. If you're used to eating a candy bar, chips, or whatever is convenient you do not want carrots or celery. However, I discovered that if I ate something healthy every morning, say oatmeal, every day, carrots didn't seem so bad for a snack. I ate the same thing every morning and tried to eat something that took a little while to prepare for lunch. Even soup can be a healthy choice that is relatively quick to make and can also be satisfying. By eating hot food, you are eliminating the chance of eating too quickly.

I watch my calorie intake but I do not obsess over it. Even if you exceed your calorie expectations some, it is better to eat one slice of pizza than two. Instead of eating two slices, substitute with something healthy. I love fruits and so if my workplace would choose to have pizza day I could still have my pizza and eat it too, I just didn't eat as much as I would before.

I also learned to eat and snack throughout the day. While this may seem counterproductive it isn't. Yes, you have to choose wisely and I would eat pretzels or low fat wheat crackers and that would get me through until lunch or dinner. Chances are if you are hungry your metabolism is active and your body needs energy. It is just what we choose to feed ourselves that makes the difference. I also walked whenever I could. I was chained to my desk at times and so when I needed a bathroom break I would take the long way to the bathroom and back. I noticed that my energy got a boost when I became active.

Simple choices and small steps helped me to not only lose those 20 pounds, but I have more energy. I actually lost more weight and am now back to the weight I was 10 years ago. I found a way to make small changes to my lifestyle and they have helped so much. Perhaps the biggest choice was to slow down and enjoy my food. Now, I am integrating more exercise into my daily routine and find that my self esteem is much higher now than it was a year ago. I eat slower and enjoy what I eat, even when I snack. By taking a common sense approach to eating, we can become healthier and slimmer.