Could This Simple Idea Be All You Need to Lose Weight?

This article about changing eating habits isn’t going to be any great mystery. It’s about common sense finally kicking in, backed by some interesting research done by a so-called “fat laboratory” in Europe. With the recent news about how we now have 7 billion people on the planet, I couldn’t help but take notice of the statistic being cited that there are some 500 million people on the planet who are considered to be obese. Recently, I was told I fall into that category, standing 6 feet tall, and weighing 250 pounds. I’m about 50 pounds overweight, according to a fitness counselor at a local health club. I’m certain that there are quite a few people who share my problem, whether it’s being just a few pounds overweight, to being perhaps even 100 pounds overweight. I don’t claim to have a miracle diet or cure. What I do have is some information based on some common sense that I’m anxious to try out in hopes that it will help me shed those 50 unwanted pounds. Important to note here is that I had been exercising, walking about three to four miles a day for over a year, and still was carrying 50 pounds too much. In fact, I didn’t lose any weight during that year of walking.
So what is this simple idea that I’m so excited about that’s going to help me and possibly others lose weight? The idea is simply this: eat slower. That’s it. Eat slower. Slow down the rate at which you consume your food. By doing this, the research done in Japan and at the fat laboratory in Europe claims that you will start eating smaller portions. I know in my case, I eat extremely fast. It seems like I’m always in a hurry to eat my breakfast or my lunch so I can get back to whatever I was doing. In fact, if truth be known, I eat faster than probably anyone I know. It makes sense that if I just slow down the eating process, I’ll most likely eat less food.
I’ve also noticed that spending money on food has become one of my worst budget items. Especially if I eat out. So I’m hoping that by eating slower, I’ll not only lose weight, but I’ll spend less money on food. Some of the other benefits of eating slower, according to recent research, is that you’ll digest your food better, and even sleep better. I’m in my mid-50’s and it seems like I know an awful lot of people my age who are carrying more weight than they should and complain about having trouble sleeping. I know of many couples, for instance, who don’t sleep together any longer because one or both of them snore. Based on other information I’ve had an opportunity to survey, I read that losing weight can cut down on snoring. I happen to be one of those people who can’t sleep with my partner. because we both snore. And we’re both about 50 pounds overweight, according to a fitness counselor.
The same study on fat research conducted in Japan and England also suggested that by eating slower, it could make whatever exercise routine you were on, more effective by burning calories more effectively. It should be noted that none of these studies have yet proven conclusively that eating slower is going to solve all these problems of slowing down your appetite or improving your digestion, but the institutions undertaking these studies seem convinced that eating slower will help.
At least in my own case, I plan on eating slower to see if it helps with my weight and my food portions. I also noticed, when I took some of the fitness counselor’s advice, that when I followed through on doing what they called “resistance workouts,” that I started to lose weight. Like a lot of people, I had excuses for not following through on the resistance workouts, because I have trouble getting out of my comfort zone. Resistance workouts involve lifting weights, but it looks like someone using a Bowflex machine could get the same results. But all I’m saying here, is that it wasn’t enough to walk three or four miles a day. I wouldn’t suggest quitting, if you’re already successfully walking. But I’m anxious to see what kind of results I’ll get with eating slower and getting into resistance workouts again. If you have the same problem I have, carrying around more weight than you should, and not exercising as often or enough, try eating slower than you normally do.
If it takes you five minutes to eat normally, try stretching that out to ten minutes. In the study I read about, the subject began by eating her lunch in ten minutes, then was asked to stretch that out to twenty minutes, and then finally forty minutes. So for this to work, you may have to figure out a way to increase the amount of time you spend, sitting down to eat. I hope this information helps someone to lose weight and maybe even save a little on their food budget.