Here is your second during eating strategy.

People can be so consumed with adhering to their diet plan they have little regard for the taste, texture, and satisfaction they glean from a meal. They race through mealtimes, devouring food they’ve missed out on because they’re ravenous from overly restricting earlier in the day or week. Often eating whilst distracted by the TV or scrolling on their phone causing them to not pay attention to their thought processes and hunger responses.

They wind up overeating and being smothered in feelings of guilt and shame. It’s no wonder, therefore, that eating speed is a major determinant of a healthy relationship with food – and bodyweight.

To allow yourself to consume the foods you truly want without fearing you’re veering ‘off plan’ or ruining all your hard work, SLOW DOWN the pace of your eating and simply place your knife and fork down between bites.

That’s it.

You see, when we consume hyper-palatable foods, enjoyment around food often increases past satiety – which means we end up eating more than we need. The process of eating slowly, however, gives you a chance to notice when you’re full, savour your food, and inadvertently reduce your caloric intake without affecting hunger levels. Couple this with your One-Bite Eating Strategy from yesterday and you can see how easy it is to shift portion sizes and overall consumption back in your favour.

And importantly there is no restriction, no willpower, no battling emotions with this method. Implementing such a simple action to execute at each mealtime that doesn’t forbid certain foods but increases fullness will promote an enjoyable yet restrained outlook on food.

Taking that extra five seconds between mouthfuls is a straightforward, actionable skill that will also lead to an inadvertent reduction in calories where necessary.

Of course, this can seem like you’re ‘wasting time’ or feel frustrated that you’re having to constantly wait (when you’ve got shit to do), but that’s the point: When you’ve tried to race through things before, it simply hasn’t worked.

Starting today – at every meal and snack – I want you to practice putting your knife and fork down between bites and slowing the duration of your meal right down.

It’s straightforward, easy to remember, and will go a long way in ensuring you keep going with this eating strategy, whether at a restaurant, stressed with work, or even at home eating with the family.

What’s even better? There are no rules around ‘eating this’ or ‘not eating that’; if you have a sandwich and crisps then, great, you eat slowly. If you’re out at a restaurant then, great, you eat slowly. If you have a salad with a glass of wine then, great, you eat and drink slowly. If you’re having three Hobnobs, then, great, you put those biscuits down between each bite.

There are no hard and fast rules, just the art of practice.

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