Common Dieting Mistakes

You see your food from across the room and it looks even better than you imagined. After the waiter sets your plate down, you quickly dig in. With barely any time to chew, you’ve cleaned your plate and now feel overstuffed. Sound familiar? Eating too quickly can be a big dieting issue, as your body doesn’t have enough time to send a “no vacancy” signal to your brain. Slowing down as you eat may not seem like a big change, but it can save you hundreds of unnecessary calories per meal. Stretch receptors in your stomach activate as you ingest food or water, and signals are sent to the brain when your stomach is full. Hormones are also released when food gets to the small intestine, which contributes to the feeling of satisfaction at the end of a meal. By slowing down and pausing between bites, your body will have time to send those signals when you’re actually full — and not past it.