“Eating slowly is the most underrated tool for fat loss,” says Ragnhildur Þórðardóttir, better known as Ragga Nagli.
Ragga is a clinical health psychologist, columnist and personal trainer. She is active on social media and writes about health in human language. Her guns have been a hit for years, and in the latest she talks about fat loss and what she thinks is the most underrated tool for it.
“Eating slow is the most underrated tool for fat loss. But also one of the simplest and most accessible and one you can stick to….forever amen. No matter what you sip from the gin, when you eat, where you are in the world, or who you have dinner with,” says Ragga.
She points to an unnamed study and says the study showed that eating slower is a very effective way to reduce calorie intake.
“The study divided participants into two groups, where a 600-calorie meal of mac and cheese was eaten in either 24 minutes (SLOW) or 6 minutes (FAST). People had to follow a beep sound to take a bite of a certain size, the slow eaters took a bite every 24 seconds, while the other group took twice the size every 12 seconds Immediately after the meal, it was measured whether speed had an effect on satiety and satisfaction with the meal.
Appetite, peptide YY and the hunger hormone Ghrelin were also measured every 30 minutes. Three hours after the meal, people were given a snack of cookies and snacks and were allowed to eat as much as they wanted or until they were comfortably full.
The results showed that two hours after the meal, the slow group was happier and more full, and were more accurate about portion size. The slow group showed greater suppression of the hunger hormone Ghrelin. The fast group showed a higher rate of postprandial flaccidity.
During a snack three hours later, the fast group consumed 145 calories more than the slow group. If we eat fewer snacks at least twice a day and multiply that by 365 days of the year, we instinctively seek to eat less…. no will or self-discipline.
It is also sad that we spend more hours, even days and days thinking about food. Buy raw materials. Cook. Cut. Preparation. Prepare. Set the table. Leave after dinner.”
Ragga gives some tips for slowing down your diet.
“Sit down with a plate in front of you. Use both a knife and a fork Switch to a children’s fork, for example Tulipop. Then it takes longer to arrange the food on the fork. Don’t use a fork as a shovel to pick yourself up. Put the cutlery down as soon as you’ve had a bite. Take sips of water between bites. Try to chew much slower than usual. Imagine that you are a camel ruminating in its makindus. Engage your senses. Think about the food on the plate. Taste. The smell. On the road. Put your hands under the table while you chew. You don’t have to hover over the plate like someone is going to snatch it away from you. Exhale slowly. Then you will find the best taste. Pick up the cutlery when you have swallowed and your mouth is empty. Then place a new bit on the fork. You don’t have to hang on to the fork with white knuckles as if it’s leaving you. Eat and savor mindfully for a long-term healthy relationship with food.”
Read his full column here with other Röggu Nagla materials.
