You eat fast, you get fat. Why is that? Various studies in recent years have shown that eating slowly leads to better digestion and saves calories. If you take your time while eating, the satiating hormones in the blood increase. And that in turn leads to a general reduction in your eating habits. In addition, meals are digested easily and the nutrients they contain are better utilised. Slow eating is therefore worthwhile in several ways.

2. Take smaller bites

A team of researchers from Arizona State University recently examined the satiety of 300 students. The subjects were given a bagel to eat. Half of the participants ate their bagels whole, the other half in pieces. The conclusion: If the bagel was consumed in smaller bites, the test subjects ate less, and the desire for the following lunch was not as strong as that of the comparison group. According to this study, with smaller bites eaters consumed 28 percent fewer calories.

3. Count bites

According to a study by Brigham Young University, people who pay attention to their bites lose about two kilograms of weight per month. Those who chewed more automatically reduced their food intake by twenty to thirty percent. All in all, this means that we should be a little more aware of what we eat and, above all, how much we eat.

4. Use chopsticks

If you’ve never figured out how to use chopsticks before, now is the time to learn. They require more skill than eating with a fork and knife – and thus slow down your food intake. Which brings us back to tip 1. Especially noodle and rice dishes, of which you can’t get enough otherwise, are best suited for eating with chopsticks. But fish, salad and vegetables can also be eaten with chopsticks.

5. Set kitchen times

A tip that may sound drastic, but is very effective: set limits on when you can go into the kitchen and eat – and concentrate on your goals. For example, you could say that you don’t go to the kitchen after 8 pm so that you don’t get tempted to eat at night. It is also a good idea to brush your teeth immediately after eating. That way, you will mentally keep yourself from reaching for something sweet.

6. Sit at the end of the table

You’re invited to a dinner party or a birthday brunch? Then you better take the seat at the end of the table. Because that’s certainly not where the main courses, bread bowls and appetizers are placed. A seat at the edge of the table makes it much more difficult to always be present – and that will certainly benefit your weight loss plans.

7. Sniffing is enough

The hunger centre in the brain is connected to the olfactory centre at the root of the nose. As soon as you smell certain smells and tastes, a feeling of fullness is already triggered in the brain. So if the right nerve impulses are sent to the brain, hunger can be stopped. Vanilla and cocoa oil, for example, are particularly suitable – they stimulate the production of endorphin and seretonin. Feelings of happiness without chocolate etc.

8. Reach for water

Instead of drinking soft drinks or nectar, you should rather reach for water. To make it a little more appealing, you can enhance it with cucumber, lemon, basil and mint – and put it in the fridge. Looks delicious and, thanks to its aromas, tastes much better than pure water. A special form of this is slim water, which can help you lose three kilos in three days.

9. Attention on short trips

Short city trips can make it difficult to eat healthy food. But quick snacks in between and substantial dinners are not necessary – with a little planning. Make sure you have a balanced breakfast in the morning, with fruit instead of chocolate bars in between. Don’t skip any food, so that you don’t get that big appetite in the evening. In the restaurant, the rule is: it’s best to choose healthy dishes. And ask yourself: does it really have to be the extra portion of parmesan? Or: Can’t I skip dessert?

10. Eat from red plates

Can the color of the plate really influence eating behavior? A question that must be answered ‘yes’ according to scientists at Oxford University. They discovered some time ago that red plates are a good way to lose weight. According to them, their subjects ate the least of these dishes. In general, colour seems to have a great influence on our eating behavior: They also say cocoa tastes best in orange cups.

11. Season food

With fat, food tastes twice as good, because fat is a flavour carrier. However, if you want to lose weight, you must avoid fat as far as possible. The taste is compensated with the right mixture of spices. The best thing about it: strong flavours trigger satisfaction more quickly and slow down the appetite. Basically, all meals can be spiced up – just try out what tastes best. But be careful! Salt brings taste, not aroma. It does not curb the appetite, but it does increase the thirst for calorie-containing drinks.

12. Avoid sweets

Give up sweets? That’s easier said than done. But if you want to lose weight in the long term, you should avoid chocolate, gummi bears and the like – or enjoy them in moderation. The same applies to alcohol, by the way, because it slows down the burning of fat. Alternatively, you can chew a piece of chewing gum between meals, which will curb your appetite. Another plus: the sugar substitute xylitol is effective against caries.

13. Start with soup

Are you one of those people who like to eat a low-calorie soup before the main course? Then you instinctively do everything right, because you consume around twenty percent fewer calories than people who eat the main course directly. At least that’s the conclusion of a study conducted by Penn State University in Pennsylvania. The reason is simple: Soup is mostly water, which fills you faster.

14. Use smaller wine glasses

Wine is a guarantee for extra calories – and how quickly a bottle is emptied with the best friend, especially with jumbo glasses. As scientists at Cornell University in New York found out in a study, people who prefer large glasses drink around twelve percent more wine. A full 24 percent more is drunk by people who also hold their wine glass in their hand. In other words, people who want to save calories drink wine from a small glass and place it on the table.

15. Resort to satisfying foods

A long lasting satiety has the advantage that you will not feel ravenous hunger between meals. For breakfast, for example, muesli made of oat flakes, nuts and fresh fruit is suitable instead of cornflakes or toast. For lunch, potatoes, wholemeal pasta, eggs and pulses are suitable. If you still need a small snack, it is best to go with oranges, apples and grapes.