Anyone else eat really fast because they find eating boring?

Question

I know this may sound strange but I'm always told I eat too fast. The thing is, eating too me is something I have to do like a chore. So I just want to eat and get back to whatever I was doing.

Everyone seems to tell me this (maybe they find it rude) so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how I could change this.

Oh and when it is a food I really like, I will eat double portions because I eat so fast my brain doesn't realize my stomach's filling up.

Hey, I'm soft around the edges, but no real weight issues (no, that's not my pic).

I'm more concerned about other people's comments on my eating habits.

Answer 1

hahahaha thats funny

Answer 2

I had the same problem. I am a stay at home mom and while the kids are not outside and playing in their room and I had my time I would watch T.V. and eat. I am not fat but I could be skinnier. Anyway. I got tired of feeling bad about myself and decide to eat 3 meals a day and absolutely nothing else. I can see that it is working. I have stuck too it and and not hungry unless I eat dinner really early and stay up late. It's O.K. to cheat every now and then like once a week or so, but don't give up and gorge because you already messed up. Just have that snack you crave. Believe in yourself and be strong. After a while your stomach shrinks and you get full faster and stay full longer. Keep yourself busy. If not on the computer. Then at work or playing with the kids or pets or go for a walk. Shop or take up a hobby to keep your hands occupied. Good luck.

Answer 3

I, too, have complained that eating is like a chore. Oddly enough, as much as I hate having to eat - I am overweight. But it rather fits hand in hand. I eat very few times in a day (when I very well know I should eat several small meals throughout my day) and therefore my body thinks there is a food shortage. So I store the fat. It's a vicious circle and one I am struggling with even today. I suffer from frequent heartburn due to the lack of eating often enough even.

What I would like to know is if it is hereditary. My father is the same way, as is two of my four children (both of them being the boys... which I find odd considering I am a female). So it's certainly not gender specific.

Helping me to eat more slowly, I have found that engaging in conversation while eating does help to distract me from my "duty". I also try watching TV. Those two things really can help to slow you down. As far as overeating when you find the rare favorite and undutiful meal to indulge in? I suggest taking in the normal serving (and if unable to find a reasonable serving size for yourself, then ask someone else to grab up the serving for you to their "eye of normal proportion"). When you have consumed your serving wait approximately one hour and see how your stomache is feeling then. Usually you will have registered "full", "comfortably full", or "still hungry" sensations by this time. It seems to work for me... so maybe it will work for you!

I always did say, if I could figure it out ... I'd invent the pill that you take once a day and it feeds you all day irradicating hunger pangs, heatburn and obesity (along with a billion other diseases related to eating poorly). I'm still working on that idea... LOL!!

Good Luck!!

Answer 4

If you are serious about this, then I think you should go to some great lengths to make meal time less of a chore. This is hard with breakfast and lunch, I know. But at dinner, you should be able to do it. Like, don't eat while you are doing something else (watching TV, reading paper or magazine, etc.). Really focus on the eating - the sight, the smell, the taste. In order to do this and really enjoy it, you have to be sure there is "presentation" to the meal to begin with. Make it look appetizing. Use the good china, so to speak. Light a candle. Put on some music. Set up your table by a window with a view. Have a good dinner companion. (Ban certain topics from the dinner table if they are upsetting or stressing to you. Only talk about light hearted things or things that make you feel happy.) Do whatever you can to make the meal time something to be "savored" and a time that you don't want to end right away. At first you might have to set a timer to force yourself to sit at the table for a set period of time just to be sure you are slowing down, but eventually, if you are addressing all the issues, you should really look forward to this time.

Answer 5

Most fast eaters I've known did it because it became habit from school or military basic training (or growing up with a sibling who would take their food) becuause they often didn't have time to eat their meal in a leisurely fashion.

I enjoy eating (unfortunately) but still often eat faster than those around me but I'm not sure if that's due to being rushed back in school, or just because I'm anxious for the next yummy bite.

Eating slower can help one control their weight though, as they will realize they have had enough when it occurs and not after they've already eaten well beyond the point of feeling "full".

Answer 6

Sounds like you are a work-a-holic, unless the food is good enough to distract you long enough for seconds. My husbands the same and he burns off calories fast too. Do you too? I am jealous. I suppose some could see it as rude but I have become resigned to this style of eating habit in my house.
I see it really bothers you that you offend others, that's considerate of you and refreshing. You could give my crew a lesson or two. I think you have the will,now you have to put it to the test. Smaller bites and longer chewing. Good Luck!
I give Wonder Womens answer a thumbs up, it's great! Check it out below---

Answer 7

I have worked as a medical technician for 40 years. I perform procedures that requires coordinating doctors,technicians,equipment and patients. Whew! I never get the time to eat slowly. This is very customary for people in the medical care areas. After 40 years,I'm so programmed. I'm retired now and I'm having one heck of a time slowing it down. It is an embarassing,unhealthy and rude behavior in a normal setting.We should take a minimum 20 minutes to eat a meal.Boredom with food isn't my problem. I love to eat and enjoy my food. Did you know that people that eat slowly are believed to be better lovers? I look at the time when I eat and try not to finish before the 20 minutes is up. It is unpleasant to sit with someone chewing wildly and gulping their food down especially when with people that are expecting a leisurely meal. You know the rule is that you are supposed to gauge it so that you stay in sync with your dinner partners so you finish at the same time. This is something that is worth working on. Good luck! and Happy New Year!

Answer 8

I think eating is a pain, but at the same time I love food.

I think you will end up overeating if you keep that up.

Ask yourself, what have you got to do that is SOOO important you have to whiz by food like that?

Frankly I have to watch what I eat, so because I have to watch what I eat, I pay attention to my food and try to enjoy each bite. I make what I really like to eat too...not all the time of course but for dinner let's say.

If you make the whole atmosphere of eating a really pleasant one (nice table, dishes, candles, ambience, etc.) then it becomes an EVENT and not just a quick drive by grab through or whatever.

Try to make one meal a day (dinner) like that, and try to eat healthy, and do slow down.

My middle son is like you and honestly, he may as well eat cardboard for all the attention he gives to food, yet he is the fussiest eater and won't eat anything nutritious or healthy even though he had cancer too. He drives me crazy with worry and is so stubborn (and only 12...I can imagine all I have to look forward to!!!).

So do yourself and your body a favour and try to give food a little more respect. You have all the time in the world to get "back to what you were doing".

It just requires a little discipine on your part, and you really should learn to do so. As you get older your "poor" eating habits will affect your social life and how people view you.

Imagine dating and inhaling your food like a pig...not very nice. It's good manners to treat your food with a little respect! LOL

Answer 9

I don't like the food I cook for my husband. It's totally boring. So, I really don't eat them. I just eat what I want at my own pace (before or after meal time or while answering your question). He really hates my eating habit, but I'm the same size as I was 20 years ago. Just remember you don't always have to sit down and eat your meal.

Answer 10

I agree. I get my attitude from the military, food is merely fuel, so bolt it down and let's get going. I actually resent the time I have to spend eating as it takes away from what I could be doing, if possible I eat while I work. No, it's not strange at all.

Answer 11

Eating really fast is actually not a good thing. It expands your stomach quickly, which helps lead to gas and bloating. It also stretches your stomach, encouraging larger portoin sizes which are unnecessary. If you focus on eating slower, you will be much happier, and it will also help people to manage weight issues.