I am a fast eater, no question about it. I think this habit goes far back into the days of my youth. I can remember coming home from basketball practice with a voracious appetite and inhaling my mothers lovingly prepared dinner in mere seconds.

Not a whole lot has changed from those days as I still have trouble slowing down and enjoying my food. Most days I come home from work and do my best Dagwood Bumstead impression as I rifle through the refrigerator looking for something to stuff in my face.

It is a commonly held belief that eating more slowly will help overweight people lose weight. A slower rate of eating results in eating less, which will help you lose weight over time. Slowing down when you eat will give your body the 20 minutes it needs to tell your brain that you are full and put a stop to the feeding frenzy. Eating slowly also helps improve your digestion.

I recognize that eating too quickly is a bad habit that I have developed over many years. I have a game plan to overcome this problem that involves the following tactics:

• Eating 6 meals a day. Since I seem to be hungry when I get home I am careful to eat something a hour or so before I get home.
• Counting the number of times I chew my food. I have read various opinions regarding the number of times we should chew our food. I think being conscious of counting it helps remind me to slow down.
• Setting down my fork after I take a bite. This tactic works really well to slow my pace down.
• Changing my after-work routine. Normally when I get home I head straight for the refrigerator. By picking a different activity when get home I will hope to break myself of that routine.

It takes a lot of discipline to break a long-held habit such as this. Slow down when you eat and you will find it much easier to control your weight.