My cat, Bendi, would eat himself comatose if I left food out for him. And he eats so fast he gets the hiccups. Every time. (Which is adorable, but probably not a good thing.) He is also not yet 1 year old and is a big cat, so I knew I needed to do something and fast.
First I switched him to a less fattening adult food (his birthday is next month) and then we have been trying out cat food dispensers to slow his intake. So far his favorite is the PetSafe SlimCat Interactive Toy and Food Dispenser Ball.
He has a constant purr as he bats it around like an expert. It is the cutest thing. It has also slowed him down significantly and he appears to be on high alert to every sound in the house (as opposed to laying down – yea, he did that – while eating from his bowl.) He is always pausing and listening. When he is done, instead of hiccuping, he flops out in total contentment.
a vacation in my mind 
Have you found that since he’s used the ball he has lost some weight? I am thinking about purchasing one for my overweight kitty. She used to be in good shape then when I got married, my husband was feeding her little by little without my knowledge, so she got fatter and used to having more food throughout the day.
I monitor his food. I measure out what he is allowed per day and give him bits from that cup throughout the day. This helped him not get hiccups, helped his prey drive, and challenged his mind. He needs all that.