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Overeating is a common problem that affects many people. It often leads to weight gain, digestive issues, and other health problems. If you struggle with overeating, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are many ways to avoid overeating and maintain a healthy diet. In this post, we’ll share some tips to help you avoid overeating.
1. Eat slowly: Eating slowly can help you avoid overeating. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re full. If you eat too quickly, you may consume more food than your body needs before your brain has a chance to catch up. Try to chew your food thoroughly and take breaks between bites.
2. Drink plenty of water: Drinking water before and during meals can help you avoid overeating. Water can help fill your stomach and make you feel full, so you’ll be less likely to overeat. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day, and more if you’re physically active.
3. Focus on nutrient-dense/more filling foods: Nutrient-dense foods are those that provide a high amount of nutrients for the calories they contain. Examples include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. These foods can help you feel full and satisfied without consuming too many calories.
4. Avoid distractions while eating: Distractions like watching TV or using your phone can lead to overeating. When you’re distracted, you may not pay attention to how much you’re eating or whether you’re full. Try to eat in a calm, distraction-free environment.
5. Practice mindful eating: Mindful eating involves paying attention to your food and your body’s signals while eating. This can help you avoid overeating by recognizing when you’re full and stopping before you consume too much. Try to savor each bite of food and pay attention to the flavors and textures.
6. Don’t Skip Meals or wait longer than 5-6 hours in between meals: When you wait too long to eat and finally sit down for that meal, we tend to overeat. It’s normal to feel hungry before a meal, but if we are too hungry we tend to eat faster, eat more, and make less healthy choices.
7. Wait before you go back for more: It takes your brain about 20 minutes to tell your stomach that you are full, so if you have eaten quickly it may be too soon to go back for more food.
8. Plan to make more food yourself: Restaurants and take-out places are notorious for giving us more food than we need, especially in the U.S. Making your own food will help you avoid eating large portions.
9. Avoid putting food on a pedestal: I am personally bad at this, but I noticed if I pick 1 day where I get to have my treat and ENJOY it, I tend to make better choices afterwards. If I overeat all week on bad food it is hard for me to enjoy my favorite maple donut without going out and getting more junk food.
10. Avoid eating from containers: Ice cream tubs, chips bags, and cereal boxes are to name a few. We are A LOT more likely to overeat from the actual container verse eating from a bowl that we poured that snack into.
11. Avoid trigger foods: Some foods (at least for me) will set me on a downward spiral and have me wanting to shovel everything in. I usually will engage in these foods on the day I have set up to have me be a little more relaxed on my nutrition like Saturdays.
12. Try yummy meal replacement shakes: There are SO many good ones out there, and I found that they actually save me from having such a big sweet tooth. Here are the top three, 1. Shakeology (my fav!), 2. BodyHealth, and 3. Ka’chava
13. Watch your alcohol intake: Drinking too much alcohol can lower your inhibitions and even increase your appetite. A couple glasses of wine or a beer is okay, but too much isn’t good.
14. Keep a Food Journal: This is a literal reminder of every second you spend snacking or drinking. It really stops you from putting things in your mouth if you have to write about it when you are done.
15. Ditch the Diet mentality: This makes you cringe when you think about it, and also feel like you’re depriving yourself of something. Keep on repeating, “I’m free, I’m free, I’m free of losing control of my eating!” It is a lifestyle I’m choosing for myself, not a diet.
16. Break Old Habits and Create New Ones: Are you used to grabbing something to snack on once you put the kids to bed? Start making a hot chocolate or grab a glass of chocolate milk instead! You CAN create new habits if you do them often enough.
17. Keep your goals in mind: Remember how you feel on the days after you have treated your body well and CHASE that feeling! Remember why you are creating a new lifestyle and that you owe it to yourself to do so.
In conclusion, overeating can be a challenging habit to break, but with these tips, you can avoid overeating and maintain a healthy diet. Remember to eat slowly, drink plenty of water, focus on nutrient-dense foods, avoid distractions while eating, and practice mindful eating. By incorporating these habits into your daily routine, you can reduce your risk of overeating and maintain a healthy weight.
FAQ’s
- Which condition is most likely the cause of overeating? Overeating can be caused by various factors such as stress, boredom, depression, anxiety, hormonal imbalances, and certain medical conditions such as Prader-Willi syndrome, hypothyroidism, and diabetes.
- Who suffers from overeating? Anyone can suffer from overeating, regardless of age, gender, or weight. Overeating can be a result of unhealthy eating habits or underlying medical or psychological conditions.
- What do you do after you overeat? After you overeat, it’s important to listen to your body and give it time to digest the food. Avoid lying down immediately after eating and instead, take a short walk or engage in light physical activity. Drink plenty of water to help with digestion and avoid eating again until you feel hungry.
- What’s the difference between overeating and binge eating? Overeating is consuming more food than your body needs, while binge eating is a type of eating disorder that involves consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time, often accompanied by feelings of guilt, shame, and loss of control.
- How does overeating affect your body? Overeating can lead to weight gain, digestive issues such as bloating, nausea, and constipation, and increase the risk of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. It can also lead to psychological issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.