Overeating is basically consumption or eating of excess food that is not even required. The extra food is just a waste in relation to the energy and calories a human being can expend that drastically leads to obesity or weight gain. It may also be regarded as eating disorder that can affect the overall health of a person from the body to the mind. This means one need to know how to stop overeating.
There is always an obvious reason that we eat for some cause and reason. Whether be it hunger or your appetite, social gathering or some celebration, to cut boredom or to soothe oneself, eating can be fun and happening. To prevent ourselves from overeating let us first understand the reasons behind overeating.
HUNGER: THE NATURAL PHYSICAL NEED THAT FORCES YOU TO EAT
Can you imagine all the rumbling going on in your stomach? That is called hunger pangs or physical sensation called hunger. A number of studies have found that how our hormones start and end the eating trigger that plays a major role in maintaining the body weight. This includes very important hormone called ghrelin that triggers the hunger and leptin that works to reduce it. The presence and absence of hunger sensation is all dependent on these hormones. It is all scheduled, the time of the deal, what meals you want to eat, your emotions such as contentment or stress all affect these hormones badly. The overall key is how to stop hunger.
APPETITE: THE ULTIMATE DESIRE TO EAT
Appetite is the amount of hunger you crave for. When some food looks very tempting or you just imagine your favorite food that time only you start feeling hunger and your stomach starts calling you to eat something. The appetite regulation can be from mild to severe that can gradually change your body weight such as anorexia and bulimia. Appetite can be affected by many reasons such as medications, disease or something related to your psychology.
SATIETY: THE CONDITION OF YOUR STOMACH WHEN IT FEELS FULLER
It is the feeling of being fuller and you cannot eat another bite or so. Studies have found that feeling fuller can kill your appetite and hunger. One can feel fuller by eating solids rather than liquids, eating frequently or choosing low-calorie and high-volume foods or substituting whole-grain products with refined ones. So low-carb or proteins offer a nice advantage when the thing comes to satiety.
THE MINDLESS EATING: EATING WHENEVER YOU FEEL LIKE
This mindless term of eating is opposite to what we have discussed above. Are you a prey to mindless or thoughtless eating? Have you ever noticed that whenever you order a large sized pizza you typically eat and every slice? Does boredom, watching TV or taking on phone triggers your overeating appetite? Yes, the reasons to eat are avid and no doubt complex. Obesity is spreading like an epidemic in many countries that is just because of unhealthy overeating. It is very critical to find certain ways in order to suppress the problem of overeating, normalize the desire to have unlimited food, feel satisfied and deal with awkward situations that trigger mindless overeating.
To overcome the problem of overeating we have compiled a list of about 10 different ways that will help you out to control your extra appetite and stop eating something extra. So buckle up, follow these amazing tips and convince yourself to overcome this habitual problem. It is all about eating healthy and eating in the right quantity.
“Fiber enriched foods are the best replacement of high-calorie unhealthy junk that lead you towards obesity.”
10. Eat Slowly
Eating slowly is not at all a new concept for anyone. It is always advised to eat slowly and to chew the food properly, in order to help proper digestion. Sipping water during the meal and chewing the food properly before swallowing will let you take some good time on the table. This way you will less think about eating unwanted or extra. According to a research, it takes about 12 minutes for food satisfaction signals to trigger the brain of a sleek person, but for a bulky or fat one it takes more than 20 minutes. Eating slowly ensures that the important message get the time to reach the brain properly.
9. Use A Hunger Scale
Do you really know what hunger feels like? Before you dig into some food, you need to learn what hunger is and what are the different physical aspects that will signal you for true nourishment. Before eating anything at any time of the day consider the following hunger scale for your true food needs:
Starving: It is an empty feeling in the stomach that is often uncomfortable with light-headedness or shivers caused by low blood sugar levels because of an empty stomach.
Hungry: You think about your next meal and if you don’t eat within an hour you will enter the territory of starvation.
Moderately Hungry: Your stomach might start growling and you start thinking of eating something. This is the optimal eating lap for everyone.
Satisfied: This is the feeling when you eat your meal and you are neither full nor hungry. You are comfortable and relaxed to continue your daily chores.
Full: If you’re still eating on the table it means you are going out of the momentum than usual hunger. Your stomach will feel little bloated and food will not taste the same way it was when you took the first bite.
Stuffed: It is when you overburden your stomach with food and you start feeling heartburn because of the stomach acids. This is where you are doing an eager overeating.
8. Eat After Every 4 Hours
If you still don’t understand what true hunger is all about then you have to set your watch for proper meal intervals. From a moderate to some full hunger pangs, they will hit you after 4 to 5 hours of a balanced meal. Waiting for too long will let you do overeating as you might need more energy. Regular eating can provide you proper energy and it will keep your blood sugar level stable that you help you to avoid eating something excess. If you feel hungry between your usual meals, a low-calorie snack can help you suppress your immediate hunger. Let us share a few ideas:
- Try out some fruits and unsalted nuts. These contain more fiber and water that will easily overcome your hunger.
- Avoid eating packed chips, cookies and high-calorie food items.
- You can also eat some raw vegetable like cucumbers, carrots or radish, in order to perk up your hunger.
- If not then have a glass of low-fat skimmed milk.
7. Be Aware Of What You Eat
You need to be attentive about what to eat and consider the whole eating experience. Never eat when you are driving or working on the computer, this might lead to overeating and the question “How to stop overeating?” will never click your mind. This is actually when we are distracted or too busy in some work, we eat in a hurry and we don’t get to know how much we have eaten. It is simply not registered in our mind that will lead us to eat more in the coming hours. According to a research, a pre-meal ritual can relax your mind and let you eat properly with the enjoyment of every bite you’re taking in. Give your every meal proper time and full attention and always notice when you had enough of it. Force yourself to stop and start packing up the table when everyone else has finished.
6. Eat Breakfast Like A King
According to a British Journal, study has found that people who eat their breakfast like a king are more likely to survive the hunger pangs then the ones eating their later meals like a king. If you eat more fat, proteins and fiber in your breakfast, you will stay satisfied for the whole day and will eat less for the rest of the day. But unfortunately, many people in our system start their day with an empty stomach. In a survey done by the British Journal team, when people eat in the morning, the meal they get is a full-time breakfast only about 1/3 of the meal time. If you are feeling full-fledge hungry in the afternoon, it means you are not having a proper breakfast. Go for minimum of 250 calories and follow these three amazing tips:
- Prepare you breakfast early. Cut some fruits and separate some of the yogurt to enjoy every morning.
- Stash your office drawer with single-serving cereal boxes or instant oats so that you can have breakfast whenever you reach your office.
- Have a late breakfast if you don’t feel like having it early morning. It will; help you to stay controlled for the rest of the day.
5. Munch On Fiber Frequently
Fiber can fill your tummy faster and will help you to stay energetic all day long. Our body process fiber enriched foods slowly that is why it may satisfy your hunger long after eating it. Fiber enriched foods are usually high in volume which means that they can help fill your stomach quickly while eating fewer calories. According to a research intake of high fiber cereals has lower body mass index and reduced type 2 diabetes and heart problems. Always remember to get at least 25 g of fiber-rich food a day that may include apples, carrots, cereals and oats. These are naturally high in fiber and try including them in every meal and snack of the day. Try replacing your everyday refined grain bread, pasta and rice with whole-grain items.
“Always remember to drink a lot of water in the whole day, as water fills your stomach and lets you avoid unwanted eating.”
4. Go For High Volume Meals
Solid foods that are high in water content can help you overcome your overeating habit. When we eat foods with higher water content like fruits and vegetables as compare to food with low water content such as crackers and cookies, we get fewer calories in bigger portion. The tagline is to consume more food with fewer calories at the same time. These similar facts work with food containing air content. Study shows that people eating air puffed crackers are more likely to feel satisfied than the one eating some denser and heavy cookies. So eat fewer calories by eating more of your favorite food. Try the following healthy tips to fill up:
- Start your everyday dinner with some salad or be it your everyday dinner. Make sure to add vegetables, beans and lean meat.
- Try eating fresh fruits instead of dried fruits. In this case, you can have a cup of fresh fruits in fewer calories than dried fruits with lots of calories.
- Add some extra veggies to your dinner such as chopped tomatoes, steamed broccoli, baby carrots or spinach.
3. Eat Proteins
Research has found that women eating proteins during their diet plan are more likely to shed weight than other women planning some other diet. High-protein eaters feel fuller and satisfied and feel less hungry for the day. Also over the period of 12 weeks women added more lean body mass that also included calorie-burning muscles. Always try to have a serving of lean proteins such as egg whites, tuna or skinless chicken meals. The serving of the meat should be the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm and that should not include your fingers. Another very good protein option is to add beans in your diet such as black beans, chickpeas and whole soybean. These all are low-fat, high in fiber and filled with protein.
2. Keep Up The Appearances
Always keep in mind if you eat in a smaller plate, you will always intend to eat less and healthy. Use a small sized plat and pay extra attention to the presentation of the meal. This will help you to increase the awareness of the food you are going to eat and will help you to stop overeating whenever you feel uncomfortable. The brain literally looks at the plate and thinks if this is enough for him. It will take time to gulp in the reality, but a smaller plate will force you to have a smaller portion that will lead to less eating and overcoming overeating.
1. A Glass Of Water Before Every Meal
Always remember to drink a lot of water in the whole day. Water fills your stomach and lets you avoid unwanted eating. Try to drink a glass of water before every meal and sip in some after every two or three bites. Avoid drinking carbonated drinks during your meals, as they may bloat your stomach and you may feel uncomfortable and heavy. Water usually suppresses you hunger and drinking cold and chilled water will surely help you out in suppressing day to day hunger. So always keep a water bottle with you whether home or outside. It is up to you, how you want your life to be.
Some Helpful Tips
- Don’t make overeating you addiction. Always think before eating anything and how it will affect your body.
- Stop trying to be a perfectionist as they tend to fall in eating disorder quicker than the other people.
- Always measure you weight on the scale. If it is growing drastically then check for your everyday diet.
- Stop having cheat days, these are the roots of overeating.
- Control your hunger in different celebrations and family events.
- Enjoy your meal and never try to over stuff whatever you enjoy.
- In case you overeat for a day, workout to burn those extra calories.
- Always think positive and God will help you.
Overeating is now general problem for people. Your blog gives simple and effective tips for stop overeating. These tips are useful for everyone who wants to avoid overeating.