Healthy Strategies To Control Overeating

Healthy Strategies to Control Overeating

A healthy approach to controlling your appetite!

How many of us ate a few too many chicken wings and sliders this past Super Bowl Sunday? It is definitely not uncommon to over-indulge or mindlessly snack on your favorite foods. Over-eating may be a challenging habit to break; but good news, you can overcome over-eating and take back control of your appetite!

Keep scrolling to learn healthy strategies to help control overeating!

We've all been there... The feeling of fullness after a big meal or the discomfort we feel after mindless snacking in a short amount of time. Overeating habits may be the reason our progress and results are not showing up as quickly as we would want them to.

Overeating and what we call "emotional eating" are common habits that can be hard to break. With today's fast-paced lifestyle and what seems to be ever-increasing portion sizes, it's easy to fall into the overeating trap. Luckily, there are many strategies and techniques to help control your appetite and start eating with a mindful approach!

Today's blog post not only provides five healthy strategies on how to control overeating, but also provides techniques to perform when you're feeling discomfort after over-indulging in those tasty foods.

5 Healthy Strategies to Control Overeating

1. Eat without distractions

There's a reason this strategy is at the forefront of today's topic. Your iPhone, tablet, or the Netflix series you're watching might be why that one bowl of chips went to a few!

An interesting review, found that more calories were being consumed when the person is distracted during that meal. This could be from scrolling on social media while eating your bowl of oatmeal or multitasking on your computer during lunch.

To prevent overeating from happening, try making an effort to put your phone down and close your laptop during meal times. This will help you focus on the food you're eating and help you slow down each bite!

2. Eat smaller meals frequently throughout the day

While some people struggle to eat early in the day, eating smaller meals more frequently may prevent you from overeating at night time.

Intermittent fasting or skipping meals to "save calories" may be common for some, but if these diet strategies are turning you to overeat in the evening, you may want to consider smaller meals throughout the day!

The body is smart and knows when it needs food: listen to it and keep it satisfied all day. If you're getting hunger signals early in the day, try fitting in a healthy snack or a small breakfast to help prevent overeating later in the day!

3. Portion control

Portion control. Another simple, yet challenging habit to start. Eating out of the bag or a large container can lead to consuming more food than intended.

The easiest way to control this is to portion out a single serving and to utilize measuring cups or a food scale to ensure you are getting the appropriate amount. After-all, we all know that a 32 gram serving size of peanut butter can easily turn into 50 grams without intention!

4. Avoid restriction throughout the day

Have you ever heard the phrase, "The more you resist, the more it persists"? This goes hand in hand with food choices and may lead to overeating.

Do you find yourself cutting out certain food groups? Or do you specifically not buy an item at the grocery store, but later find yourself bingeing on all other foods in the pantry?

This may be because you're restricting yourself from eating those foods and your body feels deprived in some sort of way. Instead of banning all your favorite foods, allow yourself the freedom to have an occasional treat. However, if some foods may be triggering for you, consider finding a healthy replacement to satisfy your cravings!

5. Aim for high protein & fiber

Protein and fiber are going to be your holy grail when preventing overeating. This is because protein essentially keeps you fuller for longer and keeps you satisfied throughout the day.

Additionally, fiber comes into play when you consume hearty, whole-grain foods to keep your satiety in check and aids in digestion. Fiber can be found in foods such as:

Whole grain bread
Oatmeal
Leafy green vegetables
Fruits such as berries and bananas
Nuts & seeds

Adding in high protein snacks throughout the day will also aid in appetite control and satiety. Greek yogurt, beef jerky, eggs, and protein shake are all healthy snack ideas to add to prevent overeating!

What To Do After You Overeat

Now that we have established 5 healthy strategies to prevent overeating, let's look at some techniques to perform if we find ourselves feeling guilty for consuming too much!

Avoid self-sabotage

Negative self-talk and beating yourself up isn't going to help you feel any better after you just overate. Instead, try switching those thoughts; think of kind words to say to yourself to help you avoid overeating in the future.

Remember that one large meal or a night of snacking isn't going to ruin your progress or health goals. It is important to keep in mind that digging yourself deeper into guilt may ignite the continuum and only increase the chances of overeating or bingeing in the future.

Journal out your thoughts or talk to a friend or family member about what you're feeling. This may seem simple, but is used as a healthy strategy to avoid negative self-talk after overeating!

Go for a walk

Feeling discomfort from overeating is quite common. A way to ease up this feeling a bit is to go for a walk. Now, this doesn't have to be an intense 5k, but a light walk after overeating is very beneficial.

A 10 minute walk can be enough to help speed up your digestive system and help boost your mood by raising those endorphins!

Drink water

Of course drinking enough water throughout the day is beneficial for your overall health, but making sure to drink water after you just overate is going to help flush out extra sodium and help speed up your metabolism.

Kristen Smith, R.D explains to drink water, but not overdo it. "Stick with four to eight ounces after a large meal," advises Smith. "Then, aim to stay hydrated for the rest of the day."

The last thing you want to feel is more full, so an adequate amount of water will be beneficial, but no need to overdo it!

Plan your next meal

We understand. The last thing you want to think about is eating more food. However, planning your next meal will serve you in the long run because it will allow you to have time to practice portion control, plan a healthy meal, and practice mindful eating.

A good way to plan is to jot down some healthy recipe ideas and to create a food journal, indicating portion sizes and even a calorie number to help keep you on track!

Practice mindful eating

Corresponding to slowing down when you're eating, mindful eating is another technique you can practice during meal times. "Mindful eating is when you slow down while eating, notice any emotions you're feeling, and taste the foods in your mouth," says Jennifer Taitz, Psy.D.

Mindful eating will not only help you slow down and enjoy the food you're eating, but will also help reduce stress. This practice will essentially help you relearn how to eat, as opposed to what to eat.

RESOURCES

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-what-to-do-after-overeating

https://www.eatright.org/

https://drjennytaitz.com/

https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/how-to-start-mindful-eating

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