How To Stop Overeating
Is there a unifying reason for this unhealthy habit or is it dependent on the person?
We are often in a rush. We eat our meals based on our commutes and lunch breaks versus when our bodies ask for food. Our meals are usually distracted and mindless, and we barely take the time we need to recognize when we are full.
If your snack of choice does not contain the nutrients your body needs, your body does not know how to communicate that it needs things like essential fats, complex carbohydrates, and high-quality proteins. Your body needs to receive these nutrients to signal the “Finally! I am satisfied now” feeling.
It is not uncommon to seek comfort and pleasure in food. Whether it was a particularly stressful day, you got into an argument with someone close to you, or you are going through a major life change, food can be the easiest form of stress relief and for some people, therapy.
While overeating can develop from different causes, the steps to get it under control are relatively consistent.
So how do we stop overeating once and for all?
We need to gain a better understanding of one’s emotions and physical sensations and how to effectively manage them. Mindfulness brings awareness and acceptance to the present moment.
Mindful eating is the process of bringing your full attention to your experiences, cravings, physical cues, and emotional responses while eating.
-Eating slowly
-Removing distractions
-Refining communication with your body to recognize true satiety -Distinguishing between physical and emotional hunger - Entertaining your senses with the details of the food
-Healing negative relationships you may have with food - Noticing the way individual foods make you feel
-Learning to truly appreciate your food
These shifts allow you to replace negative thoughts, reactions, and habits around food with more conscious and directed responses. By restoring your attention to the present moment, eating becomes a much more intentional experience versus the automatic, thoughtless encounter that has become the standard in today’s society.
The benefits of eating slower are plentiful. Some include more efficient digestion, better hydration, easier weight management, and more appreciation and enjoyment for the food being eaten.
Eating more slowly is much easier said than done. We are faced with an abundance of distractions in our daily lives, which easily translates to how we address what's on our plate.
Some tips that can help you implement slower eating include:
-Put down your utensils between bites
-Set a minimum number of chews per bite
-Take smaller servings at first and allow yourself to go back for more if appropriate
We are surrounded by distractions! Whether it be responsibilities or entertainment, our attention is taken away from eating when we are scrolling through our emails, watching television, or taking phone calls.
Whenever your brain is occupied by another task, eating becomes a mindless act. This leaves you susceptible to missing your body’s natural hunger cues and often overeating.
Next time you eat with distractions, ask yourself –
“Did I enjoy this food?” “How much did I eat?” “Am I getting full?” “Do I feel nourished?”
Did you know that the same part of your brain is responsible for communicating when you are hungry AND when you are thirsty?
This explains how easily we can confuse the two sensations.
Whenever you begin to feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water and wait 15 minutes. You may be surprised to discover how that satisfies you!
Even if you are hungry and not misinterpreting it for thirst, it is still beneficial to implement this practice. Drinking a glass of water before a meal starts to send the signal of feeling full to the brain before you even start to eat!
A healthy sleep schedule is crucial for many of our body’s natural processes.
After all, our sleep cycle is the time for our bodies to make the necessary switch from our “fight or flight” sympathetic nervous system to our “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system.
Inadequate sleep relates to an increase in hunger signals.
It is important to note that the quality of your sleep is the emphasis here. Just because you have been in bed for 8.5 hours does not mean you slept soundly and woke up rested.
Shortly after eating dinner, we are looking for a snack. Does that sound familiar?
The best advice is to stay busy! Making after-dinner plans, whether it be to meet up with a friend, watch your favorite TV show, or begin a new book, can overcome this sensation. The key is to make sure it is something enjoyable. (That way you are experiencing joy in something beyond your plate!)
Creating some distance between you and your plate once you feel full is a simple and effective way to minimize habitual grazing. The act of pushing your plate away from you, or even putting it all away completely, tells your brain that you are done and there is no reason to keep eating.
If you put your food out of easy reach, it takes more effort to get more. This effort changes this decision into an intentional one versus mindlessly snacking on the leftovers in front of you.
Here are a few tips on removing traps that encourage overeating in our lives:
-Order less and allow yourself seconds if needed - Use smaller plates and taller glasses
-Play around with the color of your dishes
-Don’t eat from the package
We seek pleasure naturally.
This could be from the food we eat, the things we listen to, the view outside our windows, and the joy of good company. That being said, we are not solely filling up on the calories of the food we eat, but the amount of joy we experience by seeing it, smelling it, sharing it, and eating it.
Taking the time to set the mood for a meal can noticeably increase the satisfaction it brings you. Some examples of how to do this are:
-Use your best dishes
-Prepare it nicely on your plate - Light a candle
-Play relaxing music
-Invite your favorite people to join
Each meal should be constructed with nutrients in mind. High-quality proteins like meats, eggs, milk, and beans and fiber (featured in most vegetables) combat overeating. Your brain receives this message and signals the feeling of fullness more accurately and much faster versus the empty calories of the packaged snack foods.
It’s a common theme that our lives are busier than our meal plans.
Maybe you woke up too late to eat breakfast or your lunchtime is stolen by extra work that needs to be done. These are not good excuses for missing meals, but sometimes it is out of your control.
Instead, try to plan to have something available that is easy and nutritious for when you are in a pinch (at the very least have some filling snacks around as this avoids overeating once you do finally get to eat a meal). This deprivation of food throughout the day leads to your body feeling it needs more than it actually does as a result of drops in blood sugar, the release of hunger hormones, and a strong urge to over-indulge.
Stressful situations lead to the release of cortisol, or better known as our stress hormone. It is no surprise that this hormone relays to hunger promotion!
Instead, try practicing some of these stress management techniques when you begin to feel like you need comfort from your food:
-Go for a nice walk
-Take a warm bath
-Listen to your favorite music
-Start a new book
-Arrange to spend time with your loved ones -Schedule a massage or a facial
-Exercise
-Practice meditation
Involving your family and close friends in this process can be beneficial to not only them but to you too! The power of accountability is very strong, and you may find that sharing the experience with them helps you savor the experience more, pay more attention to your meal together, and better avoid overindulgence.
Having someone to discuss this process, share the transformation, and rejoice in the benefits with is an incredible tool to end overeating for good!
Ask yourself:
“Am I hungry?”
“Am I satisfied?”
“Do I need more food?”
“What is causing me to crave more?” “How fast did I eat?”
“Did I eat intentionally?”
“Did I enjoy what I had eaten?” “Would I have changed anything?”
Honor your responses and adjust accordingly. Remember that it is unlikely that this change will occur overnight. However, there are many strategies you can begin to implement immediately that will make a huge difference in your battle against overindulgence!
Feel like you need support on this journey?
I am more than happy to help!