Strategies To Decrease Overeating |
Do you overeat on a regular basis? Do you often feel "out of control" with food? Are you unable to maintain a healthy weight? Below are suggestions to help you decrease overeating:
1. Eat breakfast. A recent study reports that when you skip breakfast your chances of overeating at lunch increase by as much as 50%. Overeating is best prevented through healthy, satisfying eating. Get each day off to a good start by eating a nutritious breakfast. If time is an issue, a cup of low-fat yogurt topped with low-fat granola and banana slices makes for a quick and nutritious breakfast.
2. Don't skip meals. Skipping meals to maintain or lose weight almost always leads to overeating. The biological wisdom of your body prompts you to eat more whenever you restrict your caloric intake. When you skip a meal you actually set off a series of physiological changes in the body which intensify your preoccupation with food and your urge to eat. Most people mistakenly believe that when they later give in to this powerful urge to eat – and subsequently overeat – that it is because of a lack of will power. Actually, it is the body's own physiology which has urged them to make up for the caloric deprivation.
3. Untangle your emotional connections to food. Many people use food to fill emotional needs, contributing to overeating and being overweight. Do you use food to:
To eliminate emotional eating, use a food diary to identify when and why you eat for emotional reasons. Keep an accurate record for at least one week of what you eat, when, and where. Include how you feel when you were eating. Ask yourself: What happened today to make me feel this way? You may discover patterns that
reveal the emotional cues that cause you to turn to food. Next, find healthier methods to deal with your emotions and find alternative behaviors to eating.
4. Manage your stress. When you're stressed, a chemical produced by your brain called cortisol increases your appetite. Not surprisingly, more than two-thirds of overweight adults report that they eat when they're stressed out. Instead of eating when you're stressed, learn how to manage stress in healthier ways. Start by exercising regularly. Walking for 20 to 30 minutes a day will help
release tension, drain stress-producing hormones circulating in the body, and reduce your appetite. Educate yourself about other ways you can eliminate, manage or dissolve stress.
5. Eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Your body needs you to give it nutrients for energy and to feel satisfied. If you aren't giving your body a balanced diet from whole grains, vegetables and fruits, your body will crave more food in order to get the nutrition you need – and you overeat. Eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits per day. Try substituting them for higher calorie, less nutritious foods. Note: Low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish and legumes are also important elements of a healthy diet.
6. Practice portion control. Overweight people have a tendency to eat a high percentage of their daily caloric intake in one meal. The calories they consume are often in excess, resulting in weight gain. If you've had a problem with overeating, following the recommendations above will help you cut back on your food portion sizes. Remember, overeating is best prevented through healthy and satisfying eating. You can maintain or lose weight and still eat your favorite foods, just decrease your portion sizes. Suggestion: Start a meal with soup or salad. Having a salad or cup of soup for starters can add nutrition to your meal and curb your hunger, which will help you keep portion sizes in check and prevent you from overeating.
