12 Simple Ways To Stop Overeating

Personally, I find nothing better than going out to a nice restaurant and eating until I can barely get up from the table – that’s the Italian way!

But overeating has consequences, and if you’re like me and trying to lose a few extra pounds, constant overeating can derail your weight loss goals and leave you feeling out of control and super guilty.

That’s why I’ve included these 12 easy tips to help you understand how to stop overeating and get off the binge-eating band wagon.

1. Eat Slower And Practice Mindful Eating

I have a hard time with this one because I am genetically programmed to inhale my food (thanks Daddy). However, the faster you eat, the more you tend to eat. This is because there is a delay between the point at which your stomach gets full and the time when your brain actually realizes that you’re full.

It’s also a good idea to practice mindful eating, which allows you to focus on the present moment and be aware of your emotions and senses when eating your food. Chew slower or take breaks when eating to give yourself time to register what and how much you’re actually eating, as well as how it tastes and how it makes you feel.

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2. Plan Ahead

If you’re heading to a restaurant or a friend’s for dinner, try to eat something before you get there so you are not super hungry.

On an empty stomach, you are more inclined to make poor food choices or overeat. I can easily justify eating a 2,000 calorie meal if I get to a restaurant on an empty stomach – diet be damned! If possible, check the menu in advance and pick your meal before you get to there so you are not tempted to pick a higher calorie option.

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 3. Prepare Low-Calorie Substitutes

One of my eating weaknesses is starches – pasta, rice, potatoes. It’s very difficult for me to stick to the recommended serving size for starches, which is half a cup (or a handful). To compensate, I prepare lower calorie options to eat with my pasta or rice.

For example, if I’m having pasta for dinner, I’ll use a potato peeler to shred strands of zucchini into veggie noodles. I’ll mix the zucchini strands with the pasta sauce for flavour, and then add my half a cup serving of pasta on top. The zucchini and pasta mixture fills me up and lets me enjoy my pasta without overeating it.

Another low-carb option is cauliflower. Steam cauliflower until soft and puree in a food processor for a great mashed potato substitute. Add a little olive oil, margarine or butter for flavour and enjoy as much cauliflower as you want. It’s surprisingly better than it sounds!

 

4. Cravings – Thirsty, Hungry or Bored?

There are certain points in the day (usually around 3pm) when we start to get a little tired and start foraging for those sugary or salty snacks. If you start to feel hungry, try drinking a full glass of water first. Thirst is often confused with hunger, so drinking a tall glass of water can easily stop you from overeating.

Still feeling like you need a snack? Rate how hungry you actually are on a scale from 1 to 10; 1 being starving like you haven’t eaten for a week and 10 being full. Most food cravings come from being bored, tired, stressed or other emotions as opposed to actually being hungry.

If you fall into this emotional eating category, be prepared! Pack low-calorie snacks that you can easily grab to fulfil your craving. Keep a backup (non-perishable) snack in your bag as well for when you get stuck on the go and a craving hits.

In a pinch with no healthy snacks on hand? Keep busy. Find something to do to take your mind off your cravings. Most cravings will pass after 15 minutes, so go for a walk, read a book, start cleaning, anything to distract yourself from the bag of chips on the top shelf of the pantry that you told your husband several times not to leave there for you to find.

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5. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

I grew up eating everything put on my plate and have a hard time leaving food behind. To avoid this compulsory habit, I will often pack half of my food for lunch the next day before sitting down to dinner. Once it’s packed, I no longer have the temptation to eat everything in sight and have a better chance of sticking to my calorie targets.

Not packing a lunch? Don’t leave the serving dishes full of food on the table. You may be less inclined to add more food to your plate if you have to get up to get it or if it’s not in your line of sight.

Eating out? Don’t feel bad to ask for a takeaway container to bring your food home. I’ll be honest – when I eat out I like to finish my entire meal, but this tip is more a “do as I say and not as I do” kind of tip. Stop overeating and avoid the guilt that comes along with it; take the food home instead (or use Tip #2 – Plan Ahead!).

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6. Get Rid Of Distractions

Whether you’re binge-watching some Netflix crime thrillers or reading through all the posts on Blush & Pearls, eating while distracted is a good way to overeat in a hurry.

That’s because eating while your mentally distracted means you don’t realize just how many chips you’re popping into your mouth and studies have shown that most people will overeat when distracted during a meal or snack.

Try to focus on your meal and keep distractions at bay (also know as “mindful eating”), or portion out your meal or snack in advance so you can’t go overboard.

 

 7. Know Your Food Weaknesses

Step 1: Identify all the foods in your house or office or car that you know you have a hard time controlling yourself with (for me, it’s pizza, Spicy Doritos or any type of chocolate!).

Step 2: get rid of those foods and stop buying them!

If you can get these foods out of sight, you’ll be less likely to overeat them (and no stopping at the store to buy some more on the way to work – ok?). Instead, review tip #3 above and prepare some lower calorie options that you can eat instead.

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 8. Stop Eating From Bags Or Containers

Ever say “I’ll only eat a few chips” and quickly find yourself at the bottom of the bag? That’s because having all those unhealthy, but yummy, snacks in front of you in large amounts can encourage you to overeat because you won’t realize just how much you’ve eaten (until you finish the bag or carton of ice cream, of course).

Again, portion out a single serving of your foods into a bowl or plate to avoid eating to excess and keep the chip bag in the cupboard.

 

9. Eat Fibre-Dense Foods

Foods rich in fibre are a great way to keep you feeling full longer, which can help you stop overeating.

Snacking on sensible portions of nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables can help you get your daily dose of fibre and avoid the need to eat to excess.

 

10. Keep A Food Journal 

I blogged about my experience using a food journal in my post “5 Weight Loss Tips That Helped Me Lose 25 Pounds” and I can tell that it works!

Food journals are a great way to hold yourself accountable to what and how much you are eating daily. You can pinpoint the foods that you’ve overeaten and possibly identify the circumstances that led you to overeat (did you skip a meal? were you upset? eating out?). Using a food journal also makes you think twice about grabbing unhealthy foods (“I really want this chocolate, but then I’ll have to add it to my journal…”).

I often found myself looking back on my journal later in the day and thinking – “Wow, I totally forgot that I ate that sandwich!” – assuming you track everything you eat properly, a food journal is a great way to keep your eating on track and monitor just how much you’re actually eating.

 

11. Understand Portion Sizes

One of the most important things to understand when trying not to stop overeating is how much a proper portion of food should be. A single portion of the following foods are:

• Starches: a half cup or fistful of rice or pasta. 1 slice of bread or half a bagel
• Protein: 3-4 ounces of meat or fish – about the size of your palm and the thickness of a deck of cards
• Fat: a tablespoon of oil or small handful of nuts
• Fruits & Vegetables: a fist or half a cup.

You can review several visual food portion aids here. A dietitian can help you determine how many portions of each you should be eating a day for weight maintenance or weight loss.

 

12. Eat Healthy Fats

Foods that are rich in healthy fats (like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds) are great for keeping you feeling full, longer and can help you to stop overeating. Just remember not to eat too many high-fat foods, as they are also high in calories.

Now that you’ve learned how to stop overeating, what will you be doing with all that extra time? Do you practice mindful eating?