It’s no secret that obesity is a major health problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of American adults are obese. That’s a lot of people!
But what may be surprising to you is that overeating isn’t just a problem for people who are overweight or obese. It’s also a problem for people of all sizes, including those who are at a healthy weight.
Overeating is defined as eating more food than your body needs. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including stress, boredom, and feeling hungry when you’re not really physically hungry.
Here is a list of tips that can help you control your eating:
1. Be Aware of Your Triggers
Overeating doesn’t just happen. In almost every case, there is a trigger that sets off a cascade of events that leads to overeating. Once you are aware of your own personal triggers, you can be on the lookout for them and put a stop to the overeating before it starts.
There are several common triggers for overeating. These include:
- Emotional eating: This is when you eat in response to your emotions, such as boredom, stress, anxiety, sadness, or happiness.
- Eating in response to cues: This is when you eat because you see or smell food or because someone else is eating.
- Hunger: This is when you eat because you are physically hungry.
If you want to stop overeating, it is important to be aware of your triggers. Once you know what sets off your overeating, you can take steps to avoid those triggers or deal with them in a healthy way.
2. Make Sure You’re Actually Hungry
Often, we eat when we are not actually physically hungry. If you find yourself eating when you’re not really hungry, try to take a step back and ask yourself if you’re truly hungry.
When you’re hungry, you should feel a physical sensation of hunger, such as a growling stomach. If you don’t feel this physical sensation, chances are you’re not really hungry.
3. Eat Slowly and Mindfully
If you want to control your eating, it is important to eat slowly and mindfully. This means being aware of the food you are eating and the experience of eating.
Eating slowly gives your brain time to process that you are full. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to receive the signal from the stomach that it is full. If you eat quickly, you are more likely to overeat because you will not give yourself enough time to feel full.
Eating mindfully means being aware of the experience of eating. This includes the taste, smell, and texture of the food and your emotions and thoughts while you are eating. It can help you enjoy your food more and make it easier to control your eating.
4. No More Dieting!
If you want to control your eating, it is important to ditch the diet mentality. Diets are restrictive and often lead to binge eating. They can also make you feel guilty or ashamed if you “fail” at them.
Instead of dieting, focus on making healthy food choices. Choose foods that you enjoy and that are nutritious. And don’t be afraid to indulge in your favorite foods occasionally. Balance is key!
Also, if you think you may have a binge eating disorder, there are treatment programs for binge eating disorder that can help.
5. Eat Hyper-palatable Foods in Moderation
Hyper-palatable foods are high in fat, sugar, or both. These foods are designed to be “addictive,” and it can be challenging to control your eating of them. Make sure to eat these foods in moderation and pair them with other foods to help balance them out.
This type can include chips, cookies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc. You can still enjoy these foods but make sure to not overindulge. Also, try to pair them with healthier foods so you don’t go overboard.
6. Know Your Limits
When it comes to controlling your eating, it is important to know your limits. This means being aware of how much food you can eat without overeating.
One way to do this is to portion out your food ahead of time. This can help you control how much you eat and prevent you from overeating.
Another way to know your limits is to listen to your body. When you feel full, stop eating. It is also essential to listen to your hunger cues and eat when you are actually hungry.
Overeating is a common problem that can have serious health consequences. If you find yourself overeating regularly, you can take steps to get your eating under control. By following these tips, you can learn how to eat in a healthy way and improve your overall wellbeing.
