10 Tricks to help you stop overeating all day
Registered Dietician
| 3 min read
Overeating.
We all have done it and not because we were hungry or needed to eat, but just because. For some people this is an ongoing issue, for others it only happens once in a while. Either way, here are a few tricks that will help you stop overeating no matter what the reason.
- Figure Out Why If you are a perpetual overeater, first thing you need to do is figure out why. Is it emotional eating, is it boredom, is it a habit. No matter what the scenario, the why will help you learn more about yourself and how you can stop overeating.
- Drink Some Water 60% of the time we feel hungry, it is actually because we are thirsty. Many people do not drink enough water on a daily basis. You need about 64 ounces a day or about half or your body weight in ounces of water per day. If it is hot outside or you have been active you will need more. So when it is warm day enjoy a glass of refreshing cold water. But if it is cold outside, opt for sipping on some warmed water to help avoid eating.
- Chew on Ice This will keep you hydrated. It will also keep you occupied if you just need to chew or have an oral fixation.
- Brush Your Teeth (and floss too) When you have a nice clean mouth, it will decrease your desire to eat. Try it. It does work because no one wants to dirty their pearly whites. The added bonus is that your dentist will be happy too.
- Chew Gum or Suck on a Mint This helps occupy you while giving your mouth something to do. Plus most foods don’t taste that great with a minty mouth, so it will help you avoid unneeded food.
- Move Around Many times we eat out of boredom or habit, therefore by breaking that cycle by moving around a bit, we can help avoid eating for no reason. This also helps you burn calories.
- Do Something Else This really helps during that night-time want-to-snack-for-no-reason moments. I recommend making a list of things that you like to do and/or a list of things that you may need to do around the house. Then if the urge to snack hits you, you can go to this list and do something fun or productive instead.
- Listen to Some Music Play some of your favorite tunes. Music is actually a natural appetite suppressant because it actually triggers some of the same endorphins as eating.
- Meal Plan, Time Your Meals and Measure Your Food Portions Eat breakfast everyday to help kick-start your metabolism and energize you in the morning. From there you should be eating every 3-5 hours depending on how much you are eating. Measuring portions is essential to avoid overeating. So learn how much you should be consuming and measure food accordingly.
- Breath and Assess Your Hunger Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. Now rate how hungry you are from a scale of 1-10. One being not at all and ten meaning you are actually physically very hungry and in need of some food. With this assessment you can do one of the above tricks to avoid overeating if it is a small number or realize it is time to actually have a snack or meal.
What do you do to help avoid overeating?
Photo credit: Barn Images via Flickr (feature), thefost (inset)
