Things You Can Do To Stop Overeating

1. Introduction

Even after having a healthy meal you still crave and eat more that’s overeating. Overeating is done more often by most people. Some eat it out of anxiety or medical issues while others eat it just to satisfy their cravings. Though you have all these issues, breaking the cycle of overeating can be a little challenging.

Overeating can cause medical complexes as well as obesity, which is the one main prominent side effect everyone knows. 

We all love to overeat our favorite food but, eventually, there is no pulling back once it's started. To stop yourself from such unhealthy eating there are a few tips.

1.1. Control your portion

Eating in portions is one of the most effective methods to avoid overeating and helps you maintain your weight. Food portion control helps in managing the quantity of food and makes our overall eating habits a little more controlled.

According to a survey conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, by tracking food one is aware of what they eat which helps in maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle.  

1.2. Make a diet Plan

The best way to make a diet plan is to make it under the consultation of your doctor. The main purpose of making a diet plan is to control your diet. 

A doctor will make your plan according to your likes and dislikes, in that way, you don't have to quit all of your favorite food. You’ll eat it in a balanced form that helps you to lessen your appetite and as a result, you’ll get rid of the habit of overeating.

1.3. Avoid skipping meals

The most common misconception in most people is that by skipping your meal you can lose weight. This isn’t true by skipping meals you only get hungry and end up eating more.

Intermittent fasting is a trendy diet these days whose foundation is skipping meals, but for some people, it can lead to overeating.

Instead of skipping meals, it's better to eat food that is rich in protein or eat smaller meals throughout the day.

1.4. Stay hydrated

You must have noticed that sometimes when you think you are hungry and drink water on that hunger instead of eating something you feel full and don’t desire to eat afterward.

It is because we misinterpret the cues of thirst with the hunger pangs. That leads us to overeating.

1.5. Eat high-protein food

Protein-enriched foods help to keep you full for a long time. Having a high protein intake breakfast for example eggs takes time to digest rather than the bread or Chapati most people have for breakfast which takes time.

More high-protein snacks that help you to keep less hungry include Greek yogurt which reduces the amount of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger.

1.6. Try to avoid watching TV while eating

Eating while watching can lead to mindless snacking and can lead to overeating. When our attention is diverted while eating we eat more.

On the contrary, when we eat without any distractions we focus on the sensory experience of eating and enjoy the meal.

That’s why it is suggested to eat without distractions and try to make it a habit to eat at a specific dining place.

2. What Causes Overeating

Most commonly, overeating happens on occasions when you don't have enough count of food and you eat too much sometimes you eat out of habit, and both can cause weight gain. 

There are plenty of other reasons, too, that cause overeating, and they are as follows:

2.1. Medical Issues

Not everyone who overeats does it out of habit or likes to eat, some people also suffer from extreme medical conditions or are on some medication that causes overeating 

For example, PMS, anxiety, and depression are some of them.

You are more likely to get an eating disorder if you have or had a family history of an eating disorder.

2.2. Stress Eating

Stress eating is usually caused by strong emotions that people find hard to express in front of other people, and to overcome their emotions, they start eating to manage their stress.

It can be expressed in the form of eating chips and chocolates when they are getting bored or when they have nothing to do.

Stress releases a hormone called “Cortisol” that increases the appetite, increased hunger and can lead to weight gain.

Stress eating can cause other issues and can damage a person's health, life, and happiness too.

2.3. Waking up late at night

Another reason that a person overeats is staying up late at night. Most teenagers and adults used to wake up late at night, which made them crave food.

The reason behind this is that the food we eat becomes digested after a certain period, and while sleeping, our body slowly processes that food to keep us full, at least at night, while when we are awake, we eat out of habit or just to satisfy our craving.

Eating snacks occasionally at night is not an unhealthy habit; however, taking them more often can be unhealthy for your health and can cause weight gain and heart disease too.

3. How to avoid overeating?

The main reason behind overeating is that it can change how your body directs your appetite and lead to undesirable weight gain. One of the fundamental reasons we gorge is because it feels much better. Doing more things that encourage you to eat might help. Practice great taking care of oneself: Move your body, get enough (but not to an extreme) rest, and cut off online entertainment.

3.1. Know and limit the foods that are easiest to overeat

Everybody has their singular inclination on the food sources and beverages they appreciate most, so exhortation on which food sources to watch out for will fluctuate from one individual to another. Keeping a food diary can give you knowledge of your dietary patterns, a supportive instrument for distinguishing which food sources you battle with the most.

3.2. Eat slowly

Essentially, not indulging likewise implies halting while you're moving toward feeling full. Segment estimating can help, yet, eventually, dialing back your feast and focusing on how you feel is one of the most incredible ways of abstaining from indulging.

 

The objective is to give your food-filled stomach and hungry cerebrum time to re-sync with each other. It can require up to 20 minutes for your stomach to allow you to know it's full.

3.3. Eat healthy fats

By reading the title, it might sound like something in an eatery that contains less fat, however, it's a little different from that perception. Eating healthy fats means a diet that is low in carbs and contains an amount that makes you full for a long time.

It is noted that people who consume healthy fats are less likely to get hungry 3 to 4 hours after a meal and comparatively reduce weight.