Simple Things You Can Do to Stop Overeating

Self-control is a struggle for many people, especially when it comes to food.Eating too much in one sitting or taking in too many calories throughout the day are common habits that can be hard to break.Over time, eating too much food can lead to weight gain and put you at risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Plus, it can hold you back from reaching your health and wellness goals and may negatively impact your emotional well-being.Although breaking the cycle of overeating can be challenging, there are ways to kick this unhealthy habit for good. Here are 23 effective ways to stop overeating. 1. Get Rid of Distractions Whether it’s working through lunch in front of the computer or noshing on chips while you catch up on your favourite television show, eating while distracted is a common occurrence for most people. While this habit might seem harmless, it may be causing you to overeat.A review of 24 studies found that being distracted during a meal led people to consume more calories at that meal. It also caused them to eat more food later in the day compared to people who paid attention to their food while eating. Make an effort to turn off or put away potential distractions like phones, computers and magazines so you can concentrate on your meal. It will help you eat less and prevent overeating. 2. Know Your Weaknesses pinpointing which foods you have a particularly hard time limiting can help you decrease your chances of overeating. For example, if you have a habit of eating a large bowl of ice cream every night, stop keeping ice cream in your freezer.Preparing healthy options

like a sliced apple with peanut butter, hummus and veggies, or homemade trail mix can help you make better choices when you are hankering for a treat.Another helpful tip is to keep unhealthy snack foods like chips, candy and cookies out of sight so that you aren't tempted to grab a handful every time you walk past. Identify the unhealthy foods you can’t resist. Keep them out of your home or far out of sight, and make healthy options easily accessible instead. 3. Don’t Ban All Your Favourite Foods. Restrictive eating patterns that cut out many of your favourite foods may cause you to feel deprived and drive you to binge on forbidden treats.Diets that concentrate on whole, unprocessed foods are always best, but making room for an occasional treat is perfectly healthy.Swearing that you will never have a scoop of ice cream, slice of pizza or piece of chocolate again is not realistic for most people.Instead, focus on providing your body with mostly healthy, nutritious food while also giving yourself the freedom to truly enjoy a treat here and there. Eating patterns that are too restrictive may drive you to binge. The key to a sustainable, healthy diet is to concentrate on eating whole, unprocessed foods most of the time, while allowing yourself a treat here and there. 4. Give Volumetrics a Try. Volumetrics is a way of eating that focuses on filling up with low-calorie, high-fiber foods like non-starchy vegetables. Consuming foods that are low in calories and high in fiber and water before meals can help you feel full so that you aren't tempted to overeat.Examples of volumetrics-friendly foods include grapefruit, salad greens, broccoli, beans, tomatoes and low-sodium broth.Eating a large salad or a bowl of low-sodium, broth-based soup before lunch and dinner may be an effective way to prevent overeating. Use the volumetrics method of eating — fill up on healthy, low-calorie, high-fiber foods to help you feel full. You’ll be less likely to overindulge on unhealthy foods. 5. Avoid Eating From packages. Eating chips out of the bag, ice cream out of the carton or takeaways straight from the box can lead you to consume more food than you need.Instead, portion out a single serving size on a plate or in a bowl to help control the number of calories you are consuming. To train your eye, try measuring out serving sizes for a week or two until you know what a normal portion should look like. Instead of eating food straight from the package, portion it into a dish. Try measuring out appropriate serving sizes to help train your eye to identify how much food is right for you. 6. Reduce Stress. Stress can lead to overeating, so it’s important to find ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Chronic stress drives up levels of cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite. Studies have shown that being stressed can lead to overeating, increased hunger, binge eating and weight gain.There are many simple ways to reduce your everyday stress levels. Consider using yoga, listening to music, gardening, meditation, exercise and breathing techniques. Stress can lead to overeating, so reducing the stress in your everyday life is one important step you can take to stop this downward spiral. 7. Practice Mindful Eating. Adopting mindful eating techniques is one of the best ways to prevent overeating.The practice of mindful eating stresses the importance of focusing on the present moment and being aware of your thoughts, emotions and senses while consuming food.Many studies have shown that mindful eating is an effective way to reduce binge eating behaviours, overeating and emotional eating. Eating more slowly, taking small bites, chewing thoroughly, being aware of your senses and appreciating your food are all simple mindfulness practices you can incorporate into your daily routine. The practice of mindful eating has been shown to help reduce binge eating behaviours. Mindful eating focuses on being aware of your thoughts and senses while eating. 8. Eat Fiber-Rich Foods. Choosing foods that are rich in fiber like beans, vegetables, oats and fruit can help keep you feeling satisfied longer and reduce the urge to overeat. For example, one study found that people who ate fiber-rich oatmeal for breakfast felt fuller and ate less at lunch than those who consumed cornflakes for breakfast .Snacking on nuts, adding beans to your salad and eating vegetables at every meal may help reduce the amount of food you consume. Add fiber-rich foods to your diet to keep yourself feeling satisfied for longer. Studies show this may help reduce the urge to overeat. 9. Eat Regular Meals. When attempting to lose weight, many people cut out meals in the hope that it will decrease the number of calories they take in.While this may work in some instances, such as intermittent fasting, restricting meals may cause you to eat more later in the day. Studies have demonstrated that eating more frequently throughout the day may decrease hunger and overall food intake.For example, some people may skip lunch to restrict calories, only to find themselves overeating at dinner. However, eating a balanced lunch may actually help reduce the chances of eating too much later in the day. Skipping meals may cause you to eat more later in the day. Instead, focus on keeping yourself feeling satisfied by eating balanced meals made with whole foods. 10. Keep a Food Journal.Keeping track of what you eat in a food diary or mobile app may help reduce overeating.Many studies have shown that using self-monitoring techniques like keeping a food diary may help with weight loss. Plus, using a food journal can make you more aware of situations where you are most likely to overeat and foods that you tend to binge on. Studies have shown that tracking your food intake may help you lose weight. It will also help you become more aware of your habits.