HOW TO AVOID OVEREATING

With the rise of obesity, something is causing our society to get heavier, and heavier. Whilst many try to scapegoat a single cause, such as carbohydrates, insulin, fat or GMO, there is a primary driver of our ever expanding waistline, and it’s overeating.

Overeating is the primary cause of weight gain, and you are not exempt from the bounds of science. If you are chronically over consuming calories thus creating a positive energy balance, you will gain weight.

It is NOT your hormones.

It is NOT carbohydrates.

It is NOT insulin.

It is NOT artificial sweetener.

It is NOT fat.

Although all of the aforementioned factors may well contribute to overeating and visa versa, too many calories over time causes weight gain…

Don’t get me wrong, obesity is indeed multifaceted,  it’s generally a combination of factors. However it is these factors that typically lead to over eating: lifestyle, habits,  exercise, socio-economic status etc.

And today I am going to give you 6 tips to help you avoid overeating…

1.Stop Restricting.

Both overeating and under eating are more often than not the result of one another..

When you under eat, you become excessively hungry, resulting in a lack of self control and over indulgence.

Similarly, cutting out the foods you enjoy will lead you to later on indulge in those foods.

Our brain has a limited pool of resources when it comes to restriction and restraint, and if you are restricting yourself constantly, you are a ticking time bomb, and any minute you will explode into a food rampage…

2. Be Flexible.

A flexible diet has been show time and time again to be far more successful in long term weight management than rigid, inflexible diets.

As mentioned above, restriction will often lead to overconsumption.

This is not to say that you can go to town on your favourite foods every meal of every day, but it does mean that you will need to learn how to exercise moderation and control when eating your favourite foods.

Food addiction is controversial topic, but the data does not support this hypothesis, so before anyone claims they are addicted to food, let me stop you right there.

Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of the foods you love, such as chocolate or ice cream, or even pasta.

Simply try to incorporate some of those pleasurable, enjoyable, delicious foods into your diet daily, in moderation.

By allowing yourself a treat every now and then, it makes the process of dieting less of a chore, as it is far easier and more enjoyable to know that you CAN eat any food you want at anytime.

So, satisfy those cravings and lower your risk of over eating.

For example, if you avoid eating chocolate because it’s ‘bad’ for you, try having one piece of chocolate before bed with a cup of tea. This is a much better option than restricting for several days and then eating the whole block.

3. Be Aware.

Be aware of what you are eating, how you are eating it, and when you are eating it!

If you are someone who tends to overeat, I can guarantee it’s because there are occasions where you dont even realise you have eaten!

Are you guilty of woofing your food down without batting an eye lid?

I know I can sit in front of the television and eat a meal without even realising, then wonder where my food has gone!

So, slow down.

Take your time.

Become one with your fork, just kidding.

But seriously, focus on your food and avoid mindless eating.

This simple, yet extremely effective technique requires you to simply stop everything that you are doing and focus only on eating your food, SLOWLY!

Phone away.

Television off.

Distractions, be gone.

By paying more attention and simply being aware of what you are eating, you are likely to eat slower, feel fuller and avoid overeating!

4. Don’t Go Hungry.

It almost goes without saying, but letting yourself get super hungry is a recipe for disaster for many individuals.

Sure, there are some who can go prolonged periods without consuming a single calorie, also known as intermittent fasting, however for most people, regular meal intervals spread evenly throughout the day can definitely help you avoid overeating.

I hear it all of the time.

People skipping lunch and waiting until they get home from work to eat.

Next minute, they’ve raided the pantry and have over indulged because the hunger was too much for them to make a controlled, informed decision.

5. Don’t Label.

Food is food, it isn’t good or bad.

Nutrition is NOT black and white, and studies have shown that black and white thinking can lead to weight regain and continual over indulgence.

It is quite common for people to think that that they have failed if they give in to temptation and eat a ‘bad’ or ‘forbidden’ food.

When you label food and yourself,  it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy in terms of continuing the cycle. You are neither a success nor a failure for the foods you choose to consume!

Avoid labelling your food as not only will it effect your fat loss progress, but it can have negative implications long term and result in binge eating disorder and other eating related issues…

No labels.

No good.

No bad.

No healthy.

No Un-Healthy.

Just food.

Just You.

6. Build Habits.

The key to avoiding over eating is to build habits.

Habits are the cornerstone of weight management, and there are a number of habits that will help you control your eating:

– Eat protein.
– Drink Water
– Eat slowly.
– Consume 2-3 Serves of Vegetables Daily.

Instead of trying to do ALL of the above right away, I suggest you begin from the top and work down. One by one, only moving onto the next once you have successfully implemented the task for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Finally, if you find that you are binging regularly, I recommend you seek professional assistance and speak to a psychologist. You are not a failure for doing so, you just need someone to closely monitor and guide you through your rough patch.

Coach Jacob