5 Simple Tips to Stop Overeating
Eating just one cookie can easily turn into eating an entire box if you aren’t careful! It may feel satisfying at first, but once you’re met with a stomach ache or tighter fitting pants, you may regret that choice. The importance of watching the type and quantity of food that you consume is a key factor to living a healthy lifestyle. Read on to learn tips to stop overeating and keep your diet on track.
How to Stop Overeating
5 helpful tips to ensure that you keep your diet on track and don’t overindulge:
1. Drink Water
Dehydration can be easily confused with hunger. Next time you have hunger pains, try drinking a glass of water instead of reaching for a snack. If you’re still feeling hungry after 30 minutes, go ahead and reach for that healthy snack (see tip 4 for healthy snack ideas). Having a glass of water before a meal can also help you eat less and feel full sooner. As a bonus, water is calorie free and can also help you look slimmer and feel more alert.
2. Eat Breakfast
Eating regular meals goes hand-in-hand with preventing overeating. What you eat first thing in the morning can set the tone for the rest of your day. By eating a larger and well-balanced breakfast, you will feel more satisfied and eat less throughout the remainder of your day. As the saying goes, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper!”
3. Eat Slowly
Take your time and enjoy the food on your plate. If you gobble it down, then you may not have enough time for your stomach to let your brain know that you’ve had enough food. This can result in you going back for seconds, or even thirds, even though you’ve already consumed all your body needs.
4. Have a Healthy Snack
Don’t reach for that bag of chips when you get the midday munchies. It won’t satisfy you and you will end up eating more than you need. Reach for carrots, an apple, or a protein shake or protein bar (such as our Clean Lean Protein bar voted the #1 Vegan Protein bar by Veganliftz.com). Eating something with protein or fiber will help keep your hunger under control for a longer period of time. The protein in your snack will also help build lean body mass and will help you to burn more calories.
5. Distract Yourself
Stop and think about why you want to eat. Determine if you’re actually hungry or if you’re just bored. Find something to do if you realize you want to eat because you’re feeling restless. Whenever you catch yourself mindlessly reaching for a snack, instead go for a walk, talk to a friend or even research a topic that you want to learn more about, such as HIIT workouts. Mindless eating is one of the easiest ways to consume unnecessary calories and to kiss your healthy eating habits good-bye. Not only will overeating cause you to gain weight and derail your healthy lifestyle, it also increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Next time you want to dive into that all-you-can-eat buffet (plus dessert), take some time to really think about your level of hunger, and have a big glass of water while you do so.