“I am eating too much… help!!”
Many of us go through this sometimes, some more than others.
If you’re eating too much in one sitting or taking in too many calories every day, it’s a bad habit that can be difficult to break. Having anything from obesity, diabetes, heart disease, or just feeling awful after overeating can really impact someone’s life negatively.
Learning how to stop binge-eat is a lifelong commitment that involves changing your habits. Here are 5 things you can do to stop binge-eating:
Not all fats are bad – remember to consume the good fats.
High-fat foods are often associated with weight gain and overeating. But this is not exactly the case. Healthy fats are abundant in nuts, seeds, avocados, fatty fish, and beans. Eating a diet made up of plenty of these varieties of plant-based oils and healthy fats is the best way to feel satiated long term. The brain tells your brain that it’s OK to stop eating once you’ve eaten enough.
Keep an eye on your goals
Setting short and long-term goals may help you stay on track and reduce the urge to overeat. If a person can see that what they are doing today will bring them closer to their health/wellness goals in the future, this can be motivation enough to stick it out day after day.
Keep yourself off of distractions
Most people eat while they’re doing something else, like watching movies. This makes them eat more food later in the day. Studies looked at how people ate more calories when they were distracted during a meal. It also made them more aware of what they were eating.
Don’t deprive yourself of all your favourite food
Restrictive eating habits that don’t include many of your favourite foods could make you feel like you’re missing out. There is nothing wrong with having a treat once in a while. So while you can indulge once in a while, diets that focus on whole, unprocessed foods are always the best as they are usually full of nutrients and can also make you feel full longer.
Try doing volumetric
People who follow a way of eating called “Volumetrics” try to fill up their bodies with low calorie and high fiber foods like non-starchy vegetables. Try eating a big salad or an apple before lunch and dinner to keep from overeating. Low-calorie foods high in fiber and water can help you feel full, which might make it less likely that you’ll overeat.
Let’s be real.
We may not overcome overeating with these tips alone. However, if you struggle with overeating or mild symptoms of eating disorders, there are people who are trained to help.
How about you? I’d love to hear what are your strategies to control yourself from eating too much. Feel free to share 
Photo: Enjoying our ‘once awhile’ beverages at Starbucks
