It’s easy to develop the habit of eating too much food of low quality. We develop unhealthy eating habits, such as binge eating, as a way to deal with different issues like stress and low self-esteem.
Others over-eat because they love food. It's hard to resist the abundance of great food that we have around us.
Eating too much can harm your body, especially if most of what you digest offers little nutritional benefit.
Here are 8 Tips to Practice Moderation While Eating.
1. Pace yourself.
Eat slowly. Let your brain keep up with what you're putting inside your stomach.
If you eat at a stable pace, your brain can make an accurate judgement on whether you’re full or not.
Eat a bit, wait for 20 minutes and if you still feel hungry, eat a bit more.
When you eat at a steady pace, you’ll also learn to savour the food you’re eating and to appreciate the flavours of food. This is particularly useful if you’re trying to cut out unhealthy foods from your diet.
2. Eat smaller chunks regularly.
Eat smaller portions regularly throughout the day and control your hunger for food of questionable quality .
This has several benefits.
- We produce glucose when we eat carbohydrates, and insulin transfers that glucose into cells to use as energy.
- When we eat too much, we produce high levels of glucose and too much insulin.
- The result is low blood sugar and an urge to eat more to satisfy a craving for sugar.
Eating smaller portions helps to stabilize glucose and insulin levels in the body. Eating more helps us feel full.
Fewer cravings mean less calorie intake and eventual weight loss.
3. Eat with others.
Eating in front of others should encourage moderation.
When you eat with family and friends - people who understand you and the steps you are taking to improve your eating habits - they’ll help you to achieve your goals by telling you you're eating too much.
Don't eat in front of the T.V as this promotes absent-minded overeating.
4. Treat yourself.
Banning your favourite foods from the meal plan because they're unhealthy can backfire and result in binging on those very foods
.
Spoil yourself with your favourite snack or dessert but keep the portions moderate and the frequency spread out over a reasonable amount of time.
If you maintain a well-balanced, healthy diet, there's definitely space for the odd treat which will satisfy your thurst for 'bad' food.
5. Start off on a full stomach.
Have a wholesome, hearty breakfast in the morning to set you off on your day.
Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast every morning are less likely to overeat later in the day.
Complement this by organizing smaller meals every few hours, and you’ll have no reason to binge eat at all.
6. Rest.
A tired body looks for sources of energy to reinvigorate it. In reality, it needs rest.
Rested bodies don’t crave sugar-rich recharges and are able to function efficiently on the regular, wholesome fuel they receive throughout the day.
Listen to your body - if you are feeling tired then take a nap - don't stuff yourself with sugary foods or drinks.
7. Eat healthy snacks.
Eating a healthy snack between smaller meals will satisfy any cravings you have before your next meal. Keep a supply of wholesome snacks nearby so that you aren't tempted to drift away from your meal plan.
Your goal is to keep your body satisfied throughout the day, so don't starve it - as this could lead to bing eating to compensate for the lack of energy.
You can also enjoy a mind snack - which will help you just as much.
8. Keep a food journal.
It takes effort and determination to keep accurate records of your meals, but there are so many things you can learn about your eating habits when you keep a food journal.
- You can measure the quantity and quality of what you’re feeding your body.
- You can calculate which food groups you need to decrease or increase.
- You can even work out the financial cost of your diet.
Besides the obvious health benefits to eating in moderation, you’ll also feel more comfortable in your own skin without that bloated feeling that often comes after a big, unhealthy meal.
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How do you stop yourself from overeating - if you have any tips or tricks to share, please do so in the comments, we appreciate them all.
