| Overeating has become a problem throughout the | | | | Pay attention to your food, not your surroundings! |
| United States. Many people ingest way too many | | | | Do you eat while you are watching TV or driving the |
| calories each day, much more than the body needs | | | | car? If so, your fingers are probably on autopilot and |
| to stay healthy, which turns into pounds of fat and | | | | are just picking up the fork or the food and bringing |
| just gets stored away in the belly. | | | | it to your mouth without you even thinking about it. |
| There are many reasons people overeat and binge. If | | | | You are NOT hungry, you are just going through the |
| you are suffering from compulsive overeating | | | | motions, it's a habit! |
| disorder and you'd like to know how to control and | | | | If you insist on eating while watching TV or driving, |
| minimize the overeating, this article should help you. | | | | ensure that you know the portion that is available to |
| Here are some tips on how to stop the overeating | | | | you. Place the food in a small bowl or plate and eat |
| you can't control. Start listening to the signals your | | | | from that. Many people bring the chip bag or the |
| body gives you! You need to start listening to a | | | | whole bowl of buttered popcorn to the couch which |
| signal that your stomach gives you when it is full. It | | | | encourages you to eat more. Bringing a small bowl or |
| normally takes 12-20 minutes for your brain the get | | | | plate to the couch instead of the big bag will |
| the signal from your stomach that it is full. | | | | encourage a better habit of stopping before you eat |
| That means you have to slow down your eating and | | | | too much. |
| be aware that you need to start paying attention to | | | | Drinking lots of water will also help you cut down on |
| what you body tells you. You either haven't been | | | | the overeating. Many times, your body isn't very |
| listening or you've been ignoring that signal up to | | | | clear on if it's hungry or if its thirsty. Drinking lots of |
| now. Not anymore. | | | | water will hydrate your body, give your stomach a |
| You have to be aware that when you eat quickly, | | | | full feeling, and encourage you to eat less at a sitting. |
| you will be filling your stomach with too much food | | | | It's just common sense, if your stomach feels fuller |
| even before it gets to have a chance to send a | | | | at the beginning of you sitting down for a meal, you |
| signal to your brain telling you to stop! | | | | will eat less right at the beginning. |
| So slow down the fork to your mouth. Start the | | | | Another way to assist you in getting better eating |
| habit of placing your fork on the plate in between | | | | habits is to start swapping your food choices. Do you |
| mouthfuls of food. Try to count to 5 before you | | | | like carrot sticks, celery, or apples? Add a dip to the |
| pick your fork back up. | | | | vegetables or a caramel swirl to the apples instead of |
| You need to be aware that you will feel "stuffed" | | | | eating potato chips or another empty calorie snack. |
| when you eat too much at one sitting, however, if | | | | Get creative with a healthy food choice and try to |
| you do this often, you will eventually get used to the | | | | swap out the unhealthy food choice once a day to |
| feeling and not even notice that you just missed the | | | | start with. Once that isn't so hard, up it to twice a |
| signal that it's time to stop eating at that particular | | | | day if you can. |
| meal. | | | | This will be easier to do if you are actually eating |
| Stick to ONE plate of food. Many people eat so | | | | because you are "bored" instead of "hungry". |
| quickly and refill the plate that they don't even notice | | | | By using these few tips; listening for brain signals |
| how much food they are actually ingesting. | | | | from the stomach, eating slower, chewing more, |
| So eat only one plateful of food, eat it slowly, and | | | | using a bowl or plate instead of a big bag, and |
| take the time to chew the food well. | | | | substituting healthy foods for unhealthy foods, you |
| Eating slower will give your stomach time to send | | | | will help your body start getting over your binging |
| that signal to your brain so you can hear it and | | | | disorder. You will be training your body and your mind |
| chewing your food well results in a much better | | | | to be more responsible about what you put in your |
| digestion process. | | | | mouth. |