HOW TO STOP OVEREATING!!

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STOP OVEREATING
Mother Nature gave us appetites so we would eat when we needed to. But Mother Nature knew jack about chocolate cakes, happy hours, all-youcan-eat buffets, seductive ice-cream commercials, and crappy days that just beg for a tin of chocolate chip cookies. Point is, sometimes a girl can’t help but stuff herself—and even though we know we don’t need more than one cheese toastie to feel satisfied, we can’t help but want four of the sinful treats.

“But pig-outs can be destructive,” says Jee Janogly, author of Stop Bingeing!. According to the author, not only do they muck-up our diets, put our health at risk, and nix the odds of ever being able to fit into those skinny jeans, “but they also leave you feeling fat, fatigued, and disgusted with yourself”.

Luckily, there’s help at hand—since overeating is rarely caused by our appetites or how hungry we are, and more because of emotions (boredom, bad moods), attitudes (‘Good girls finish all that’s on their plate’), and situations (mum has cooked and she’ll be hurt if you refuse; you’re at the supermarket and everything on the shelves looks delicious), we’ve found some solutions for every kind of overeating situation— plus, how not to hate yourself if you do succumb to a pig-out.

3 tricks to get out of that binge cycle
Having a hard time beating that ‘I want food’ mindset? These tips should help…

1. Eat Right: If you seem to be hungry constantly, check to see if your meals are low-nutrient ones. Your body needs sufficient nutrients to function, and if you’re not providing those, it will encourage you to keep eating to try to reach its quota. The solution? Ensure that your meals offer the highest number of nutrients for their calories. So skip large quantities of junk food and refined carbohydrates, and pick veggies, fruits, lean proteins (fish, chicken, eggs, beans) and wholegrain carbs—wholemeal bread, pasta, and brown rice.

2. Don’t act on adverts: Even when we’re not hungry, the sight of food can make us drool. And with images of food coming to us from magazines, hoardings, and the TV, saying no can be hard to resist. “Manufacturers spend vast amounts of money on advertising, because it creates an appetite for what they’re selling,” says Ian Amrber, author of The Food Doctor Diet.

While it’s really not possible to look away each time you see an image of food, it is quite possible to be conscious of what you are doing. Don’t down every prettily-packaged food item, and when you give in to a handful of bright candy, pay close attention to what’s in your mouth before happily reaching out for another helping. “Savour the taste and eat slowly; eating too quickly is a big factor in creating a ‘fake appetite’, as you don’t let the stomach send signals to your brain that you’ve eaten enough,” says Scott Campbell, a UK-based weight loss coach.

3. Give yourself 10 good reasons: Having a hard time trying to convince yourself that the second bag of fries is a bad idea? Grab an index card and write out at least 10 reasons why you should not give in to temptation. Include the vain (“I’ll look great in that bikini”) as well as the virtuous (“This will up my cholesterol level”).

Stash the list in your purse—the next time you experience a dip in motivation, you’ll have it on hand to remind you of everything you stand to gain by not giving up and giving in to a binge-fest.

7 methods to break ‘Bad Mood’ eating
According to research, almost half of adults turn to food to stifle feelings of boredom, loneliness, and anger. Don’t let your mood make you binge…

1. Don’t follow mom: “Ever since we were children, we have associated feeling better with food—like when mom gave us a slice of cake when we got hurt,” says Dr Anjali Gupta, a Delhi-based dietician. “But we must consciously give up that mindset by reminding ourselves that we are not children anymore.”

2. Opt for exercise: Instead of stuffing yourself with last night’s leftovers because your man behaved badly, take a walk or hit the gym to burn off steam.

3. Keep a journal: Writing about your negative thoughts or feelings is therapeutic—and a better way to channel your emotions than through food.

4. Talk it out: Call a friend for a good heart-to-heart—it will help you get to the bottom of why you’re feeling sad/bored/irritable, and will take your attention away from food.

5. Spoil yourself: Feeling down? Pamper yourself with things other than food, like a hot bubble bath with candelight, a small glass of wine, or a trip to that latest nail spa.

6. Challenge yourself: Push yourself to think of a solution for your negative feelings that does not involve eating. Daring yourself to find a better fix will force you to avoid food and thoughts about it.

7. Wait a bit: When an emotional hunger pang hits you, tell yourself you’ll wait 10 minutes before giving in to the temptation immediately. Then wait to see if the pangs subside—they usually do.


2 steps to stop mindless snacking
Sometimes, it takes three empty packets of crisps to realise that you’ve scarfed down so much food without thinking…

1. Turn the TV off: Most of us tend to eat more than we should when we’re occupied with something else. Don’t eat in front of the TV/keyboard/while reading a book as you won’t know how much you’re putting it.

2. Take a break: When you have access to large portions of food (giant bag of chips, box of chocolates, basket of cookies…), it’s easy to keep reaching for the stuff without counting how much you’re tucking in. “Use an interruption strategy every time you feel yourself reaching for second portion,” says Campbell. Stop for a second and think, as that will remind you that you’re not really hungry, just mindlessly snacking.

5 ways to curb those totally crazy cravings
You know those times when your life would come to an end if you weren’t allowed a cookie? Yep, here’s help for those moments…

1. Chew gum: Food craving coming up? Pick a piece of sugarless gum instead. Chewing on gum will mentally satisfy your craving.

2. Down H20: “When faced with a giant craving, I tank up on a large glass of water before heading to the refrigerator,” says Neha, 33. “Many times, after I drink the full glass, I end up not wanting to eat anything as the water has filled my tummy.”

3. Get creative with substitutes: Longing for some ice-cream? Try some flavoured frozen yoghurt instead. Think you’ll die if you didn’t get to eat some chips? Salted popcorn is a healthier option that will leave you as satisfied. Thinking of chocolate? Have a small piece of dark chocolate—it’s less fattening than the regular version.

4. Bring out the toothpaste: If it’s sweets you crave, try brushing your teeth. The sweetness of most toothpastes usually deters the craving.

5. Give in sometimes: If your craving is especially persistent, denying yourself that cookie or scoop of ice-cream will only make the urge more intense. Don’t freak yet at the kid inside you. Here’s a solution: allow yourself a moderate portion of the food you crave for, deciding on the amount you’ll have before you dig in.

2 tricks to control that portion size
Take control of the amount you eat with help of some measurements... of the plates, cups, bowls…

1. Measure it: Most of us use cutlery that holds too much food—so we end up eating more than we should. Pour a typical bowl of cereal, then measure the amount in your bowl.

Compare that to the serving size listed on the label of the product, and adjust the amount in your bowl accordingly. Do the same for everything that you eat, and gradually you’ll see exactly where you need to make changes.

2. Downsize your stuff: While you’re measuring your food portions, measure your plates and dishes as well. A standard dinner plate shouldn’t be bigger than 10 inches and a lunch plate more than eight inches. See if your cutlery matches up.


3 tips to stop midnight munching
Eat healthily during the day, but can’t stop snacking like crazy all night long? These girls have solutions…

1. “The midnight munchies are usually your body’s way of telling you that you aren’t getting enough fat or protein during the day,” says Jasmine, 37, a fashion designer. “So what I do is have a cup of yoghurt or some cottage cheese in the evening.”

2. “After dinner, I pour myself a glass of herbal tea to sip while watching television,” says Gayatri, 28, producer. “I find that slowly sipping on something with flavour kills my craving.”

3. “My trick is to stay busy after dinner,” says Farah, 29, journalist. “I pick any one chore—writing to friends, cleaning out a drawer, walking the dog—which stops me from thinking about food.”

3 ways to love yourself after a pig-out
Threw caution to the wind and stuffed yourself silly? Here’s how to nix those guilt pangs…

1. Remember the good: So today you ate two cupcakes at lunch and a full bag of fries before dinner. But you also had a healthy salad for breakfast and climbed four flights of stairs to work instead of taking the elevator. Celebrating your small victories will motivate you to try harder at ‘being good’ next time.

2. Do a slip-up postmortem: Analyse your unplanned indulgences without being too critical. Think, “Okay, so I ate five slices of pizza. Why?” Then consider the possibilities: were you angry? Upset? Bored? Despondent? Gaining awareness of why you overate is a better route to your goals than beating yourself up for it.

3. Aim for moderation, not perfection: Binge eating is more often than not a reaction to selfimposed mental confines, such as “I won’t ever touch chocolate again”. But such an all-or-nothing mindset will only make you want to rebel all the more! Instead, focus on flexible, reasonable eating rather than on an unrealistic ideal standard, and just be proud of yourself for each day you don’t binge.

great suggestions!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea about the 10 reasons why not to eat whatever it is you are dying for...that one might actually make me think before shoving it in my mouth! Great ideas - thanks for posting it!

evening tea sounds great

These ideas will be very helpful thanks for sharing them.

i've tried alll of these things, none of them ever work for me. i don't eat out of any emotion or because i'm not on a balanced diet, i eat and crave because i simply love food

not particularly a good combination with me being on - quite literally - the absolute blandest diet ever.

i used to SNACK at night really really bad!!! i mean sometimes i'd even eat a 4th meal at around ten or eleven. Now i have a cup of coffee w low fat creamer and 2 chocolate graham crackers with 2 tbsp's of light cool whip. if i'm still hungry after that I eat salad or an apple w/ 2 glasses of water. It really has worked...oh and brushing your teeth or chewing gum really does work too!!! Great article!!! thanks!

I know I was a bad overeater, and at night I still have urges to raid my kitchen. I got this down some but I had to use tricks. Gum helps to an extent. But, now... if I am craving something I normally have two cups of water and brush my teeth. After that, I wait for 15 min. If I am still craving something, I will eat half the amount that I normally would eat. After eating it I brush my teeth again. And sometimes (of course at night) I have to make myself go to bed to stop wanting to eat-- even if it is an early night.

I really like the idea about writing down 10 reasons why not to eat something, especially to keep in my purse.