How to avoid overeating?

meg7117

Overeating pretty much is my biggest problem. I do it for all meals and just don't know when to stop, whether it's pizza, dessert, or even a salad. I always go back for more. Are there any tricks you guys use in order stop yourself from overeating?

TavistockToad

Pre log your day. Eat what you've logged.

RainaProske

I have days when I am absolutely starved. My nutritionist told me, at my recent appt, that when I am very hungry, and tend to eat too much, my body is actually crying for exercise, so I should do some exercises or go for a walk.

ziggy2006

meg7117 wrote: »

Overeating pretty much is my biggest problem. I do it for all meals and just don't know when to stop, whether it's pizza, dessert, or even a salad. I always go back for more. Are there any tricks you guys use in order stop yourself from overeating?

Would it help to tackle one meal at a time? Which meal do you think it would be easiest for you to control? For many people, it might be lunch. Start by taking control of your eating at lunch for a week. Experiment to see what satisfies you. It sounds like you might be satisfied by a high volume of food, so think about choosing foods with a lower caloric density (like vegetables). Barbara Rolls has authored books about volumetrics which you might find helpful to explore. I am sure you can find plenty of information online about this strategy as well.

Once you have experienced success controlling your eating at one meal, keep using the strategies that were successful and apply them to an additional meal the following week. Add the final meal the third week, and you are set up to keep your eating under control.

Wolfena

If you don't prepare it or buy it, you won't eat it. Cook less food - or cook lots of food at once and then portion it out and refrigerate or freeze it for the rest of the week.

emmaprocopiou

It's really hard sometimes, and don't beat yourself up if it happens.
I now eat much slower, take time to have some drink with my meal and really assess if I'm actually hungry or just want to munch.
Pre logging works as does not getting up for seconds.
Mostly though it's willpower, and only you can do this. Take one meal at a time and take time to recognise fullness. I hate that overfull feeling now.
Good luck op x

blumenstockbj

I have a hard time with this also. So I eat before I go grocery shopping which helps me to stay on track and buy healthy items of fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. I live by myself with only two dogs so if I don't buy it and bring it into the house then I cannot eat it. I will also drink 8 ounce glass of water or more right before eating this also helps you to feel fuller and eat less. I hope this helps you and good luck.

christareid28

Drinking lots of water helps

rosebarnalice

I had terrible problems with portion control, so weighing and logging EVERYTHING is my biggest tip.

For a while when I was first starting and really trying to concentrate on portion sizes, I tried to avoid eating at restaurants, and when I did, I limited myself to chains that post nutrition information so I could look up their meals before I went (an exercise that, in itself, was quite illuminating.)

Now when I'm at home, I STILL weigh and measure everything. I have a few bowls and small plates that I prefer because I now know how much they can hold, and the portions still look big on them.

And there is no "going back for more." EVER.

cappri

I like to bulk up my meals with veggies, partly to get more fiber, partly so I can eat more food. Scrambled eggs- add in a couple handfuls of baby spinach, pasta- add in chopped up cauliflower or broccoli slaw(steam slightly to get it a little softer) salad- a couple different kinds of lettuce to keep the flavor interesting, celery and carrots for crunch.

leanjogreen18

Water and protein at every meal or 1/2 protein bar in between meals help me stay full. I also like to pile on the lettuce where I can for example I eat one enchilada but on top of a bowl of lettuce. Fiber helps keep me full as well.

cerise_noir

meg7117 wrote: »

Overeating pretty much is my biggest problem. I do it for all meals and just don't know when to stop, whether it's pizza, dessert, or even a salad. I always go back for more. Are there any tricks you guys use in order stop yourself from overeating?

Try to eat a greens salad before or with every meal with a large glass of water. This helps me when I have my "I want to eat ALL THE THINGS" day.

Make sure your meals have lots of protein fat and fiber.

caradack1985

I don't buy "junk" food anymore and instead make sure my fridge is stuffed with fresh fruit and veg to snack on. It's a lot harder to over eat veg. And I use my freezer, by portioning and keeping excess in the freezer it means I can't instantly eat more, I have to wait for food to defrost. If I can't be bothered to do that then I wasn't hungry.

cwolfman13

cook the amount you're going to eat.

smilesback

I am overeating after having lost 50 lbs and need this support here. I really appreciate the tips, and will work on them. My favorite one so far is more exercise because I think I eat for entertainment too. Good question! Thanks

Machka9

meg7117 wrote: »

Overeating pretty much is my biggest problem. I do it for all meals and just don't know when to stop, whether it's pizza, dessert, or even a salad. I always go back for more. Are there any tricks you guys use in order stop yourself from overeating?

I weigh out my food, make that much, and eat that amount.

Then I clean up my dishes and things and put everything away.

Wiseandcurious

TavistockToad wrote: »

Pre log your day. Eat what you've logged.

This is one of the top two things that come to mind.

The other one is - don't restrict too agressively! This goes for calories as well as for types of food. When my deficit is moderate enough so that I can have a reasonable variety and quantity of food, I overeat much more rarely.

donidaily

Another vote for pre-logging. Also, prepare as many of your own meals as possible, that way you know what goes in and you can control the portion size. If I make pasta for example, I immediately portion it out, one serve on my plate and the rest into containers for lunches, that way there's no going back for seconds.

1nprgr3s

I have the same problem, even if I'm not hungry I always go back for more. I just don't know how to stop and I'm not sure that pre-logging would help. I think the tips about only cooking what you're going to eat would help though.

jo_nz

For me, I find portioning and putting away any leftovers before I eat is key. (In the fridge for future meals or better yet in the freezer)
Prelogging is also useful especially when I know I will be eating a big meal - I can plan out what amount I can fit in.

CattOfTheGarage

Tips I have picked up:

- Use a smaller plate.
- Use a plate whose colour contrasts with the food.
- Focus on the food and company, no TV, phones or other distractions.
- Don't serve food family style where you can reach for seconds without getting up. Dish up and leave the extras on the kitchen worktop so you have to get up and get more, you can't do it without thinking.
- Leave leftovers where you can see them so you have a visual cue to how much you've already eaten.
- Log in advance. If you're going for seconds, log it there and then, before you eat it, so you can see how it affects the numbers. Don't leave it till after the meal. (obviously don't do this in settings where it would be unsociable, but for everyday dinners it works very well).
- Log EVERYTHING. Let no second helping be invisible.
- Change the balance of what you're eating so there's more protein, more fruit and veg, more wholegrain, and less moreish, white-carb, sugary-salty things. Don't cut anything out - just adjust the balance.

Wiseandcurious

CattOfTheGarage wrote: »

Tips I have picked up:

- Use a smaller plate.
- Use a plate whose colour contrasts with the food.
- Focus on the food and company, no TV, phones or other distractions.
- Don't serve food family style where you can reach for seconds without getting up. Dish up and leave the extras on the kitchen worktop so you have to get up and get more, you can't do it without thinking.
- Leave leftovers where you can see them so you have a visual cue to how much you've already eaten.
- Log in advance. If you're going for seconds, log it there and then, before you eat it, so you can see how it affects the numbers. Don't leave it till after the meal. (obviously don't do this in settings where it would be unsociable, but for everyday dinners it works very well).
- Log EVERYTHING. Let no second helping be invisible.
- Change the balance of what you're eating so there's more protein, more fruit and veg, more wholegrain, and less moreish, white-carb, sugary-salty things. Don't cut anything out - just adjust the balance.

I think these are great tips! Prelogging definitely helps, exactly in the sense described in the quote above - seeing the calorie count of that second helping before you even put it on the plate definitely helps. And if you have the app on your phone, it is even possible to do a discrete approximate pre-log in social situations too.

The biggest problem about second helpings is that they are indeed "invisible", we feel as if they don't count almost, so anything to counteract that is good. Excellent suggestions ! They can even be adapted to excessive snacking (e.g. pre-log all snacks, keep wrappers/leftovers et. visible so you know how much you had already, only take out the amount of snack you prelogged - no putting the whole packet of whatever it is on the table, etc.)

lemurcat12

Machka9 wrote: »

meg7117 wrote: »

Overeating pretty much is my biggest problem. I do it for all meals and just don't know when to stop, whether it's pizza, dessert, or even a salad. I always go back for more. Are there any tricks you guys use in order stop yourself from overeating?

I weigh out my food, make that much, and eat that amount.

Then I clean up my dishes and things and put everything away.

This. Decide how much you want to eat and eat that. If you have a reasonable calorie goal and eat filling foods, you will be satisfied, even if your eyes think you want to eat more sometimes.

AussiePeach

In Australia, most people only cook as much as is needed for the number of people at the meal - no seconds, no left overs. Which is good since you can't go back for more!

CattOfTheGarage

Also, if you need to check calories and really don't want to be rude by looking at your phone, you can always nip to the loo!

Some of the tips and tricks I've picked up for this came from a dietitian, others I lifted from the "Secret Eaters" TV show. I recommend it, it's a good laugh, eye-opening, and has lots of good tips on how to tackle overeating. If you're in the UK you can get it on the All4 website and app, otherwise I believe you can watch it on YouTube.

Christine_72

AussiePeach wrote: »

In Australia, most people only cook as much as is needed for the number of people at the meal - no seconds, no left overs. Which is good since you can't go back for more!

Ha I've never thought about this before, but tis true as I very rarely have left overs to go take a second helping from.

mellyboobear

Prelog, order ONE serving not an XL or large of ANYTHING, drink a ton of water before eating and don't forget your overall goals.

Christine_72

I prelog everyday, but it doesn't stop me adding in extras.

jenblossom32

Pour a big box of Chicken Broth in a pan, heat it up, season to make it delicious. When simmering add at least 3 cups of frozen broccolli floret, or any veg low carb and filling. Eat big bowls when hungry for 2 days. After a few days, the increase in veggies (of all kinds in your chicken broth) will tackle your hunger in a very positive way.

Zipp237

I make food I like when I'm full, then portion and freeze. Being full makes it easier to have just a little when I make it and thawing portions makes portioning easy. Can't eat what is still in the freezer!

Machka9

AussiePeach wrote: »

In Australia, most people only cook as much as is needed for the number of people at the meal - no seconds, no left overs. Which is good since you can't go back for more!

Yes, although ... this was something I had to get used to and may have contributed to my weight gain.

In Canada, we make big bowls/plates of whatever is for dinner, set them on the table, and everyone helps themselves. And in my family, you only helped yourself to whatever you were going to eat. So if it was on your plate, you ate it. While that does present the option of second helpings, my mother was pretty good about cooking up just enough for one helping for each of us ... and if there was a little bit more for some reason, in the blink of an eye she had it in a Tupperware container and frozen.

In Australia, my husband makes the meal and serves it up. For quite a while there, the serving sizes would get bigger and bigger and bigger until I started having trouble finishing it. He would tell me I could just throw out what I couldn't eat, but it was so ingrained in my brain that you eat what's on your plate, I couldn't do that. I'd tell him to give me smaller servings, and for a few weeks he would, then they'd get bigger and bigger and bigger again.

When I started with MFP, we started weighing my portions out so that he serves up a certain amount and no more.

And the only time there are leftovers is if we pick up a roast chicken. Then we have that over two or three meals, depending on how big it is.