How to avoid overeating?

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.

xvolution

If you can make smaller meals a habit, it makes things so much easier. Most people say that it takes 21 days to develop a habit, so if you can survive those three weeks it should help.

I was in the hospital myself for three weeks, only eating the small meals they provided. After being released, sticking to those meals was surprisingly easy, so I guess it works.

andydevera

Eat slowly, watch something interesting while eating, keep yourself busy. Sometimes we eat just beacuse we're bored and not hungry. Go hiking or go out with friends and walk around the city. Anything to keep your mind off unnecessary eating.

CattOfTheGarage

I also am more inclined to overeat if there is a lot of sugar in my diet - it seems to make me nibbly. So I have had good results by reducing it.

But I want to be clear, because there is a lot of nonsense talked about sugar - I do NOT cut it out or treat it as "bad". I love sugar, it's a great ingredient, I love the taste, I think it's good. It just has that particular effect on me, and so I've rebalanced my diet to reduce it a little. I do this mainly by reducing sugary drinks and snacks.

(cutting food out, or having rigid rules, is totally counterproductive and causes me to binge - having a no-sugar rule would be far worse for my progress than the sugar itself!)

CattOfTheGarage

Also, I agree about the habit thing - if you are consistent about eating smaller portions, it will stick and become easier. Also, in my case, the hunger and fulness signals adjusted after a couple of weeks, so that now I get less hungry and I feel fuller quicker.