Overeating
Tanja_CHH
Posts: 216 Member
So I realised when I went paleo (on 10th day now) that I overeat to the extreme. I realised this because I am always incredible full due to this new way of eating, yet I continue to eat. I tried buying some dark chocolate to help with cravings but have realised I cannot have that in the house so threw out the last I had today. Im also trying to combat my love for fruit, reducing it down as much as I feel I can. To try to overcome my overeating, I've wrote out a meal plan Ill follow everyday (i eat mostly the same anyway everyday, im boring like that)
I work out about 4 times a week, mix of cardio and free weights. My goal is to loose another 40 pounds, but to get stronger and keep any small amount of muscle I have.
So my question is, is my meal plan good for my goals and does it follow paleo protocol? Would you change anything? Am I eating too much/too little? Also if you check out my diary and say its not overeating its because I tend to snack nuts during the whole day and not add them and give up if I feel Ive just ate too much.
Breakfast: 2 poached eggs, 1 banana
Lunch: 150g meat (either cooked chicken or lean country ham from deli counter) with vegetables (something like 1 pepper, half a cucumber)
Dinner: 150 meat (beef steak, beef mince, chicken or salmon) cooked with 1 tablespoon of olive oil with vegetables (Mushrooms, asparagus, sweet potato or 2 packs of frozen vegetables)
Optional snacks during the day is: 1 apple, 1 orange, 40g of nuts (cashew, almond or walnuts)
So I know I shouldnt worry too much about calories and all that, especially as I feel so much better eating this way, its made everything great, but I really want to overcome my overeating problem so I can enjoy this lifestyle in a more relaxed manner and also shed those pounds Im holding on to. Thanks for any help.
I work out about 4 times a week, mix of cardio and free weights. My goal is to loose another 40 pounds, but to get stronger and keep any small amount of muscle I have.
So my question is, is my meal plan good for my goals and does it follow paleo protocol? Would you change anything? Am I eating too much/too little? Also if you check out my diary and say its not overeating its because I tend to snack nuts during the whole day and not add them and give up if I feel Ive just ate too much.
Breakfast: 2 poached eggs, 1 banana
Lunch: 150g meat (either cooked chicken or lean country ham from deli counter) with vegetables (something like 1 pepper, half a cucumber)
Dinner: 150 meat (beef steak, beef mince, chicken or salmon) cooked with 1 tablespoon of olive oil with vegetables (Mushrooms, asparagus, sweet potato or 2 packs of frozen vegetables)
Optional snacks during the day is: 1 apple, 1 orange, 40g of nuts (cashew, almond or walnuts)
So I know I shouldnt worry too much about calories and all that, especially as I feel so much better eating this way, its made everything great, but I really want to overcome my overeating problem so I can enjoy this lifestyle in a more relaxed manner and also shed those pounds Im holding on to. Thanks for any help.
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Hey there!
I know what you mean about overeating.....
The only way I have been able to stop is sheer determination! There really is no trick food that will kill a craving especially if it is from the mind. Next time you crave, stop and ask yourself, what are you really wanting/needing? There are so many things it could be as we are all different. Love, attention, fears due to different issues, friendship, to figure out your gift to give to the world etc. Life can cause angst! Or maybe just a good nap!
I did take a peek at your diary and you are heavy on fruits.....hmmm....and your carbs then get up at 200 or so? And, I saw your fats around 50 grams. If I were you (but keep in mind this is only a friendly suggestion
), I would get your carbs down to under 100 and increase your fats up to 80-100. then pay attention to how this feels, try it for a week and be diligent.
My understanding about fruits is that (yes they are full of vitamins) but they can also spike your insulin...then crashing on energy. The crash leaves us with a low energy feeling......so then we crave and eat again, maybe not even when we need to!
So, I'd try to add more vegetables with butter/fats and decrease the fruits (and this will drop down your carbs. Also the fats will satisfy and give you a level energy. (no spiking)
No matter the food choices though, examine your thoughts and reflect on your life, what you need!
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Well, I dont think that sounds like too much food but if you feel it is too much then try adding more fat. You dont eat much and its the most satiating. Fry those eggs and have some fatty meat with it (I like chorizo, homemade kind). Put butter or hollandaise on those veggies it tastes better and dont even bother limiting it. I eat like this and I keep my weight (and calories) down without limiting it. I think the fruit may be too much, I would limit 3. I was doing that for a long time and I lost a lot of weight. Eventually you may have to cut it down, now Im at maybe 1 a day but I want to get cut. Hope it helps.
Edit: When I say limit 3 fruits, That also includes any starchy veggies you eat so I would count sweet potato as one of those. The more carbs you eat the hungrier you'll be, in my experience, so keep that in mind.0 -
Thanks guys, your advice is very helpful.
Ill try to reduce my fruit a bit more, and eventually add meat to my breakfast rather than a banana its just more expensive, which is my only problem at the moment, as I didnt use to eat meat with any of my meals (i wasnt vegetarian just poor :P) and now increasing the meat intake to both lunch and dinner has increased the shopping bill as well, but ill try to get some more fat in where I can!0 -
Before changing my lifestyle to primal, I was a binge eater. I was very sick with MANY physical ailments and was on the verge of Type 2 diabetes. After the change, I have absolutely no need to over-eat.
Because I had awareness of the Atkins diet from years ago, I already knew that for my health issues, I have to keep my carbs very low. I do not eat fruit every day and limit it to one serving usually. When I do I usually end up struggling with hunger. Not every person eating Paleo/Primal has to do what I do, but sometimes drastic measures are required for drastic problems. Remember, all the nutrients in fruit are also in vegetables.
You might not like what I have to say....
Yesterday I had a QUARTER of a banana in a breakfast smoothie. Since I'm not used to struggling with hunger, I can really notice the difference. While I did not overeat after, and my daily net carbs were still only 30 grams, I have had hunger feelings all yesterday AND today. All over 10 grams of sugar from a banana. I can't imagine eating a whole one, especially for breakfast. Hint: try berries instead.
You also are having a starchy vegetable for supper. While sweet potatoes are definitely healthy, if one is struggling with hunger and over-eating, it will help to not eat them until that is resolved. Then add them back in small amounts and see what happens.
Plus, you are eating even more fruit as snacks. Those sugars really add up, trust me. No, the aren't "bad" but until you get the over-eating dealt with, it will help to keep your carbs VERY low. Also, I love nuts, but if I were struggling with hunger, I would have to limit them, or even avoid them for awhile.
Are you eating enough fat? I usually eat 60-80% of my calories from fat. When my fat gets too low (like it has for the last couple days, so maybe it wasn't JUST the banana) then I start getting hungry and craving. Personally, I love feeling full and satisfied without over-eating and it's the fat and protein that gives me that.0 -
If you can't afford a meat right now for breakfast then at least eat another type of fruit than bananas. Try berries, grapefruit or a peach instead (usually under 10g carbs). 2 slices of bacon will do wonders as well (1 lb. bacon is usually $4-8, probably 16-20 slices = $0.50 - $1.00 per meal, not too shabby!) More fat is always filling and we are trying to teach our bodies to use that as fuel instead of carbs, so you have to reduce the carbs for that to start working. 0
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The above advice is pretty solid, so I don't have a lot to add.
There's sometimes options for cheaper meats than folks normally go for. Near me is a "meat outlet", which is apparently a place that actually sells meat to the grocery stores to sell (Everyone see why stuff is so expensive?). So I can get meat at way lower price than even going to Costco or BJs.
Avocados are good fats, too. Plus, I bet you can find some college dudes that go fishing. Oh, and offal like liver is CRAZY cheap. Probably the healthiest thing you can eat, too.
The big thing I see with your food diary is not only a lot of fruit, but a lot in the morning. I haven't had a piece of fruit since going paleo. Don't miss it, don't need it. And having sugar in the morning is what people often go for, meanwhile it's the worst time. Post-workout is best.
I don't know what you're doing as cardio exactly. If it's running or some elliptical machine, I'd dial it back or drop it altogether. Stick with weight training and give yourself PLENTY of recovery time. Even that I'd probably drop to three times a week.
Lastly, ten days in isn't that much. Allow your body to heal. Deep breaths. ;^)0 -
Thanks for the advice everybody, once again!
I hadnt even considered bacon with my eggs, taken I haven't ate bacon in years, not that I don't like it, but I guess I had just gotten it into my head that bacon was not good for me, so I avoided it the best I could.
Ill try to limit my fruit intake for now and opt my fat intake as much as possible, no more fearing the oil to go with my meat when cooking. I do love vegetables, fruit is just more convenient and tend to have a longer sell by date when getting them, but I guess Ill just have to eat the vegetables instead of letting them lay in my fridge.
Akimajuktuq - Ill try to drop fruit and see how my body responds, its just been my go to snack for so long, I have a rather close relationship with fruit, but some times you have to break off from what you like, and I'm more then willing to try anything for now, I can always go back to fruit if it doesn't make a difference or if I miss it too much
JohnNull - For cardio I'm mainly during the rowing machine or treadmill to try to build my endurance despite not being a big fan, however I love weights, so I tend to do them whenever my muscles aren't screaming at me to stop. And ill look into liver, it used to be my granddads favourite food, so it can't be that bad0 -
Charlzi,
I mostly buy frozen veggies - asparagus, brussels sprouts, and green beans. There is nothing added to them as packaged, and they're the next best thing to fresh. Just put what you want in a covered dish, add a little butter, and microwave for 1:30 to 2:00, and they're ready. No spoilage. The things I prefer raw (broccoli, carrots, zucchini) or can't find frozen, I just buy enough to last a week or less.
For fruit, try just eating berries, and a small amount of them, one serving a day, as a treat. These are also available frozen so they don't go to waste, or you can buy fresh and freeze them yourself. Strawberries and blueberries freeze pretty well, but I prefer the raspberries and blackberries to be fresh.0 -
You are hungry and overeating because you are craving sugar. You are craving sugar because you are eating too many carbs and high glycemic foods. I would recommend that you cut out all fruit and starchy vegetables for 2 weeks. During that time eat as much meat, fat and low glycemic veggies as you want. That should get the cravings and the hunger under control. You can start to count your calories again after the 2 weeks. Then sloooowly add back into your diet fruit. Limit yourself to 1 serving of a low glycemic fruit a day. A great resource is "The Glycemic Index for Dummies". You can also look up the glycemic index for any food on the web.0
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I agree with the others = too much fruit can really affect what you are attempting to do.
Read up about sugar and carb content in various fruits....the higher the sugar the higher the carb content, whcih could have a hinderence in weight loss - fruit or no...
I stick with berries, citrus (those cutie ones are small, low cal/carb and cheap right now) and apples (small apples...like the size of a baseball - I usually have to buy them in bags in order to get them that small as the loose ones are HUGE...when I do buy the loose kind I make sure my husband or kids are around for me to share with)
Load up on veggies - cucumbers, green, red pepper, broccili, cauliflower - dip in some guacamole (buy your own avocados - mash 1/2 up with a little squeeze of lime juice and a little spice of your choice - I can usually get a bag of 3 for under $4 and a lime for .50 - 6 clean healthy servings for under $5 - add in a cucumber or green pepper to dip with - you are lookin at about $1/day for a great snack
For breakfast my grab and go are two hardboiled eggs with some Jimmy Dean turkey sausage (I am sure it isn't the best, but...) also look around your meat case for meat on clearence that might be getting ready to expire - easy to freeze and pull out when you want to use it.0
