how did you stop overeating

mama10716 · February 2017

I've been overeating everyday for the past 2 weeks I don't know what to do stop .I keep going in this cycle of losing weight only to gain it all back real fast .Any advice ??

mickeyone92 · February 2017

I like to keep measuring cups and spoons in containers with dry food. My cheerios have a 1/4 cup measure in it and I have three scoops every morning.
I have the exact same problem, but this helped a lot in the areas where I could do it ☺️ hope that helps a bit.

livingleanlivingclean · February 2017

Pre logging and having meals prepared helps me - having food ready stops me looking for other things.

pamfgil · February 2017

This may not be helpful but I cut sugar down as much as possible, found my appetite reduced. As part of this I had to cut down pre processed foods a lot and switch to whole grains for any grains. The amount you can eat this way is a lot to hit 1500 calories

ladyreva78 · February 2017

I started honestly logging my food intake and stopped trying to crash diet, i.e. I eat at a moderate deficit and don't beat myself up if I end up eating at maintenance on a regular basis. I'm human, I make mistakes.

My weight loss is slow (maybe 250g per week), but considering how long it took me to pack on the weight (35 years if you want the specifics), I'm okay with that. Optimistically, I should be at goal weight in about 2 years. Realizing that this is a long term project and that I don't need to be perfect all day every day also helped me heaps.

On a more practical side:
I spend 1-2 hours once a month to weight and bag my snacks (these include everything from nuts to dried fruits to m&ms). Each little bag is between 200-300 calories and usually lasts me the whole day as it's pretty nutrient dense stuff I add in. In a pinch they also double as a meal when I'm rushed.

cbracelet · February 2017

I watched a very interesting video the other day about how habits are formed. Apparently when you eat tasty food, your body/mind is happy. So your brain makes a mental note about the fact that eating something good makes you feel good. Over time, when you're feeling down or when you're bored, your brain says - dude, wanna feel happy again, just eat that slice of cake. When I overeat, I've come to realise that it's usually cause I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about something, or I'm bored. Usually when this happens, you just eat without thinking. I think the trick is to real be mindful of what you are eating. I mean, really pay attention to what you're eating, memorise every bite, count how many times you chew, put some effort into figuring out if you're still hungry or if you're full. See if you really need that second slice of cake. I think most of the time we're guilty of eating mindlessly and then feeling *kitten* about ourselves later.

Orphia · February 2017

Are you "dieting" or trying to follow some sort of strict eating plan? That's unnecessary.

Just eat what you want, within your calorie limit.

Maybe exercise more to earn more calories to raise your calorie limit.

Log your food before you eat it.

Read these posts:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads

That's all.

UltimateTrashBae · February 2017

I hate myself twice as much when I feel bloated. So I try to avoid it.

DietVanillaCoke · February 2017

I only over eat (Calorie wise) If i don't log. If I log the food before i eat it, I'm more likely to think about how i don't want to go over and I stick to my goal. I also eat everything in moderation so that way I'm not being too restrictive and I can enjoy things like pizza.

kommodevaran · February 2017

If you are overeating because you are undereating, stop the undereating.

If you are overeating because of bad habits, get better habits. A good meal plan/structure, sitting down to eat, not eating in front of the TV etc, can help.

If you are overeating emotionally, work on better ways to meet your emotions.

If you are overeating because you feel deprived ("healthy eating" is often the cause), make sure you are eating food you like.

If you are overeating because you eat poorly, eat a more balanced diet, and get in more variety and fresh food.

If you are overeating because you have no handle on proper portions, weigh and log your food, at least for a couple of weeks.

TimothyFish · February 2017

I tend to overeat on sugary foods, so I try not to bring them into the house. I also find that riding a bicycle helps because it gives me something to do other than think about food, it burns calories, and it improves my emotional state. Fasting can also help. If you tell yourself that you aren't going to eat for a certain length of time then you don't even have to think about what or how much you are going to eat for a while.

Francl27 · February 2017

You just have to want to lose the weight more than you want the food.

I'm sorry but that's the blunt truth. Nobody but yourself can help you with that.

lmew91 · February 2017

When I started my weight loss journey? I looked at myself in the mirror and really took in what I saw, and wasn't happy with it. Then I tried on wedding dresses because I was newly engaged, and I fell in love with a dress, but I knew that I did not want to look like I did then, on my wedding day. I also just didn't feel very good many days, even though there really wasn't anything specifically wrong with me.

In regards to avoiding over-eating day-to-day; I have mfp set to lose .5 lb/week, which allows me to eat a reasonable amount of calories. I plan my meal contents and times in such a way that keeps me satisfied most of the time, which reduces the urge to binge or eat foods that aren't going to contribute to me reaching my goals.

Additionally, I find now that I'm about 30 lbs lighter than when I started, and have been eating this way for a little over a year, I cannot eat as much as I used to. There is the mental aspect of even if I'm not logging, thinking that I'm consuming a LOT of calories, so I scale it back or kind of lose my appetite. I also physically cannot eat the volume of food that I used to. I find that greasy/cheesy/fried-type foods, while still delicious to me, make me feel icky and/or over-full more quickly than they did before.

happysherri · February 2017

For me it seemed to take years, a little at a time. First I tried portion control with all the foods I was eating - fast food I would eat half the sandwich and a smaller fry or I would share a meal with my sister (she doesn't eat much). Then I began cutting this and that out - water for soda, eating less bread and chips, eating a salad with my meals, etc. It takes time. Now I do look up recipes because I get bored with just baked chicken and salads

Don't give up, keep trying. Heck, I'm still using trial and error on what works!

tinkerbellang83 · February 2017

A weekly meal (life) planner has been a huge help to me.

I factor in what days I have social type things going on - example if I am out watching a Rugby Match I know I will most likely be eating in a pub that day or if I have plans to go to the cinema I know I need to factor in more snacks.
I plan my exercise in, on a typical workout day I know I am going to usually burn 200-400 cals, I usually plan my days off to coincide with any social activities, so I'm not using it as an excuse not to workout.
I look through the fridge and freezer to see what I have in there (usually a portion of leftovers and some frozen meat) and decide what I want to eat for lunch/dinner for the days I'm at work/home for dinner. I have a lot of recipes for lower calorie versions of things I normally like such as Beef Strogonoff, Chilli con Carne, Thai Green Chicken, Falafel, Salmon Fishcakes, stuff that I can make in advance and refrigerate for later or freeze for another week so I don't get bored of eating the same thing all the time.
I make a shopping list based on the meal planner, adding some snacks that are about 100 -150 cals a portion and a pack of kids size chocolate bars and don't buy anything else that I don't need.
On a Sunday night I make my dinner for that evening with enough portions for at least 2 more days, make my lunches for the week and pre-portion my snacks - examples Batch of sugar free jelly to go with lunches, 25g Bombay Mix or Wasabi Crackers, protein snacks like Bounce Protein Balls or MyProtein Muffins/Wafers, Nakd bars.
I pre-log my main meals a day or two ahead and then factor my snacks in from my leftover calories.
If I exercise I have a few more snacks over the day

Almost everything I want to eat is factored into my calorie goal.

try2again · February 2017

Depending on your stats & weight loss goals, it could be the result of over-restricting, as other posters have mentioned. Sometimes when you drastically cut calories, it actually results in overeating to compensate. A smaller weekly weight loss goal could help with that.

But, yeah, I struggle with sporadic overeating and I've been at this a while. I've managed to maintain, if not still lose a little, over the last year or so, but it's really holding up my weight loss. I just started reading The Beck Diet Solution, which I had seen recommended in the forums. It's cognitive behavioral therapy as it pertains to weight loss- changing your thoughts to better control your behaviors. In the little I've read, I can see it's got my number, as it targets sabotaging thoughts ("I've had a hard day... I deserve to indulge", "A little bit more won't matter", or once you've gone over your calories a little, "Well, I've blown it now... I may as well keep eating") and trains you to respond to them in a different way. The section I'm on now is about only eating while sitting down- a huge problem for me as I have young kids and am always eating on my feet. I can tell it will take a while for me to master, but if I could eliminate that bad habit alone, I think it would save me a bunch of calories. It also discusses mindful eating, as another poster mentioned. It's hard work, but would be worth the effort if you want to check it out.

ladypew · February 2017

Make your food when you're not hungry. I make all my breakfasts and lunches the day before. I find making food when v hungry makes you think you need more than you do, and I've always felt like I've to eat everything on the plate. If I get hungry in between meals I allow myself small snacks, like eating a boiled egg and marmite. Try not to eat empty unfilling calories like bread. If you have a sweet tooth I find sugar free jelly pots or fromage frais to be excellent, and also Curly Wurlys put in the fridge. Also pre log everything and do your best to stick to it. Hope this helps.

KosmosKitten · February 2017

I log daily (usually before I sit down to actually eat whatever it is I want)
I use a small food scale to measure everything down to the oz or g.
Constantly have my log open to remind myself of what I have available
Changed my diet a bit to include more protein sources (because those keep me fuller longer than a bit of carbs would)
Made a contract with myself not to eat after "x" hour (I was a notorious late night snacker before).
Never go to any sort of shopping when I'm hungry or haven't eaten in hours. That just leads to problems (for me).
I do not restrict food groups. However, I look at my calorie goal and allot for whatever it is I want to eat. So.. if I want a Mt. Dew, but I don't have the "calorie money" for it, I do some exercises or activities until I can allot it.. or I don't drink it (the high protein helps with this for me, actually).

I dunno, just lots of stuff I learned here and there (most of the time they help) over the years of doing this and failing (long term, anyway).

susannekb · February 2017

I could have written this post, I've lost 18lb so far but then unfortunately got the flu and pneumonia and have really struggled with getting back into eating at a deficit. What i have done is honestly log what I'm eating, reduced my deficit from 1lb to 0.5lb a week and I've also looked at my motivation for eating something - am I hungry, do I just need something sweet or am I just bored eating. I'm not there yet and still have days of overeating but it's getting there.

Need2Exerc1se · February 2017

mama10716 wrote: »

I've been overeating everyday for the past 2 weeks I don't know what to do stop .I keep going in this cycle of losing weight only to gain it all back real fast .Any advice ??

My advice is to take a real honest look at why you are overeating. When you are under-eating are you eating so few calories that you are so miserable you give up and begin overeating? Are you overeating due to stress or worry or comfort (eating to soothe emotions)? When you are under-eating are you giving up all your favorite foods and eating only salads and 'diet foods' so that you are so miserable you give up and begin overeating?

IMO identifying why you overeat is a key step in being able to successfully lose weight and keep it off.

__TMac__ · February 2017

I overeat in a couple of scenarios:

1) If I don't plan well. I eat too much at breakfast and lunch, and then I can't squeeze dinner in and be satisfied. If I pre-log, I avoid that.

2) Carbs, eaten without protein or fat, tend to make me hungry for the rest of the day. If I stick to moderately low carbs for the day, about 150 g, I do much better.

Examine your eating and overeating patterns to see where your solutions are.

how did you stop overeating

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