Eating in Moderation

kumariB
kumariB Posts: 1 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I’ve been struggling to eat in moderation since as long as I can remember and this leads me to sort of binge eating and I feel so bad after I eat almost every time. I don’t know why my body doesn’t give me the cues telling me I’m full until after my stomach starts to hurt. I really need help urgently I can’t live on being so out of control

Replies

  • LovelySavannah
    LovelySavannah Posts: 145 Member
    Don't feel bad about it, that will just make you want to binge eat more :) A few tips I can think of is try to drink more water because it'll give you the "full" feeling. Take breaks when eating, give your stomach enough time to start digesting the food so it'll tell your brain that you have food. Chew slowly through your food and enjoy it, don't hog it down. If you have to, make sure that you don't have access to the foods that you binge eat with so you don't feel tempted. Eat the foods that you love so your mind is satisfied.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Many people find that eating protein, fat, and/or fiber make them feel satiated. Which one(s) work for you is an individual preference that you can figure out through trial and error. Try eating more of these things to see which, if any, help you feel full.
  • lcdube01
    lcdube01 Posts: 23 Member
    This has been a problem for me as long as I can remember and the worst part of all was the fear that I won't get full which led me to then get too much and once it's on my plate of course I'll eat it

    I found the first step is to let go of the guilt. Believe that your body and mind are capable of making the right changes. As everyone has suggested, drinking lots of water ,, snacking on the right things and eating food that is filling but light on calories. So for example when I have a stirfry I'll just make sure there's loads of veggies and less noodles and before i knew it I was eating less. Eat loads of protein- don't be scared of protein.

    Most importantly don't label any food as bad Just eat what you want but a small amount and persevere, you can do this! It gets easier x
  • dajahshannon
    dajahshannon Posts: 16 Member
    I think we all have been there. What works for me is drinking water before meals, I drink a 16oz bottle of water before I eat. I eat lean proteins and nutrient rich low calorie foods, they actually make you feel full and your less hungry even throughout the day.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    I like a half cup of blackberries before dinner. 22 calories.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    For me I found that abstaining from certain foods made a difference. It is easier for me to eat none that just a little.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    If you want to learn how to moderate, start with the lowest hanging fruits. What do you think would be easiest for you to eat moderately? Start there, weight, log, and eat within calories. You can add more things gradually as you train your brain not to associate food with cheating, guilt, being "bad", or any other feelings that make these foods more enticing and special.

    If you decide it's easier for you not to eat something at all than eat it in moderation, or if you decide to severely limit the frequency of something, that's fine too. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can moderate some things, but avoid others. Whichever is easier for you to do.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,267 Member
    If you are "sort of" binge eating then you might want to stop and think about why you are doing it. Why wait for your body to give you a cue to stop, just stop yourself. Eat slower and savor the flavor, make smaller portions and don't take seconds, no matter what. Stop when you know you have reached your calorie high. Your stomach won't tell you that you are full for almost 20 minutes. SO, you'll have to take the reins and stop the binging.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,887 Member
    Maybe rather than trying to talk yourself into intuitive eating you'd be better planning meals and eating just what you plan?

    I found that when I first started I didn't have good cues for when I was no longer hungry and my eyeballing of what a proper portion was was off, but if I ate the amount I planned and stopped I'd be fine with it and not hungry.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,801 Member
    LovelySavannah wrote: »
    Don't feel bad about it, that will just make you want to binge eat more :) A few tips I can think of is try to drink more water because it'll give you the "full" feeling. Take breaks when eating, give your stomach enough time to start digesting the food so it'll tell your brain that you have food. Chew slowly through your food and enjoy it, don't hog it down. If you have to, make sure that you don't have access to the foods that you binge eat with so you don't feel tempted. Eat the foods that you love so your mind is satisfied.

    I do most of what she said plus there's a volume eaters thread on here that gave me good ideas of what foods to add to my plate that's low calorie. I tell myself to wait 20 min & if I want more, i'll have more but my that time i'm full. What everyone else said is great advice too, try it all & see what works best for you
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    I think it's hard for most people.
  • moe0303
    moe0303 Posts: 934 Member
    kumariB wrote: »
    I’ve been struggling to eat in moderation since as long as I can remember and this leads me to sort of binge eating and I feel so bad after I eat almost every time. I don’t know why my body doesn’t give me the cues telling me I’m full until after my stomach starts to hurt. I really need help urgently I can’t live on being so out of control

    @kumariB if you feel that you are frequently binging uncontrollably, you might want to seek out a Doctor's advice or a support group. You are not alone in this problem, and people are ready and waiting to help. Message me if you'd like me to point you towards some possible resources.
  • ConfidentRaven
    ConfidentRaven Posts: 1,428 Member
    I could eat a massive amount of food before I felt full. When I decided to lose weight I decided to take some advice I found which was to eat until I felt about 80% full. I will not go for more food until I’ve had something to drink and have waited at least 20, even then I try to go and do something else. If all that fails I have a single piece of dark chocolate candy or a piece of fruit or cheese depending on my psychology need. I also planned my day and tried to stay with my plan. The first two weeks sucked, a lot, but by week three the hungry feeling started going away. Now in week five I only notice an issue when I wait too long to eat. Hang in there you can do it.
  • hroderick
    hroderick Posts: 756 Member
    What works for me is to cook, then divide into portions before serving. The extra servings are closed up before the serving plate, with the appropriate portion, goes on the table. Similarly, with snacks, I weigh it into a bowl then put the bag away before I take a bite. I cannot trust myself to eat from a bag unless I intend to eat it all. After a long time doing this, new improved habits take root,
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    Literally none of these tips worked for me on my own, because I was so depressed I couldn’t see how to implement them consistently. I highly HIGHLY recommend behavioral therapy to help you make a workable plan to get a healthier relationship towards food. Binges have root causes, often stress, overwork, depression, anxiety, etc. It’s hard to identify it on your own; reach out for help if you can.
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    For those who say “we have all been there,” that’s not necessarily true. Not everyone experiences true habitual binging that can severely affect your life and your happiness. For the people that do experience this, it’s not normal and there is help out there!
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