struggling with overeating

Options
eudemonia
eudemonia Posts: 149 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
my biggest problem is overeating. i'm logging foods into my diary and seeing that i'm always going overboard, sometimes by several thousand calories. i'm trying to not go for things that are overly junky, but at the same time, even when i eat ok foods, i eat very large portions. i still feel hungry after eating sometimes. i overestimate a little when logging foods, but i'm not sure how much i'm overestimating. looking at the logs are demotivating me, because there's no possible way i can be healthy when there's that much going into my body every day. i know portion control is the key, but i freak out when i'm told i should only be having 1 teaspoon of peanut butter when i use a lot more.. i'm not quite sure how to put myself into perspective.

Replies

  • CindiBryce
    CindiBryce Posts: 438
    Options
    Look at it this way: Calorie-counting is simple math. Do not let the calories you consume exceed your goal. Plan ahead of time, it may help. And eliminate as much junk food as possible from your diet, as they are generally higher in calories per serving than healthy foods.
  • Stormy65
    Stormy65 Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    You just need to look at what your eating and say to yourself IS IT WORTH THE XTRA WEIGHT AND CALORIES! Buy a digital scale. If we weigh our food until we get used to eating appropriate portions then do that, I have a scale and it helps me LOTS. Also, if you MUST eat junk food, if it says 14 chips ONLY EAT 14 CHIPS. Eat the alloted amount ONLY! You will be surprised how much that helps. NEVER EVER eat out of the bag. Eat from a smaller plate.

    Those are just a few suggestions that might work for you!!!!!
  • Moonbeamlissie
    Moonbeamlissie Posts: 504 Member
    Options
    I suggest a bit of counseling. Try to figure out why you "freak out" when thinking of having less.... Maybe something lies down deep....
  • anovak6
    anovak6 Posts: 2
    Options
    One thing that helped me with portion control is after dishing up my plate, I would put half of it back. Eat slowly, drink water and let your stomach get used to the smaller amount. You may be a little more hungry at first, but you will adjust and pretty soon you will find that you are satisfied with much less food. Also, snack on things that are almost like "free" foods...raw veggies are great for that. =)
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    Options
    I'm not a doctor, but I used to feel this way... contantly hungry, never felt "full" and it turned out I was actually diabetic -- and I have PCOS which meant I had 2 insulin resistant diseases. If it runs in your family, it can't hurt to get checked and make sure its not an issue.

    After that, there are little things you can do tohelp:

    1. Add protein shakes -- buy some good protein and make them yourself -- they keep you full between meals
    2. Eat from little plates -- I know it sounsd silly, but all of my dishes are now salad plates :)
    3. Add protein -- chicken, fish, tuna salad, quinoa, greek yogurt (the good kind with more protein than sugar) -- this keeps you full longer than eat a bit bowl of pasta
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 528 Member
    Options
    For me, the key to stopping (well... slowing down) over eating was discovering veggies. Most people don't eat enough. I always though I hated veggies (except broccoli smothered in butter and/or cheese). But i have since discovered SO many that I actually love! Spinach, kale, chard, asparagus, broccoli (with spices! or low cal sauces!), all kinds of squashes (butternut, summer, acorn, spaghetti, etc.), eggplant, etc. I have to bulk up on the veggies to feel full so I don't go after the "calorie dense" goodies. I stay away from 100 calorie packs, etc. b/c they don't pack much punch for the calories. I do things like apples with (1 oz!) cheddar cheese.

    I have just about killed my sweet tooth. I used to LOVE sweets... but now I don't care about them at all. (just dumped a bunch of ice cream that was taking up too much freezer space). Tastes change. You "crave what you eat".

    I also read something somewhere about chips, etc. - things that have little or no nutritional value - the reason you want to keep eating and eating them is b/c you body is looking for the nutrition in them and not finding it. That is why people don't *tend* to over eat chicken breast and veggies. Your body becomes satiated on the healthy stuff and you know better when to stop eating.

    Sorry- I am rambling a bit.
  • SonyaGrace
    SonyaGrace Posts: 1
    Options
    Try to drink a large glass of water before and after you eat. Believe me, this is a hard habit to get into and get use to, but it has helped me a lot! It helps fill you up and it is easier to get the neccesary amont of water into your daily routine. FYI my first week into this (and I am not that far yet) I felt like I was starving every night before I went to bed....but just talk yourself through it and you will feel so proud!
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    Options
    I'd like to suggest that you track your SUGAR... While you are avoiding obvious junk.
    I was amazed at how many food that are sold as *healthy* or *real food*s are loaded with hidden sugar.

    both sugar and artificial sweeteners increase your appetite.

    While it's a rare day that I'm under on sugar. I'm not perfect I'm doing better.
    I find that sugar increases my appetite by a lot.! If I have too much I can't stay in my calorie range for the day. I've been meaning to look into the Glycemic Index. to learn more about how the body processes sugar. I come from generations of diabetics I always thought that "sugar was sugar." But I've recently heard about somethings about how your body processes sugar that I want to look into.

    Food manufacturers add a lot of sugar under a lot of different unrecognizable names into products, because it's cheap and it increases your appetite, so you eat more.
    (I picked up a lean cuisine one evening forgot to check the sugar went to enter it to find out it had 30g of sugar, now

    A) I only get 25g a day,
    B) my favorite cookies are 9g for 15 cookies. If I'm going to eat sugar I want to enjoy a treat!!!

    Also watch out for yogurts there usually very high in sugar, buy plain and add a little hershey syrup or jam or cukes & dill at least YOU will be controlling your intake.)

    BOTH sugar AND artificial sweeteners increase your appetite, so cutting back on them makes weight loss easier, because you are not hungry all the time.

    If I have a DIET COKE, no way I can keep at 1200 cal.

    Nutrient Dense foods keep you full longer, while proteins and fats (happy fats... plant based) appear to pack a lot of calories for the quantity you get to eat. A small amount will keep you satisfied longer. So it may be a better balance for you .
  • chicago717
    chicago717 Posts: 2
    Options
    I'm struggling with overeating, too. Even when I feel full I keep going back to the kitchen. I've gotten better at it (I eat a lot less than I used to) but sometimes I still relapse, like tonight... :( some tips that help me are to just eat - don't do anything while you're eating. I used to study and snack and that added up to a LOT of calories. Don't eat dinner in front of the TV, just eat. Some things that I still have to work on are eating slower. I stop when I feel full when I eat slower, but tonight I ate dinner in 15 minutes flat and overate. I totally get how you feel; when I binge I am just out of control stuffing my face. We're in this together :) and I absolutely believe that you can make it through.
  • oneakaqt
    oneakaqt Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    I feel your pain. Counting my calories has opened my eyes to the traumatic state of my food consumption and I had to think long and hard about an attack plan. When I realized how many calories were in the foods I ate on a daily basis I was devastated. I started to evaluate food stuffs in my spare time. I also started trying to familiarize myself with how much of what I could have. One of the first things I learned - VEGETABLES- you can eat a surprisingly ample amount of vegetables without running up a load of calories. I often grill myself a protein (chicken, small steak, salmon fillet) and then complement it with an entire bag of mixed vegetables or broccoli. The entire bag may add up to 150 calories, but I find that I'm full afterwards. Also get a food scale, I cut a ton of my calories by actually measuring my meats to ensure I don't overdo my portions. You can overcome this, I know you can. I am fighting the same battle. Be encouraged and don't give up! Also, one last note, look for 100 calories snack packs. I use to eat a bag of chips and didn't think anything of it, but then I started to compare the nutritional info btw a GRAB size bag and a 100 calorie snack bag - saved a quick 120 calories right there!
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    Options
    I don't go after the "calorie dense" goodies. I stay away from 100 calorie packs, etc. b/c they don't pack much punch for the calories. I do things like apples with (1 oz!) cheddar cheese.

    I have just about killed my sweet tooth. I used to LOVE sweets... but now I don't care about them at all. (just dumped a bunch of ice cream that was taking up too much freezer space). Tastes change. You "crave what you eat".

    I also read something somewhere about chips, etc. - things that have little or no nutritional value - the reason you want to keep eating and eating them is b/c you body is looking for the nutrition in them and not finding it. That is why people don't *tend* to over eat chicken breast and veggies. Your body becomes satiated on the healthy stuff and you know better when to stop eating.

    ^ Agree!!!

    also you hear a lot of hard and fast rules here... but the thing to remember is your don't have to be PERFECT you just have to do BETTER... then bit by bit a little better, then a little better and so on.
  • Bluejay789
    Bluejay789 Posts: 176
    Options
    I sent you an email with some tips that have helped me drop 22 pounds. Hopefully when I weigh friday it will be 24 pounds.

    You can do it.
  • jakstews
    jakstews Posts: 3
    Options
    I have the same problem. We bought a scale and cheap little sandwich bags. When we get home from grocery shopping I take all my snacks (my biggest vice) and divide them into portion sizes (ie 1 ounce, etc). That way when I want something I just grab a bag and I know I'm getting the right portion. This works for frozen stuff, dried snacks, fruits, etc. Also we put all our giant fancy dinner plates (standard dinner plate is 10-1/2 inches) away in the basement and bought 99-cent glass dinner plates from Ikea which are only 8-1/2 inches. When that smaller plate is full, I know I'm doing better with portion control. It's taken me about a year now to lose 35 pounds but my doc tells me by losing weight slowly I will be more likely to keep it off and learn how to eat better over time. I've had to learn to eat many more fruits and veggies--a huge change--but for the most part if you feel like binging on something, fruits and veggies dont add too much to your daily intake. I also started drinking a lot of tea--mostly caffeine free but sometimes I gotta have that jolt :D Try to have foods that have more protein and more fiber--they keep you fuller longer. Also, the month of August I went on a "bender" because my weight loss hit a stand still. I took the month off, still eating properly, but not exercising as much, and ignoring my food diary. Starting again in September and already I have lost 3 pounds. Sometimes you just have to forgive yourself and start over. Not easy, I know, but we are all here for support and encouragement!!
  • eudemonia
    eudemonia Posts: 149 Member
    Options
    thank you all so much for the advice and for sharing your experiences! the hurdle is less daunting when i'm seeing so many other people tackling similar problems and dealing with them steps at a time. i'm definitely going to try out these suggestions, thanks so much again!

Categories