Trying to map out a new health plan can be difficult, especially when you are used to overeating on a regular basis. Many of us don't even realize just how much we eat and how this can affect our bodies. The key to weight loss is the simple formula of calories in - calories burned. If you're taking in too many calories, you're just not going to lose weight the healthy way.
Learning how not to overeat can be a difficult process, especially if you have been used to it for many years. Your stomach is pretty much trained that it needs a set amount of food and when it doesn't get that amount, it sends out signals to your brain that you're hungry.
In order to stop overeating, you're going to need to employ a process with a few different techniques. It may take awhile to completely retrain yourself, but it is possible. Don't get discouraged and keeping moving forward, even if you end up falling off the wagon. It's only a disaster if you don't get back on.
Let's look at a few ways that you can start training yourself to avoid overeating. Personally, I went with 1-3 until I had figured out my diet and even now continue to rely on number 2.
1. Keep a log of absolutely everything you eat from the moment you get up to the moment you go to bed.
Don't forget to log what you drink as well. Sometimes, just seeing everything on paper is enough to make you realize how much you are eating. Talk with your doctor or nutritionist to see how many calories you really need, and then compare the two. Chances are, you're probably consuming more calories than you thought.
2. Start using smaller plates.
Even if it's only for your meal and not the rest of your family's, studies have shown that smaller plates really do help when it comes to weight loss. Eat only what is on that plate and avoid going back for seconds. You'll get that mental feeling of having cleared your plate, but it will be with much less food than you normally get. If you have difficulty with portion control, this technique can really make the difference.
3. Get a food scale.
It's tough to know how big a portion should be and having a food scale around really makes it easier. Chances are, what you thought was one serving is probably closer to two. It can seem a little frustrating and quite a bit crazy at first to weigh everything you eat, but after the first week or so it will become old hat.
4. Allow yourself your favorite foods, but cut back on their size.
In some cases, overeating is triggered by the feeling of being deprived. Instead of quitting all of your favorite foods cold turkey, allow yourself to eat them, but in much smaller quantities. If this is still a problem, try replacing these foods with similar versions that are lower in calories. There are new snacks that are packaged into 100 calories packs that are very similar to popular desserts and these can really help in this situation.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-11-20 09:39:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
3 Tips on How to Avoid Diet Stress Dieting can be very stressful in many ways. It's never easy to start depriving yourself of food, and you'll undoubtedly experience not only physical stress but some emotional stress too. While it's hard to completely avoid all stress in your life, there are ways that you can make your...... -
What Does "Eating Healthy" Really Mean? With hundreds of different diet plans, exercise plans, fad diets and weight loss short cuts out there, it can be extremely difficult for people to figure out what healthy eating really means. Does eating healthy really have to do with downing protein shakes, drastically cutting calories, eliminating carbs and taking...... -
Surfing and Wakeboarding for Weight Loss Are you looking for a way to lose weight that doesn't involve running, walking, aerobics or going to the gym? Most people would categorize surfing and wakeboarding as fun activities rather than weight loss activities, but this is not necessarily the case, because you can easily lose weight through surfing,...... -
How to Stop Holiday Weight Gain Most people have been conditioned to think that holiday weight gain is simply something that cannot be avoided. There is no natural process that forces us to gain weight during the holiday season, however, unless we are talking about large bears preparing for winter hibernation. The truth is, holiday weight...... -
What is a Calorie? The definition of one calorie, officially, is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one liter of water one degree. Thus, a calorie is actually not a tangible item, but rather a unit of measure. Calories actually measure the energy contained in a given food......
Related Websites -
The Feather Duster Worm Reef aquariums could be home to many life forms. One of these is the obvious, fish, in many aquariums these are small and inoffensive, and in bigger systems larger varieties could find a place. The major consideration with fish is that they are reef friendly. Quite apart from fish there...... -
Weight Loss with Flavorful Foods One of the major problems these days with weight loss diets is that the foods that need to be eaten on a daily basis are usually bland. This is very important because some people fall out of their diet regime due to the fact that they crave tastier foods (which...... -
Ways to Increase Physical Activity & Calorie Burn and Prevent Weight Gain in Your Daily Life As a follow-up to my post on how you can save money and get more exercise with a mini home gym, I thought I would offer some tips and tricks that Madoline and I have discovered over the years to burn a few extra calories and prevent weight gain during...... -
Triathlon Nutrition Tips When it comes to triathlon competitions such as the Iron Man, fitness alone is not going to be guarantee enough that you are going to win. It is absolutely vital that you develop good nutrition habits as well. This is one of the most important parts of planning for the...... -
Preventing Injuries While Triathlon Training pt 1 In our athletic careers, many of us have experienced injuries. Some of these setbacks only seem to sideline us for a couple of days or a couple of weeks while others are capable of ending our careers. It is important that you learn how to listen to your body before......
- Snacks, Treats Foods, Bars Snacks Weight Management
- Foods, Meals Foods, Bars Snacks Weight Management
- Discount Low Carb Products Cheap Weight Loss Journal Low Carb Store
- Foods, Bars Snacks Weight Management
- International Foods Food & Wine Home Store
Time the change your life? No longer content to live a sedentary lifestyle and revel in couch potatoism? Click here to download the 31 page the 100% FREE eBook "How to Lose Weight and Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle."
Categories:
Meals, alternative ideas, healthy eating, nutrition, trigger food
Tags:
7 comments ↓
Nice article, made me stop and think of a few bad habits i have.
the last one works for me (as in Id never think WOE IS ME WHEN CAN I HAVE X AGAIN? because it’s every day in small quantities) but I so recall suggesting that to clients who laugh in my face
I guess for many NONE is better than a little.
(and MANY being my husband as well)
Miz.
A food scale is a great idea. My best tool has been keeping active and burning more calories that I am taking in. Great Post!
Hmm…I do all of those except the food scale. I’m thinking a good food scale might be a great investment. Any recommendations?
@Andrew
I added the one I bought to the listing… It is a touch pricy, but it has built into it’s program the Calories, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Calcium, Protein , and Vitamin K for all fodds with a USDA label. It also knows the same thing about many types of raw foods.
Great suggestions. In fact, there’s been recent research that states Keeping a Food Diary doubles your weight loss.
I definitely think using a scale is a great idea. Before I started using a scale, I used to eat twice the amount of cereal that is recommend.
@Andrew: I use a salter scale. I tried to find a link, but I guess they stopped making mine. I’ve had no problems with it.
Two More Tips, I’d add:
Write your food down BEFORE you eat it.
When going out to eat, split your meal with a companion or a doggie bag immediately before eating.
Very good, practical advice here. Will def use it when trying get someone to stop eating so much.
Leave a Comment