Some people overeat on weekends. They look forward to weekends like children waiting for their favourite toys with excitement.
They do this because weekends are for eating whatever they want and however they want it. These people call weekends cheat days. I laugh.
If you work hard exercising during the week and eat clean, you don’t have to rubbish your efforts by eating carelessly on weekends.
It is important not to restrict yourself from eating certain types of food. You might overindulge when the weekend comes and doing this will add to your overall body weight and you don’t want that.
The habit of eating too much at once or consuming too many calories on weekends can be hard to break. This habit can lead to weight gain and increase your risk of developing health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
What causes overeating?
Before you can stop this habit, you should know what causes it. Many people eat not because they are hungry, they eat when they are bored, alone, stressed, tired, or sad.
Some people also overeat because they are distracted or because they eat too fast. If you must overcome eating too much, you should try making a list of things that trigger overeating and then come up with ways to address them for good.
What is the way forward? What steps should you take to ensure you don’t overeat during weekends? How to do you continue eating healthy and nourishing foods during weekends?
Below are 10 tips that will help you stop overeating if you are really serious about overcoming overeating addiction:
1. Identify foods that trigger this habit
Identify the unhealthy foods that trigger overeating. Keep them out of the home or far out of your sight, and make healthy options easily accessible instead. Doing this can help decrease the chances of overeating.
2. Don’t rule out your favourite foods
If you restrict yourself from eating many of your favourite foods, you begin to feel deprived which leads you to binge on unhealthy treats. The key to a sustainable, healthy diet is to concentrate on eating whole, unprocessed foods while allowing for a treat once in a while.
3. Don’t eat from containers
Instead of eating food straight from containers, portion it into a small dish. Measure the appropriate serving size that will help you not overeat. You must train yourself to identify how much food is recommended as an average portion. If you stick to this rule, overeating will be a thing of the past.
4. Eat foods rich in fibre
Eating foods rich in fibre such as beans, vegetables, oats, and fruit, can keep you satisfied for longer and reduce the urge to overeat. Consuming salads and eating vegetables at every meal is a good way to reduce the amount of food you consume in one sitting.
5. Eat high-protein foods
Protein helps keep your body full throughout the day and can decrease your desire to overeat. When you eat foods rich in protein, it helps ward off hunger and cravings. Starting your day with a high-protein breakfast helps keep you full and fight hunger later in the day. Eggs, chicken, turkey, sardines, tofu and protein shakes are good for breakfast.
6. Eat slowly and mindfully
Stop rushing your food as if someone is dragging it with you. You will overeat if you eat too quickly and this will lead to weight gain over time. Slow down while eating. Stay away from the television, your laptop and your phone. Focus on your food. Eating slowly makes you full and decreases hunger which is a useful tool for controlling overeating.
7. Eat regular meals
Do away with diet mindset. Don’t cut out food because you believe it will decrease the number of calories you consume. If you restrict yourself from eating regular meals throughout the day, you may overeat later. While intermittent fasting may work for a while, don’t make it permanent. You should instead focus on keeping your body satisfied by eating whole and healthy foods.
8. Plan your meals ahead
This may be very hard for some people who earn daily income in Nigeria but it’s possible. If you are not prepared when hunger strikes, it is likely that you will make poor food choices that can lead to overeating. Plan your meals ahead. The more prepared you are to eat right, the less likely you are to overeat. Keep your fridge stocked with healthy foods. Preparation is key to stopping overeating.
9. Reduce stress
I hope you know that stress can lead to overeating, so it’s important to find ways to reduce stress in your daily life. Chronic stress increases levels of cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite. Stress can lead to overeating, increased hunger, binge eating, and weight gain. Managing everyday stress by exercising, doing yoga, and meditation will go a long way to avoid overeating.
10. Eat healthy fats
People, healthy fat is your friend if you want to stop overeating. Eating foods rich in healthy fats can help you eat less. Adding healthy fats like butter, olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, seeds and nuts to your diet leaves you feeling full and satisfied after meals and reduces overeating. Instead of using salad cream in your salad, drizzle olive oil on them and enjoy.
Conclusion
Unhealthy habits can be hard to break, especially when they involve food. Many people have established unhealthy routines, like eating dinner in front of the TV or having a bowl of ice cream or a bar of chocolate every night.
Even though it may take time to identify some of the unhealthy behaviours that lead to overeating and replace them with new, healthy habits, it’s worth the effort. Your body will thank you for that life-changing decision.
If you must avoid overeating, stay away from sugary beverages. You don’t want to increase your risk of diabetes and other diseases which are linked to overeating. Drink water instead. Drink water 30 minutes before you eat so you won’t overeat.