Overeating is something that happens to EVERYONE. So you shouldn’t feel bad if it happens to you every now and then :)
But I know that constant overeating can slow down your weight loss / fitness goals. And since I know how hard you girls work, I wanted to share some of my tips on how to avoid overeating.
1. Don’t Start
If you know that there is a certain type of food that triggers you to just keep on eating, even if you’re full, then it’s best not to have any in the first place. For me, chocolate is such a weakness – once I start, it’s hard to stop. So I try not to buy it or keep it in the house. If I do have it, I’ll go out for dessert so there’s no possible way for me to keep eating and eating.
2. Educate Yourself
I don’t know about you, but reading the nutrition labels and finding out that the chocolate I just ate contains about 800 calories (about half my total daily allowance) is enough motivation for me to stop! Educate yourself on the calorie content of foods. Knowing what you’re putting in your mouth may make you think twice about having seconds.
3. Don’t Skip Breakfast
You may have eaten too much the day before and thought it was a good idea to skip breakfast as you were feeling a bit full. The problem with this is that you will probably get hungry around mid morning. You are less likely to make good food choices and probably snack on something unhealthy. Have a good healthy breakfast instead, and skip the morning tea. It’s a much better option!
4. Use Smaller Plates
If your problem is eating too much (not going back for seconds), then consider using a smaller plate. You will automatically eat less!
5. Conquer Cravings
Practice self-control. Whenever you feel like you have a craving, do something to distract yourself! Go for a walk, take a shower, brush your teeth, call your mum, paint your nails, whatever you can think of! If you are genuinely hungry, then of course it is OK to eat something. But try to avoid eating just because you are craving a certain type of food.
For an 8 week healthy eating plan, check out my My Program!
Hi Rachael,
following these tips i’ve managed to cut “junk” food (chips pizza etc) out of my diet and i’ve changed to healthier meals instead for a while now. Recently, everyday after eating a (relatively small, sometimes nuts or fruit) snack I suddenly get huge cravings, and I dont ever seem to be satisfied so I would eat nuts, bread, cereal, fruit until I get pretty full. I can still control myself not to eat worse snacks like chips and fatty snacks, but it’s starting to become a habit that I cant get myself out of. Do you have any tips to help me conquer overeating?
Thanks Rachael, love you <3
Hi Annaleise, good for you! I would try to eat more at meal times so you don’t need to snack, as you have identified that when you snack, that’s when you start to overeat. And also, don’t restrict yourself too much – it’s OK to eat junk food occasionally. Otherwise if you do snack, make sure when you are at home by yourself when you can then go to the fridge/pantry and eat whatever you want. It’s great that you have realized this now though before it turns to binge eating. I’m sure you can get through it! All the best xx