I feel a good spiritual cleansing coming on, so let's be totally honest with each other, shall we? If you’re hauling around some extra pounds right now, I’m 99.9% sure they are due to your overeating…pure and simple. Call me crazy, but I'm betting it's true!
If that’s the case, then let’s look at a few reasons as to why you overeat? This is a brief list of the three likely culprits:
- Habit: Like it, loathe it or just don’t realize it the way in which you eat (i.e., food choices) is a learned model, rather than that of need. Mom & Dad taught you to clean your plate, so that’s exactly what you do. Ignoring your body’s signals that you are “full” you plow ahead with what’s on your plate, never stopping to listen to that little voice telling you, “That’s enough.” You instinctively throw two pieces of bread into the toaster for breakfast, salivating as the timer goes off while buttering them rather than questioning if one piece would be plenty.
- Forgetfulness: You absentmindedly “graze” throughout the day. We’ve all done it when we forget to pay attention while we eat. When the movie in the DVD player starts your mind goes on autopilot and you thoughtlessly eat while viewing. Or maybe you keep a few “road snacks” in the care to calm you while you drive. Maybe you’re one of the cooks who likes to taste test the foods you prepare…albeit frequently. These little added moments of absentminded calories add up to extra weight.
- A “Deeper” Issue: Some of us use food for recreation or to change our mood. “Comfort food” I believe is the term. While these foods, and the added calories they offer, may lend you a temporary sense of comfort or pleasure, at the end of the day your body, health and mental state suffer from the indulgence.
“So what, if anything, can be done to fix it, Uncle Steve?”
Try these 3 Tips to Halt Overeating the next time you encounter this issue.
Step #1: Pay Attention
That’s it, really. Simply be aware of what and how much you eat. This straightforward idea will prevent you from ingesting hundreds, maybe even thousands, of needless calories each week.
Here’s how to put this principle into practice: Never eat or consume anything so long as your attention is drawn to or distracted by another activity. Make it a conscious effort to “be here now” and to only put food in your mouth when you are A) hungry, and B) conscious of it. For most of you this will mean turning off the T.V., getting out of your car, and (and this is a biggie) under no circumstances are you to graze in the kitchen while cooking.
Step #2: Observe Balance
Take special notice of the types of food that you eat during each meal. Make a concerted effort to ensure that each meal is balanced. By eating a well balanced diet of lean protein, lots of veggies, a few daily servings of fruit and whole grains and some “good for you” fats, (of course, VERY limited sweets), you’ll get more nutrition in the form of vitamins, minerals and such and your body will thank you by losing the urge to overeat.
By nourishing yourself this way in a supportive eating fashion you get more “food in your food” and your body recognizes it. So don’t eat meals that are primarily carbohydrate based, or high fat meals. Take a quick mental inventory of the food groups that you've eaten in the last few days. Did your meals contain lean protein? Did they have plenty of vegetables? Did you avoid eating more than one or two primarily carbohydrate-based meals? Do this now, and do it frequently because it could save you from making food decisions that you'd later regret.
Step #3: Listen to your body’s signals
God designed you very well and as such your body offers lots of feedback relative to your surroundings. Your body will always tell you when its hunger has been satisfied…ALWAYS! The issue is that you've grown so good at ignoring those signals that you often rifle through your meal at breakneck speed. It isn’t until you sit back to breathe that you realize the payload in your stomach is akin to a gut grenade waiting to explode.
During your mealtime, make it a habit to put down your fork, take a deep breath and listen to your body.
A key component of being tuned in is to eat more slowly. Doing this will allow you to pay attention to your body’s signals and notice that point when each bite becomes less and less satisfying. This is your body's way of letting you know that you've had enough to eat and that each continued bite is simply too much. And no matter what your Mother taught you, if your plate still has half the pasta on it and your body says, “Done”…from now on your body wins. O.K.?
Take responsibility for your eating and learn to control your eating habits. In doing so you'll find that fat loss and weight management occur simply and naturally.
And if you’re really serious about losing the fat, getting into shape and keeping it off for good, then we need to talk. I've got knowledge, experience and tools to help you achieve the successful weight loss and fitness goal you want. No guess work, no fad diets, and no super long workouts.
Please write me: steve@safatloss.com or visit my website, http://safatloss.com today and let’s get together to make your dreams come to fruition!
Steve
