Strategies to Overcome Overeating

Who hasn’t felt the sensation of being overly full and thought “Why did I eat so much?” or gotten to the end of a food item and looked and thought “Where did it all go?” If this hasn’t happened to you with French fries or chips or M&Ms, you might just be from another planet and you probably don’t need to read on.

Here are 3 strategies that might be helpful

1) Mindful eating.
This strategy is to simply have your mind on the task of eating. Not eating while watching TV or not working on your computer while eating. (Guilty!) It sounds simple, and it is, but most people don’t do it often enough. This will allow you to actually enjoy what you’re consuming, slow down, and to have satiety signals be recognized so that you will likely eat less.

2) Stop and take 5.
If you are a grazer, and you know who you are, as you are about to reach for a food item, stop, put it down and wait 5 minutes. Go do something in that 5 minutes such as walk into another room or walk outside, start a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher, return a call or email, or even drink a glass of water. If you still really want to eat that tasty treat after 5 minutes, it might just be the right choice.

3) Ask yourself one question… How is this serving me?
This may be the most powerful question that you ever ask yourself in any aspect of your life.
Whether it’s about food or a relationship or a purchase, ask yourself if this actually serves you in a positive way? If you look at that ice cream or M&M bag and know that it is not serving your body in a positive way, perhaps you can skip it or make a better choice. Grab that apple!

If you’re reaching for the bowl of blueberries and know that it will satisfy your hunger and give you some beautiful antioxidants, go for it!

Sometimes we need to be reminded that we were given a magnificent vessel to use while we are on this planet, and it’s the only one we get.

Namaste.
Dr. A