9 Tips to End Overeating

The key to successful weight control is learning to listen to your body’s cues. You want to eat when you feel hungry, but not famished. Feeling overly hungry can trigger overeating. The following tips can help you get in touch with the signs of hunger and satiety to prevent overeating:

1. Always ask WHY before you eat– “Why am I eating now?” You want to make sure you’re truly hungry not thirsty, board, sad, anxious or happy. Food’s roll is not to fix any of those.
2. Include protein – Protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, poultry, egg, cheese, help you feel full longer because they require more time to digest and absorb than other nutrients. Divide your protein intake among three meals (and 1 or 2 snacks if you are in the habit of snacking). Protein-rich snack choices include nuts, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and yogurt (preferably from grass-fed cows).
3. Don’t skip protein at breakfast – Research suggests that eating protein in the morning keeps you satisfied longer than if eating a high carbohydrate meal.
4. Choose low-glycemic impact foods – Avoid refined (white) and sugary foods. These are high-glycemic foods that cause blood glucose and insulin levels to spike after eating. In response to excess insulin, blood glucose levels drop more quickly over the next few hours, which can trigger hunger and overeating. Low-glycemic foods are usually high fiber foods and are more slowly digested which help keep hunger at bay. They include beans, lentils, nuts, yogurt, milk, apples, peaches, pears and berries.
5. Add grapefruit – People who eat grapefruit have significantly lower levels of insulin after eating which was thought to control hunger.
6. Spice up meals – Capsaicin, the component that gives red chili peppers their heat, can reduce hunger and increase calorie burning. Adding cayenne pepper to meals was effective at reducing appetite for fatty, salty and sweet foods, especially among people who did not consume it regularly.
7. Slow down – It takes roughly 20 minutes for appetite-related hormones to kick in and tell your brain you’ve had enough food. After every bite, put down your knife and fork, and chew thoroughly. Do not pick up your utensils until your mouth is empty.
8. Savor your food and ban distractions – Eating in front of the television, while reading, or while driving leads to mindless eating. Reserve the kitchen or dining-room table for meals and pay attention to the delicious flavors and aromas in your meal.
9. Rate your hunger – Determine how hungry – or satisfied – you feel before you eat, halfway through a meal, and after you finish. Stop eating when you feel about 70% full.

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