How To Stop Overeating And Be More Mindful At Meals
How To Stop Overeating And Be More Mindful At Meals
Do you feel powerless around food because you overeat? Whether you eat too much over the course of the day or find yourself overconsuming at certain times, it’s not just about needing more willpower. To stop overeating, you need to understand why.
Why do we overeat?
First up, it’s important to know that overeating is something most people experience. You’re not a bad person for overeating! But we do know that overeating regularly is not a healthy pattern for your body or your mind, so let’s look at why it happens.
In my experience, there are 3 primary reasons that overeating happens:
1 - You’re not getting enough nutrition into your day
So while you might be getting enough calories or even more than you need, your body continues to demand food to nourish it. This is common in people who aren’t getting enough nutrients including protein and fibre.
2 - There’s an emotional driver
This can include low-self esteem, stress, anxiety and depression. Some people will even overeat when they are happy – food can be a form of celebration, and many cultures encourage feasting to celebrate.
This can also include those who were raised to ‘finish everything on their plate’, as you were made to feel guilty or ashamed of not appreciating the food served.
3 - Mindless eating
This can happen solo or alongside the other two. Mindless eating is a disconnect between your mind and what you’re putting into your body. It may be that you’re simply not paying attention to your food while you eat, or it could be another factor such as judging your portion sizes to be smaller than they actually are.
If you want to reduce your overeating, you want to understand why. This can be uncomfortable, as you’ll need to look at the pattern of your overeating and what happens in the lead-up. But once you know the why, it is far easier to tackle.
One simple way to address your overeating – no matter the causes – is to be mindful around your eating. This allows you to look at your food choices (nutrition), how you feel before, during and after your food (emotional) and your experience of eating (mindless eating).
How to be more mindful around food
If you are mindful while eating, it can help reduce the risk of overeating. In the early stages, it can also help you to be more aware of your overeating triggers so you can choose to slow down.
Here are some simple tips that will help you stay mindful and make healthier decisions while eating.
Take a few breaths first
An easy way to increase your mindfulness before any task is taking a few slow, deep breaths. This allows you to ‘drop into’ your body and be more aware of what is going on.
Ditch the distractions
Hands up who eats at least one meal per day while scrolling on Instagram or watching Netflix? There’s nothing wrong with some downtime on technology, but meal time is not the time if you want to tackle overeating.
When you’re distracted, you’re less able to notice how you’re feeling physically and emotionally. So save the Tik Tok session for after you’ve finished your meal!
Take your time
When you’re busy, it can be tempting to squeeze your meals in a 5-10 minute break then get back to it. But when you take your time with eating, it makes it much easier to eat a healthy portion!
There are a few reasons for this:
Physically speaking, it takes the body time to acknowledge what’s been consumed and let the mind know it’s time to stop. Hormones such as insulin, ghrelin and leptin work together to regulate your appetite and distribute the energy from your food.
The longer you take to eat, the higher the chance that you’ll become mindful of the process – even if you’re not consciously working on mindful eating
Thoughts and feelings tend to be fleeting – so if you spend 10-15 minutes per meal, they will have less hold over you than if you’re eating the entire meal in 5 minutes or less!
Recognise & acknowledge your thoughts and emotions
If you truly want to stop overeating, you need to become aware of the thoughts and feelings that are driving it. Even if your primary struggle is with mindless eating or low nutrition, there are still mental and emotional aspects that continue the cycle.
While you eat, check in regularly around the following:
What am I thinking about?
How am I feeling about my food choices?
How am I feeling in general – has there been anything throughout the day that is influencing it?
What stories am I telling myself about all of the above – for example, am I telling myself to ‘treat myself’ after a hard day?
And if you notice yourself zoning out or feeling disconnected from your body? Don’t beat yourself up – just put your utensils down, take a few deep breaths and wait until your focus returns to the present moment.
You might not always be able to slow yourself or stop yourself from overeating if your thoughts & emotions drive it – and that’s ok. The more aware and mindful you are of their effects, the easier it will become to make healthier choices.
Stop eating at 80% full
Why 80% instead of 100%? The body takes time to feed back to the brain that you’ve hit a satiety point. So if you stop when you’re feeling 80%, it allows for that delay.
Otherwise, if you consistently eat to 100% full, you’re more likely to feel bloated, unwell and eat more than you actually need.
Enjoy your treats in moderation
Depriving yourself of your favourite foods is a recipe for disaster. It feeds into the restriction/overeating cycle. So let’s stop that cycle by including your treats – but in a mindful way.
That means:
Choosing when you’re going to have your treats in advance, rather than acting on impulse
Being particularly mindful when consuming them, including awareness of thoughts & feelings around guilt and shame (these are common when having more indulgent foods!)
Taking your time with as few distractions as possible, so you get the most enjoyment out of those foods
Prepare your own meals whenever possible
The process of eating your meal actually starts before you even pick up your fork and knife. By preparing your own meals, you have a greater connection with what’s in the meal.
It gives you a real sense of ownership over what you nourish your body with, which can be a game-changer for many who struggle with disordered eating patterns.
Start fresh
What if you find yourself overeating? The last thing we want is for you to feel guilty or ashamed and tell yourself that you’re a failure and will always be an overeater!
All you need to do is start over the next time you eat. Every meal is an opportunity to make healthy, balanced choices – so simply make a different choice.
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Hey there, I’m Rachel!
NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH
Here I share healthy recipe ideas, training plans, and nutrition & wellness advice you need to know.
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While we make every effort to make sure the information in this website is accurate and informative, the information does not take the place of medical advice.