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how to cope with overeating?

Hi I'm new to this started yesterday very excited :))) just wondering any hints on learning not to over eat. As I'm typing this i got a nice plate of pasta that i made for lunch infront of me this is the second plate that I want to eat but know i shouldn't so I'm coping with this by filling up my 24oz water bottle and is currently drinking it hope by the time I'm finish with the bottle I will be too full to eat any more. What do you do if you're going for that second serving knowing you are over eating?
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@kiwi080 wrote:
Hi I'm new to this started yesterday very excited :))) just wondering any hints on learning not to over eat. As I'm typing this i got a nice plate of pasta that i made for lunchinfront of me this is the second plate that I want to eat but know i shouldn't so I'm coping with this by filling up my24oz water bottle and is currently drinking it hope by the time I'm finish with the bottle I will be too full to eat any more. What do you do if you're going for that second serving knowing you are over eating?

Some willpower works really well ...

 

Replacing a "bad habit" with a "good habit" is the classic way.

Do whatever you think is a "good habit", instead of eating.

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Sounds like you need to make it harder to get to the second serving. Me too! Man Very Happy 

 

Maybe put the second plate pasta in a container and then in the freezer - ideally straight from pan to individual sized containers.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Maybe get in the habit of only eating at the dinner table - and not at the computer.

 

Good luck.

Scott | Baltimore MD

Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro

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I have never had a weight problem, but I did spend a lot of years competing in a sport that has weight classes. Since I was always several pounds over the maximum weight for my division, I have lots of experience in struggling to control the urge to eat more than i know I should.

 

One tip that I used to great effect is to make it harder to overeat. Only make the amount of food you want to eat. If you do make more food, then serve yourself the correct amount and put the rest away before you sit down to eat. If possible, eat in another room, not the same one where the extra food is. If you buy a bag of chips or a package of cookies, fine. Take out your serving, and put the rest away. And I mean WAY away. I used to hide my high calorie snacks up on the highest shelf of my kitchen cabinets, behind whatever was stored up there. To get it down, I had to pull up a kitchen chair, climb up on it and then kneel on the counter, open the cabinet, haul out a bunch of stuff, get my snack, and reverse the whole process. I found that by the time I did all that, I could usually talk myself out of completing the process.

 

I also found it helpful to schedule some project that I wanted to do for right after I ate. So I would have the mindset that I was going to eat, then go do this really fun thing. So I replaced extra portions with a different, very rewarding activity. I tried to do something away from home, so I would not be tempted.

 

I also was careful to build some wiggle room into my food plan for the day. One major competition was always held just after Easter...I really struggled with not being able to eat the candy I was so fond of. So, I decided to allow 100 calories of jelly beans for one day (that's 10 jelly beans). I could have them all at once, or spread them out. But I could have them.

 

Also remember that the amount you eat each day is less important than the amount you average over the week. If you overdo one day, cut back a little on the rest of the days. Don't try to make all your changes at once. You don't need to quit all your bad eating habits cold turkey. Don't be too hard on yourself. Do, however, be honest with yourself. If you just have a mouthful of something extra, fine. If you have three or four mouthfulls, you may have had half a serving - so don't pretend it was just one mouthful. Many people find chewing gum helps keep them from eating, because your mouth is occupied. And if you chew a strong flavor of gum, food won't taste as good while you still have the flavor of the gum in your mouth, which makes the food less attractive. Think of brushing your teeth and then sitting down to a glass of orange juice. Yuck

 

Which is actually another thing that I found helpful. Brush your teeth as soon as you have eaten your portion. You will be less likely to eat after brushing.

 

Another thing is timing. It takes a while for your body to send signals to your brain saying you are not actually hungry any more. So eat your portion, then wait half an hour, but occupy yourself for that time. Usually you will find that you are not really so hungry after all.

 

The last bit of advice that comes to mind is that you should always eat enough that you are not hungry, but never so much that you are full. This does not count for snacks of course, but just for meals.

 

I am sure I will think of other tips; it has been about 30 years since I had to cut weight, so I will cudgel my elderly brain and try to recall other ways of keeping my mouth shut!  Hope some of the above help.

 

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You have to look at your first plate and enjoy every bite then just think of what you would have to do to burn off and extra that you would eat. Sometimes we will eat that 2nd plate but then you have to work harder at exercising. Try putting your fork down after each bite and taking a sip of water when your done chewing. That might fill you up faster. You can get containers and put the 2nd plate into single servings and only take out 1 at a time. 

You can do it - that is my hardest challenge "moderation" 😞 

 

 

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I`m also struggling with over eating and I had my fitbit set at the harder setting for losing weight, not the hardest but the next one down and I was going over the calorie amount all the time so I have now adjusted my fitbit setting to make it a little easier for me ( just to help me manage to stay within my limits) and it is set at earning calories, I seem to be managing a little better with it at this setting. Today for instance I had used up my calorie allowance by mid afternoon and I hadn`t eaten any rubbish food it was just breakfast, mid morning cereal and mince hotpot for lunch followed by a little bit of swiss roll (okay I could have skipped that) anyway by the time I had been to work and worked really hard (physically) I had earned 300 calories by the time I got home. After tea I went out walking and by the time I got home I had earned another 200 calories. I had walked over 8 miles in the course of the day. So this easier setting on my fitbit makes the eating more bearable for me, I haven`t lost any weight as yet because I`m doing a trial and error with the settings at the moment and finding what works best for me. I would love to understand how fitbit can distinguish moderate activity and intense activity, how does it do it. For instance I have the flex fitbit and all day today it has shown my activity as moderate activity but when I was out walking tonight carrying heavy shopping home and breathless. I checked my fitbit dashboard when I got home and strangely it had shown my walk home with heavy shopping as intense activity. How does it judge whats intense and what`s moderate activity. It`s very smart!

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my tips on how not to overeat:

 

*drink water before you eat a main meal

*load up on veggies if you find yourself uncontrollably hungry

*chew gum. this works for boredom eaters

*control your trigger food. in my case, its chips. what i do is buy the small packs or lower calorie alternatives so i wont go over my calorie budget. btw, pasta and refined carbs are definitely trigger foods

*keep yourself busy. the more time you think of something else, the less time you'd think about eating

 

 

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After a lifetime of overeating, it is hard to exercise moderation. Some things to try are:

  • Distract yourself before having that extra portion - do some task, take a walk, take a moment to write what you've eaten in your food journal/tracker. You may find that after 15 mins. or so you feel full instead of the desire to eat.
  • Prepare healthier, plant based alternatives to what you know are heavy foods - Great pasta substitutes are spaghetti squash, thinly sliced cabbage (I know, weird, but try it with a good red sauce or peanut sauce)
  • After cooking, make your plate then immediately putting away the remainder before you eat. The work involved in taking the second portion out of the fridge may dissuade you from having it

Don't give up. Keep trying. You're worth it. It took time to create our bad habits, it will take time to create healthier habits.

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Hi Kiwi080, welcome to the forum.  Before every meal, drink, drink, drink.  The rule of thumb is to drink 1/2 your body weight, or at least 100oz of water a day.  This will help with some of the urges.  Most of the time when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty.

Lots, of vegtables and fruit.  These will fill you up. Look for healthy snacks.  I'm going to recommend a site for you that I'm involved with.  It's lots of fun, and in turn you become a healthier you.

www.meltdownchallenge.com.  They are also connected to TSFL (Take Shape For Life)  Check it out.

 

Good luck

Burdie
FitHR Charge....Weight Watchers....Meltdown Challenge....Samsung......Windows 8....Educator.....Lucille Roberts
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I recommend drinking a glass of water before your meal, since plenty of times we mistake hunger for thirst.  

 

Also, check the real reasons why you are over eating, stress, boredom?  If you think you are overeating for emotional reasons, I recommend to take a look on Overeaters Anonymous' website https://www.oa.org/

 

You can do this! Welcome to the forums Cat Happy

Fitbit Community ModeratorHelena A. | Community Moderator, Fitbit

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Hi Emmy1, I love what you wrote.  You have to find what's manageable for you and to also lose weight.  The larger the deficit, the more (supposedly) weight you will lose.  

Just one word of caution (because I did this) be careful into thinking that it's ok to eat your calories burned.  Burn, baby burn, but stay within your recommended caloric intake with a slight deficit, based on your weight, height, BMI, Fat etc.  The more you burn, and the less your caloric intake should be a recipe for weight loss.

It's a marathon, not a sprint is what I have to keep telling myself.  Once you get a balance, and figure out what works.......you're golden!

 

Sincerely,

Balance

Burdie
FitHR Charge....Weight Watchers....Meltdown Challenge....Samsung......Windows 8....Educator.....Lucille Roberts
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Portion control and eating slowly. Don't watch TV or the computer while you eat. You want to be enjoying and thinking about each bite. I don't count calories or forbid myself certain foods. Last week I ordered one of my favorite pizzas. But I made it last...I got four meals out of it and enjoyed every drop.

 

Something else, especially at dinner time. Eat a healthy portion and then get thee out of the kitchen. I clean up and load the dishwasher then get the dogs out for an after dinner walk. Right after you eat you don't want to sit around. You've just fueled your body, get out there and use that energy.

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@BurdsNest wrote:

Hi Kiwi080, welcome to the forum.  Before every meal, drink, drink, drink.  The rule of thumb is to drink 1/2 your body weight, or at least 100oz of water a day.  This will help with some of the urges.  Most of the time when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty.

Lots, of vegtables and fruit.  These will fill you up. Look for healthy snacks.  I'm going to recommend a site for you that I'm involved with.  It's lots of fun, and in turn you become a healthier you.

www.meltdownchallenge.com.  They are also connected to TSFL (Take Shape For Life)  Check it out.

 

Good luck


All this excessive drinking of watter, is way overdone. There is no need or benefit for this.

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Hey yarddog, you sound like you're hatin.....you sound like a reasonably smart man, why don't you do some research on the wonderful world of water.  It does so many wonderful things to the your body.  Try it....you might like it.  🙂

 

Sincerely,

May I have a glass of water......please.

Burdie
FitHR Charge....Weight Watchers....Meltdown Challenge....Samsung......Windows 8....Educator.....Lucille Roberts
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Some advice I got a couple years ago really helped me. Once you finish your first serving, make yourself wait for about 10 mins. Sometimes it just takes a few minutes for the full feeling to catch up with us. Something else that has helped me is to arrange my plate so it is half veggies, a quarter protein, and a quarter pasta (or whatever we're having). Lemon water before a meal also helps me. Ultimately it becomes mind over matter though. Good luck!
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@yarddog wrote:

@BurdsNest wrote:

Hi Kiwi080, welcome to the forum.  Before every meal, drink, drink, drink.  The rule of thumb is to drink 1/2 your body weight, or at least 100oz of water a day.  This will help with some of the urges.  Most of the time when we think we are hungry, we are actually thirsty.

Lots, of vegtables and fruit.  These will fill you up. Look for healthy snacks.  I'm going to recommend a site for you that I'm involved with.  It's lots of fun, and in turn you become a healthier you.

www.meltdownchallenge.com.  They are also connected to TSFL (Take Shape For Life)  Check it out.

 

Good luck


All this excessive drinking of watter, is way overdone. There is no need or benefit for this.


Even if it is a bit of an overdose, so much of it is mental. My husband drinks about 1/3 of what I drink, but if I don't have a cup of water (with a straw!) around me at all times, it is MUCH easier to get the munchies.

"You can't out-run your fork!"
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I am an emotional eater, and the three things that have been the most help are,

 

1) Drink water. Tons of it. Is there water around you? Drink some. You'll hardly be hungry through the day but when you do eat, you won't even want the second or third servings.

 

2) As @eandersen said, put your fork down between bites. You know that feeling you get when you suddenly realise that you ate *way* more than you meant to? This stops that in it's tracks, and meals become more of a relaxation time to catch up with the family or friends.

 

3) Diet. It's ALL in what you eat. I love those carbs, don't get me wrong, but after a doctor put me on the Zone diet a few years ago, it rocked my world on the carb outlook. I end up eating a TON of food, but it's all healthy. As my doctor phrased it, the body is a Ferrari. If you are putting cruddy gas into it, you're going to get a sluggish engine and get bad mileage. If you put high-octane fuel, it runs a lot better. You should be hungry for your meals (ESPECIALLY breakfast!), but you don't want to feel like a teenage guy after football practice who's ready to eat an entire pizza without batting an eye. Especially at the beginning, it's hard to give up the pasta, bread, and occasional cookie. You should still have those things from time to time; in addition to it satiating that craving, it also quickly reminds you how good you feel while eating healthy and how bad you feel when you don't. I fall off the bandwagon from time to time (especially during this past month when I moved), but it makes it so much more obvious that you want to feel good. 

"You can't out-run your fork!"
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Three tricks that have helped me: 

 

1) use smaller plates - I literally use my salad plates. I don't even pull out my dinner plates anymore. 

 

2) take two big swallows of water between every bite. 

 

3) whatever your calorie-heavy dish is, put it on a bed of something calorie-light. So if you're eating chicken for example you put it on a bed of raw spinach. If you're eating fish you put it on a bed of shredded raw cabbage. If you want seconds, you can have them - but the only seconds you're allowed are of the "bed". 

 

Good luck 😃 

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What I've found helpful is to look at it as a behaviour that I need to sort out and not as something I need to prevent from encountering at all costs. Because overeating is a behaviour, you can change behaviours by riding out the urge and telling yourself it will be okay and being really positive, and saying, 'oh I can have this later' without actually doing it, until I feel myself calm down. Read a book on emotional overeating behaviour (emotional being anything that isn't real hunger - because anything emotional can feel like a strong physical urge to eat!) like Eating Less: Say Goodbye to Overeating by Gillian Riley. Even if you're not massively overweight its tips will help.

 

Basically what I've found that helps is to feel it, embrace the urges - like a passive observer - and let them go - don't reject, ignore, distract, or rebuff them with 'I can't' or 'I shouldn't' thoughts because I'll get a feeling of deprivation and won't sort out the root cause - which is the behaviour itself. Then I talk to myself mentally and calm down my inner overeating-child thoughts!

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I have a problerm over-eating as well. 

 

Here are some things recommended by my dietician that i am puttin into play:

  1. Eat small meals 5times a day.  I try to do breakfast / snack / lunch / snack / dinner.  if I am eating a snack, i dont  actually get to the point f being hungry, which means I dont gorge.
  2. Drink water throughout the day.  I have read the Mayo clinic site, which states 2.2 liters water for a woman per day.   I choose to drink 80 ounces.  I am definately fuller , and tend to eat less. 
  3. Snax on the go.  We all get caught on the go without a snack handy.  This causes problems for me when I get home.  SO, I ow keep nuts in my purse/ laptop bag so I always have something on hand.

Best of luck to you !

Goals: Low Carb, high fat, 70-20-10 .... lose 20 pounds by 6/2017
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