Yesterday, I started eating ice cream and I just couldn’t stop. By the time I was done, a pint of Cherry Garcia was gone, finding a home in the deep recesses of my belly. I was happy as a clam when I was inhaling it. Afterward, I felt a keen sense of self-loathing. I just wanted something sweet. Why did I let it go so far? Welcome to the world of overeating.

We have all hated ourselves at one time or another for overeating. What starts out as an innocent portion of food ends in bloating and despair. For most people it is an isolated moment, but for others, it is a chronic problem associated with mental and physical health issues.

Those who have serious problems, such as binge eating disorder, may need to seek professional help. Everyone else, however, can make a few changes to help prevent overeating. For general tips on weight loss and healthy eating, you can read a couple of my previous posts here and here.

Tips to Prevent Overeating

Follow these (somewhat) easy-to-implement ways to prevent the guilt and swollen stomach that comes from overeating:

Don’t Keep Desired Foods In The House

This one is simple. I couldn’t have eaten a pint of ice cream if it wasn’t in my freezer. You are much less likely to overeat if the desired food isn’t in the house. Take an inventory of your most common binging culprits and eradicate them. The effort to leave your house to buy them will act as a needed deterrent.

Don’t Work at Home All The Time

Many of us are working at home due to the pandemic. This has its advantages: no commute, working in your PJs, etc. Unfortunately, you also have much easier access to all the foods that you like. It is too easy to let your work stress lead to stress eating. Instead, go to the office sometimes. If you don’t have an office, go to a coffee shop to work. You are much less likely to overeat in front of your office mates or in a public place where others might see (and judge) you. Besides, having to pay for your food when you are out will deter you from ordering too much.

Portion Education

Recently, for health benefits, I started to get some pre-made meals delivered to my house. I was amazed at the size of the portions. They were so much smaller than what I was making at home or what I would receive in a restaurant. I knew by the size of my bloated stomach that I was often overeating but I didn’t know what was a recommended portion size. To eat proper portion sizes you have to know what they look like. You also have to know that most restaurants give you way too much food for one person. Here is a good trick for home eating: take a medium-sized plate. If your meal doesn’t fit on it, you are probably eating too much.

Am I Really Hungry?

A lot of the time, we just eat out of habit. It is a certain time of day or we are bored and we head to the kitchen. But if you stop for a moment, you might realize that you aren’t really hungry. Next time you feel like raiding the pantry, stop for a minute and ask yourself, “am I really hungry?” If the answer is no, turn yourself around and do something else.

Take a Walk Outside

Unless you are surrounded by food trucks, being outside is usually a food-free zone. When you feel the urge to binge, take a walk instead. Not only are you removing yourself from a food source, but walking outside has a way of motivating one to want to be healthy.

Exercise “Gray” Thinking

If you tend to overeat, then you are probably a “black and white” thinker. You are all or nothing. You start to eat something you shouldn’t and you just say, “screw it”, and end up eating too much of it. This is why restrictive diets are not a good idea. They are so hard to keep that you are bound to break them. And when you do, the floodgates open and you eat all the foods you were trying to avoid. Instead, practice being a “gray thinker”. A gray thinker will not be so restrictive. If they slip, they recognize it for what it is and are able to get back on the horse without sabotaging their whole diet. Nobody is perfect and life is not all or nothing. Don’t let your eating be either.

Drink Water, Eat Slowly and Be Mindful

Water will fill you up and it is calorie-free. Drinking a glass at the beginning of your meal will help limit your cravings. And make sure you aren’t setting a world speed record for eating. If you eat too fast, your body does not know it is full. Be mindful of your eating. That means putting away distractions such as the TV or your phone. When you are distracted, you don’t pay attention to what–or how much—you are eating. A good rule of thumb: if you are finishing a full meal in 15 minutes or less, you are eating too fast.

Take an Eating Pause

When you overeat, it is a thoughtless and impulsive act. A trick I now use involves taking a pause in the middle of, or before, eating. For example, after my first helping, I don’t immediately go for more. I wait for five minutes. This pause serves two purposes: it allows me to think about what I’m doing and it gives a chance for my stomach to feel full. More times than not, I will not go for that second helping because I realize I’m not really hungry and I don’t need it. This can work with an ice cream or sweets binge too. Before you dig into that pint, take a five-minute pause. Or alternatively, allow yourself to have a few spoons of ice cream and then take a pause. In both cases, the pause allows you to come to your senses before you eat too much. In the second case, you may find out that just a sweet taste is all you really needed.

Avoid Drugs and Alcohol

When you drink too much alcohol or use drugs, you impair your judgment. This includes your judgment about what you are eating. In a drunk or high state, you will overeat because you simply don’t care anymore. Not to mention that certain drugs directly lead to overeating. Ever heard of “the munchies?”

Stop the Scourge of Overeating

Millions of Americans overeat. And millions of Americans are obese and living unhealthy lives. But it doesn’t have to be that way. No one is saying it is easy to alter long-established patterns. But we can improve our eating habits by employing a few (not so hard) changes. Find one tip above that you might find helpful and do it. Isn’t your health and your waistline worth it?