How do you control over-eating

H

hikingglory

New member
I have been struggling with over-eating for years now. I just cannot stop eating those chocolates, chips, cakes and what not. Easy access to them at work does not help either. I can see that I have lack of accountability, I keep thinking that its someone / something else making me do it.

What I want to ask is, are there other folks out there who struggled with the same, and then controlled it with some mind games?
 
Hi hikingglory
I am in the same boat. At my home its an insult to be offered food and not eat so regardless of the best intentions, its really hard to not overeat!

What i did in the past and what worked was writing down everything i eat. I would give myself three lines to include everything i ate. i would record everything i ate as well as the time. (i tried to eat every 3-4 hrs, and nothing past 6pm)

So anyway, in the back of my mind i was always aware of my journal and how much more room i have to write what ive eaten. I also recorded my calories so i didnt eat too much of one food. Somewhere along the way i lost track of doing that and gained all my weight back:banghead:

so anyway ill be starting that again today with my weight loss and look forward to other suggestions people have
 
Writing down helps, I agree. Sometimes seeing exctly what you eat in black and white can be a bit of a shocker.

But the truth is ... no one can choose to stop eating except you. Until you stop thinking that something else is controlling you and make the mental choice to stop, you're not going to be able to. And I know that sounds simplistic and I know it's far easier to say it than do it, but unfortunately that's honest-to-god the only thing that will work. You have control over what you put in your mouth. :)
 
I have a couple of tricks I play on myself...lol First, speed bumps. There are foods that I simply KNOW I will over due on...pizza is a great example. So I make sure I plan a big salad for that night. It just slows me down long enough that I will get full on that rather than 4 pieces of pizza.

As far as sweets, I try not to have a lot of them around. I do try to think really hard about what I am having a taste for and limit to just that. If I want chocolate, it's better to just have a piece of chocolate than chocolate ice cream or chocolate cookies. I just add it into my daily calories and that's fine.

Tracking my intake was a big eye opener for me, I keep track on Daily Plate.
 
If I really want something that I know is not good for me I say to myself: "Self, you can have that after you drink a full glass of water." Then if I still remember that I want it I say to myself: "Self, just drink one more glass of water and if you really want it, have it."

I usually forget about it or I'm full of water by this point.

I am doing it right now because there is a box of chocolates on my kitchen table from my kid's daycare I have to sell for a fundraiser!!

I also ask my self: "Self, do you want to eat that or do you want to be slim?". That one usually works.
 
Personally,

I am glued to this forum. Literally. I know that if I eat something or binge or overeat, I have to write it down and it ruins my whole process.

Or, I just don't eat until I get a headache (minor) or am thirsty. Basically, until my body or my mind tells me to do so. I try to stay focus on my goal. I eat to live, not live to eat.
 
I have an eating disorder and overeating (binging) is a serious problem for me.

I find the number one thing that helps like you wouldn't believe is to make sure that when you eat you have absolutely no distractions. No TV, No music, No books, No computer. Just the food. Really focus on what you're eating - look at it, be aware of how it tastes and feels in your mouth.

When I first tried this I had just bought 4 chocolate bars to binge on, but then I remembered to try and do it this way. Without any distraction I started eating them and half way through the first chocolate bar I realised I had had enough. That, for me, is incredible!

Often we eat when we're watching TV or doing something else so our brains don't fully register how much we've eaten. By concentrating 100% on what goes in your mouth you are more likely to be satisfied sooner because your brain knows that it's got what it needs.

The first time I tried this I managed to keep it up for a month and it was incredible the difference it had on my eating. Then I went on holiday and broke my momentum. When I got back I ate infront of the telly and I just ate and ate untill I was over full, something I hadn't done in a whole month. It does make a big difference!!!
 
happyandhealthy, that is soo true. I always eat while on the computer for an extended period of time or while watching a movie. Those are the days when im not working and have all the time in the world to just chill. Also the days where i totally raid the fridge and any pantry that may contain food. :blush5:

When you talked about being conscious of what you eat it reminded me of how id have an entire bag of chips devoured without even realizing it.

I'm going to try that trick! I'm certain it will work! Thanks
 
we are all in the same boat!

I am an emotional eater. so it is really tough to think before eating, I basically eat unhealthy stuff in a second and then feel bad about it, it is like my brain shuts down.

what I do is I try to keep up with places like this, remind me every day that I have to do it for myself, to feel better. my health is more important than a second of taste.

also keeping myself busy, school activities and now spinning helps me keep my mind off of food. try also eating regularly, small healthy portions and you'll keep the hunger and cravings under control
 
KaraCooks said:
Writing down helps, I agree. Sometimes seeing exctly what you eat in black and white can be a bit of a shocker.
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This. Also,

treehugger said:
Tracking my intake was a big eye opener for me, I keep track on Daily Plate.
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this. I use FitDay and it's not the calorie intake that gets me, it's the macronutrient intake. Way too easy for me to overdo the saturated fats or carbs without a model of what I am actually taking in. Either way though, tracking is powerful.

treehugger said:
If I want chocolate, it's better to just have a piece of chocolate than chocolate ice cream or chocolate cookies. I just add it into my daily calories and that's fine.
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At a family member's urging (she has lost over 50 pounds now) I started keeping a single bar of good dark chocolate around. Currently working on a Lindt mint variety, and I find even 100 calories of it will kill my sweet tooth without blowing the nutrition for the day. A single bar will last me 10-14 days normally.

Which is odd cause with most other things I have to limit my access to them. If I buy anything else and nibble at it it gets devoured shortly. Don't let me get a pie or cake in here, it won't last past 36 hours normally.

I also find the occasional cheat (like a meal a week or something) can keep me on track. But I still have to be careful with the sweets then.

In addition multiple smaller feedings really helps me (YMMV). I get sated so much easier and quicker now that my stomach has adapted. I do tend towards more "ravenous hunger" if I put off feedings, but even that helps me stay focused in a strange sort of way and anyways, the 1st few bites of anything healthy usually banishes my jones.

Finally, I have learned that while my brain says PIZZA when my stomach says it is hungry, all my stomach cares about is FOOD. So I hit it with some salmon and when it shuts up so does my reptile brain. So in a way I feed cravings healthy foodstuffs.



P.S. exercise. I cannot even think of food for like 30 or 45 minutes after a good session-cardio or weights- and once my appetite does return it stays lower for some time.
 
Finally, I have learned that while my brain says PIZZA when my stomach says it is hungry, all my stomach cares about is FOOD. So I hit it with some salmon and when it shuts up so does my reptile brain.
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Yes! This is a good point.

Sometimes when I'm having a horrible craving for something, I tell myself that I'll have an apple (or some carrots, or something low cal and healthy) and then if I still want it after I finish the apple, I can have some. And surprise, once I finish the apple, I don't really want whatever it was I was craving before.
 
Thanks everyone for responses. I will try to practice not doing anything while eating. I do realize that most of my over-eating is mindless in front of computer.
 
HI! Im new to this site, but I came across your message "hikingglory" (cool name) and thought I could help.
I had and suppose I still do, a problem with over eating. My problem was I was sitting around to much and not keeping my mind occupied. So naturally I got quite depressed, and just ate all the time, even when I was full I would just sit there eating. I ate because I was unhappy and I was unhappy because I ate. (hope that made sense...) Anyway, what I found helped me was to dig up enough discipline to get out of the house once a day and walk around the block. This then progressed to a light jog around the block, and then twice around the block and so on and so forth. What was good about doing this was it helped me feel better about myself. I felt like I was doing some good for my body and it made me cut back on my "binge" eating. I didn't have as much time to sit around and THINK.
Now my sister is one of those girls that could eat a stick of celery and blow up like a house (i really hope she doesn't read this.....) and she told me that I wouldn't be able to over eat if I was always full... Naturally this made perfect sense to me. She told me about some product that she used. I have never really taken any sought of supplements before because I don't like the thought of chemicals or what ever it is that's in those things. I just find it strange when you see adds and people "Have lost 1000kg in just 20 minutes!!!!" Do you know what I mean?? but she told me that it was given to her by her naturopath, and it was all natural ingredients. So, I thought I would give it a try. What it is, is its this powder that you drink with some milk or water or what ever, and it absorbs the water in your stomach, and turns in to this jelly. Now the jelly just sits there and you feel like you have a full stomach, so you obviously don't feel the need to eat anything.
These shakes along side with my daily runs, I'm starting to look quite healthy and I feel great.
I can ask my sister what it's called, and i'll get back to you, its defiantly worth a try. well, good luck with every thing
 
Hi, me again. Just asked her, its called SatisFiber and its made by a company called BioCeuticals (think that's how you spell it)
 
Me too, I eat too much when I'm bored, I need to have something to do during the day or I snack and snack and then eat way too much. Helps not to have to much food in the house too. I also feel better when i do something constructive - even if its fold the laundry or walk the dog!!

(the ciggs don't help either!!! :) )
 
Eat more often! I used to skip breakfast all the time. By the time lunch came I'd be so hungry that sensible choices went right out the window. Now I eat something every 3 hours or so. If you don't let yourself get too hungry it's a lot easier to have control. I eat pineapple a lot to fight my sweet tooth. It's so sweet it's like candy to me. If I'm wanting chips or something salty I'll eat dill pickles.
 
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