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Are you guilty of overeating? You have probably done some overeating in your life.
Overeating is eating to excess. For the sake of this article, overeating is not when you overeat now and then.
Overeating is when you overeat almost daily, without ever giving it much thought.
Overeating stems from something deeper than you could ever imagine.
How to Stop Overeating in 5 Easy Steps
Step #1 Be Aware
Awareness is one way to stop overeating. If you are not aware of when you eat and how much you eat, then you will not stop overeating.
I want you to start being aware of the times when you overeat. When you notice that you overeat, stop and assess the situation.
Ask yourself the following questions:
What’s going on in my life to now?
Has anything caused stress in my life?
Am I happy at this time in my life?
You really need to take a good look at your life and how you feel internally. Because quiet as it’s kept your way of eating is mirrors what’s going on in your life.
Step #2 Take Inventory of the Food you Eat
Are you eating nutrient-dense, high-quality foods or are you eating whatever and when you can?
Be honest with yourself and don’t cheat on this step because one of the reasons you overeat lies in this step.
If you eat poorly, then you will overeat. Foods have poor nutrients for your body make you want to eat more food, which results in overeating.
Doing a food inventory helps you take a closer look at what you’re eating and how nutritious the food you’re eating is for your body.
Step #3 Decrease Stress in your Life
When you are stressed you tend to reach for foods that you normally wouldn’t think of eating.
You know you are stressed when you can’t wind down and relax. If you are constantly on the go and never have time for yourself, you’re probably are chronically stressed.
You cannot keep going and going without the body taking its own break.
Take time to de-stress, relax, and reflect. Notice the times when you are stressed and what you do when you are stressed.
Step #1 is very important because if you lack awareness, you won’t be able to pinpoint when you are stressed.
Step #4 Check your Macronutrient Consumption
Macronutrients are fat, protein, and carbohydrates. At any given time, you can overeat or undereat these macronutrients.
The main macronutrient, in this case, is the carbohydrate consumption. Most people consume unhealthy carbohydrates, which results in you beomng hungry most of the time. This leads to overeating.
Make sure you eat healthy carbohydrates, which are fruits and vegetables. Eating your food whole helps you with your appetite because you get the nutrients your body needs.
Don’t be afraid to eat healthy fat and protein. These macronutrients actually keep you satiated for longer periods of times which help decrease overeating.
Step #5 Get in Rhythm
Rhythm here has nothing to do with music, but everything to do with the bio-circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm (body clock) is the biological processes that recur naturally on a 24-hour cycle. There are peak times within the 24-hour cycle that the body does best. What times of the day are you eating?
Be mindful of your macronutrient consumption as well as the times at which you eat meals.
Here’s an example:
You awake and eat a snack at 1 or 2’clock in the morning.
The digestive system has a natural rhythm for resting. If you disrupt the natural rhythm of your digestion, it causes a disruption in other systems too.
Remember the body repairs and rejuvenates while you sleep. Putting food in your digestive system when it naturally wants rest puts added stress on the body. As a result of stress, the stress hormones increase.
You may like this: Do you know what stress does to the body?
Tying it All Together
Overeating is deeper than simply eating food in excess.
Overeating stems from what’s going on in your life, how you relate to food, your nutrition, your level of stress, your rhythm and so much more.
Whenever you notice yourself overeating, try your best to look at your life.
Chances are there is a good reason you are overeating and the answer lies in what’s going on in your life.
Let me help you put an end to overeating. Contact me today for an Introductory Consultation.
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The post How to Stop Overeating in 5 Easy Steps appeared first on Evelyn Parham - Become a Healthier You Blog. Written by Evelyn Parham.