According to Dr Oz, 63% people consider themselves addicted to food! In my experience, I would agree. Just tell someone to stop eating their favorite food to test that! With shame, I admit that I am a zealous overeater and every day I face a mostly intense struggle against it, and in the past, a seriously uncontrollable addiction to junk food. In fact, I have in the past consumed so much so regularly, that it took me years of pursuing knowledge about dieting and how to stop overeating, to actually experience true hunger! Maybe you can relate? In those early days before I starting enjoying a semblance of self-control, there was no way I would ever have been able to successfully implement portion control tactics in my daily life. Over time though, I began to notice changes. It took me many years of reflection and hard work to get to the point today where I am mostly consuming a natural, high alkaline forming plant-based vegetarian diet.
I stopped eating meat when I realized it was addictive
Here are the mostly undisclosed tips I gathered from my long – and continuing journey – to stop overeating and start getting disciplined about portion control:
- First learn to recognize real hunger, either by hearing your stomach growl a good couple of times, or by doing this simple but very effective test: when you’re about to eat your next meal, simply cover your eyes with a blindfold while eating (you may want to skip beets for this…). Do not be distracted by a TV or chatter. When you feel as if you don’t want anymore, stop. Now check how much you left on your plate. Interesting, isn’t it?
- Dr Neal Barnard, nutrition researcher, advises that people who struggle with cravings should eat foods that keep your blood sugar stable (veggies, fruits and whole-grains).
- Once supper or lunch is made, dish it up and then pack the remainders into containers for lunch the next day. Outta sight, outta mind… Granted, you could return for seconds at the refrigerator, but it makes it just a little bit more difficult than simply going to the still-warm pot on the stove.
- What changed things dramatically for me, was to start eating a side plate of all-raw food before all cooked meals. The raw food is very nutritious and you’ll notice that you are satisfied a lot sooner this way. Eating raw food before cooked also contributes towards gaining self-discipline. I soon found myself delaying gratification of an unhealthy snack because I wanted to eat raw before first.
- This may not be true for everyone, but I stopped eating meat, even fish, when I realized that eating these foods actually made me just want more.
- I found that salty food makes me crave more salty food, even if I have eaten enough. You may want to test this theory for yourself. For instance, if you are not feeling too hungry but eat a meal anyway, does the meal actually kind of spur you on to go back for seconds? It did me.
- If you are like me and only tend to overeat at meal times, you may want to cut down the amount of meals you have each day.
- Go 100% plant-based raw. This was the ultimate for me – it gave me complete control. I did not overeat at all and never craved anything.
- Downsize your plates or try Precise Portions portion control dinnerware. Giada De Laurentiis, celebrity chef, says that,”Pasta doesn’t make you fat. How much pasta you eat makes you fat”.
- When you get hungry, tell yourself its ok to be hungry.
- Use cheat days. This also works well for me. I am “good” 5 days a week, and on the weekend I allow myself some “bad” goodies.
Learning to stop overeating is not going to happen on its own. My little pearl of knowledge? Do something every day – and record your triumph – that will bring you closer to your health goals.