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Melissa, a weight loss coach, revealed in a September 12 Instagram post about how she overcame overeating and was able to lose 20 pounds.
One of the reasons overeating persists is the feeling of emptiness, or eating some more because your stomach doesn't feel full. To ensure complete satiety, Melissa added that you need to include protein and fibre.
She added, "I started eating protein and fibre first. Protein and fibre keep you full, longer. I started meals with foods like eggs, chicken, or a big side of veggies. Not only was I satisfied faster, but I naturally ate less at each meal."
She also shared a hack on what you should eat first. From all the loaded foods on your plate, you ideally should eat protein and fibre first, that way you feel fuller faster and naturally eat less through, less likely to reach out for extra bites.
Often, what happens is that with so much talk about intermittent fasting or keeping long windows of eating and not eating, when one feels too hungry, control slips, and one may end up eating more than their usual portion. Hangry is a very strong emotion that may override your willpower.
The weight loss coach added, "Waiting too long made me eat fast and choose foods that didn't align with my goals. Hello, popcorn before dinner?! Now I eat every 3-4 hours, before the hanger hits."
For this, too, she revealed the hack is to set a timer to eat at specific times throughout your day and pack your food.
Too lazy to grab the plate? Instead, you eat right out of the takeout container? But this may slow down your efforts. How?
Revealing how this habit may make you overeat, she elaborated, "It was way too easy to overeat without realising, things like PB or chips add up quickly. Now, I portion everything, even snacks, onto a plate or bowl."
What's the hack for this? For this one, it's better if you pour it onto a plate and put away the package.
Another way to curb the risk of overeating is to drink water before meals. Melissa revealed that sometimes you are just thirsty and not really hungry, so when you drink water, you quench your thirst, recognise your real hunger, and can better control your portions. If you forget to drink water, Melissa suggested keeping a water bottle on the counter or table as a visual cue to drink before beginning to eat.
If you like to keep yourself entertained while eating, you are putting yourself at risk of overeating because your brain is not fully registering what you are eating.
Melissa added, "No phone, no TV, no computer multitasking. I started actually tasting my food and stopped when I was satisfied." Along with this, she highlighted that one should have tech-free meals three times a day.
Your environment needs to be changed. In other words, remove tempting foods that may make you overeat. Melissa shared that she stopped keeping foods around that made her easily overeat. As per her, "It's like they were always talking to me." So she stocked up on foods that are healthy and nourishing. For grocery shopping, she suggested sticking to the list.