How to Control Overeating Habits

If you've made a resolution to get your eating under control, here are a few tips that can help you check your ravenous appetite at the door and get a grip on your self-control and self-empowerment. Keeping the motto, "all things in moderation" in mind, you can replace old, negative habits with habits that promote health and well-being.

Instructions

1. Drink a glass of water every morning right after you get up, every time you crave a snack, and immediately after each meal. This will not only temporarily fill an inner void and leave less room for food, it will also rehydrate your body. Many people mistake being hungry with being thirsty. Before reaching for that sugary snack, try rehydrating your body first.

2. Get plenty of exercise. Not only will this get your blood flowing to all the right places, providing you with sufficient energy to meet the challenges of your day, the time spent working out is time not spent sitting on the sofa munching potato chips or drinking sodas. Having a more active lifestyle will cause your metabolism to burn calories, and your appetite will take a back seat to your activity.

3. Stop drinking sodas. With more than 100 calories per 8-oz. glass, the average soda pop could be your No. 1 enemy when it comes to weight loss. Even though diet sodas boast 0 calories, the aspartame sweetening agent could stimulates your appetite, as your brain is fooled into the expectation of energy-producing calories where there actually are none. This creates a metabolic need for sugar in your body, and before you know it, you find yourself munching on unhealthy snacks as you swig your low-cal or no-cal soda.

   If it's bubbles you crave, try drinking mineral water with a twist of fruit or a splash of juice inside.

4. Keep a food journal. When you are committed to writing down every bit of food that crosses your lips, you are less likely to overeat. Keep the journal with you wherever you go, and write down what goes into your mouth, including drinks, the approximate weight, caloric and carbohydrate count of each item and how you were feeling when you ate it.
   Each week, review your food diary, and notice any patterns in your snacking. Do you tend to eat when you are tired? Sad? Angry? In love? Learn what makes your appetite tick, and plan on alternate things you can do to control binging.

5. Find a discipline of some kind--yoga, meditation, dance, Pilates, aerobics, prayer--anything that demands self-control and constancy, and stick to it for at least 6 months. It may not always be an enjoyable experience, but the overall satisfaction and confidence you will gain from being in control of your habits will carry over into other aspects of your daily life, including your daily diet.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to love yourself. Be as compassionate with your own faults and foibles as you would be with a child. Just because you have a weak day or binge a bit doesn't mean that you have to "fall off the wagon" of weight watching.

• Never starve yourself or purge what you've already eaten. Both of these habits can be extremely damaging to your body and may even irreparably damage your body. Instead, maintain a healthy diet filled with fruits, vegetables and proteins. Cut down on excess starches and sugars. Drink plenty of water, and get a moderate level of exercise each day.

Resources

• More tips on how to control overeating