TOP REASONS FOR OVEREATING

You can learn to spot the triggers of binge eating and overeating then incorporate a few strategies to make sure you don't get tempted to overeat. Once you know these triggers and how to manage them your diet can stay binge free.  

On the other hand, You may not even be aware of the fact that you are overeating, just gorging the food like you always do. Below, I have listed ways to prevent overeating.

1) Your friends

Even friends can become your diet enemy. You are out with friends for lunch, you'll often find it's difficult to say no, or not go for a healthy option when your friends  are piling on the fried food and encouraging you to do the same. You've got to keep in mind that it's your body and the reason why you want to lose weight is to feel better about yourself, it's not for them. You'll see that after a few occasions that they'll just naturally accept your choices and maybe even start doing the same.  

2) Your plate

It's time to look at your plate as it could be a major contributor as to why you are overeating at every meal. Dinner plates, seem to have gotten bigger and bigger, it's just trendy to serve food on massive white plates in restaurants but it's hurting us. So, try opting for a smaller plate. Try is for a week and how it affects the amount of food you intake.  

3) You're tired

Food is often great when we are feeling tired and the thing is symptoms of tiredness can actually be mistaken for hunger. You need to get into a good sleeping routine; the optimum time to sleep has been found to be between seven to eight hours so make sure you are getting your sleep. Also think about the times when you feel tired the most, is it mid afternoon or maybe just when you get in from work? Once you establish a pattern of when you tend to feel tired you can fight it by going for healthier snack options rather than going to the vending machine.  

4) You're bored

Most people overeat simply because they're bored or do not have anything interesting to do or look forward to. And when people are bored they tend to watch TV which can inevitably lead to snacking. It's the same if you feel unfulfilled by your job — lack of motivation in the workplace probably accounts for a massive percentage of food sales. Clearly, You need to focus on the root of the problem, if it's at home find other things to do; call someone, go online, just do anything that prevents you from heading to the fridge. And if it's at work, maybe ask for more responsibility, take on additional projects or even ask yourself if it's time for a change.  

5) You've drank too much

As well as adding to your daily calorie count, a few alcoholic drinks before you eat can really mess with your appetite and can stop you recognizing that you are full. After a couple of drinks you are more likely to reach for the salty, fatty snacks which in turn make you drink more alcohol to quench your thirst, and so it begins. Under the influence of alcohol it's harder for you to recognize the feeling of being full and satisfied and so of course, you keep eating. If you are planning on having a drink then match every alcoholic drink with a glass of water, lay off the snacks or go for the healthier option

6) You've not drank enough

On the flipside, drinking too little water can cause you to overeat too as the symptoms of thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger. The daily recommended amount of water drink is around eight glasses, but the idea is not to guzzle down as mush as water you can in a little amount of time, you want to space it out. The best way is to stagger it throughout the day, taking small sips and often. If that's too much for you to manage then start with making sure you drink a glass of water before every meal, when you get up and one before you go to bed. That way you will have knocked out five of the recommended eight without thinking about it too much.  

7) Eating too fast

How long does it take you to eat a meal, five, ten, 15 minutes? If you can clear your plate in less than 20 minutes then you could be at risk of overeating as it takes that long for your body to recognize it's full. The key is to eat slowly and really savour your food, and there are a few strategies that can help you to slow down your eating. You can chew your food for a set amount of times which also benefits digestion too, or you can make a point of putting your cutlery down between mouthfuls and not load up your fork before you've swallowed what's in your mouth first.  

8) You've already broken your diet

For many, a bout of overeating or binging can be brought about because you've had a little slip up with your diet, maybe eating a cookie or a few chips which triggers the 'Well, I might as well go for it now' thought process. This is when you need employ that willpower and stop, recognise that one little mistake (i.e. one cookie) is much better for you than the whole packet.  

9) You feel deprived

There's nothing worse that feeling like you are missing out on all the good stuff you love and for many the word 'dieting' conjures up images of living on solely lettuce leaves and muesli. It's okay, you don't have to accept a diet of dust for the rest of your days if you want to shift some timber or have healthier diet. Ruling out certain foods will just make you crave more, which can inevitably lead to eating more. The way around this is set yourself a treat day, a day where you can have one of the 'forbidden' foods. Having something to look forward to will help you take your mind of food cravings day-to-day and will help you feel like you are not missing out.  

10) You'll start your diet tomorrow

"I'll start the diet tomorrow", how many times have you said it to yourself? The thing is this actually isn't the case at all, as by saying you are starting the diet tomorrow, you are actually saying to yourself you can eat whatever you want today. And inevitably on the eve of a new diet (if it comes to fruition or not) you'll tend to overeat to compensate. The thing is tomorrow never comes, if you perpetually put off a better eating plan, overeating will become the norm and those jeans will just get tighter.