Control Your Appetite: 9 Tips to Prevent Overeating

One of the funniest commercials from the ’70s was the Clio Award-winning spot for Alka-Seltzer with the tagline, “I can’t believe I ate that whole thing.” How many of us have said the same thing at some point, regretting a bout of overeating? Yet, for those trying to maintain a healthy diet or aiming to lose weight, frequent overeating feels like a serious problem.

Why do we overeat? There are several reasons.

1. Survival of the Fullest - Our ancestors survived periods of scarcity by chowing down when food was available. That evolutionary wiring persists in us today, even though in developed countries, the majority have more than enough food.
2. The Feeling of Fullness Lag – The “full feeling” that signals the brain to stop eating is primarily controlled by hormones like leptin, which typically takes about 20 minutes to take effect. The problem can be aggravated by eating too quickly.
3. Dopamine Rush – Eating releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that drives feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. Overeating can occur when we crave a dopamine hit to compensate for feelings of stress or depression.
4. Bad Habits – Habitual overeating can occur due to a recurring event or situation that triggers the behavior, like sitting down to watch television or walking past the cookie jar. Another habit is the “clean plate” mindset that encourages overeating to avoid “waste”.
5. Social Cues – Social situations, such as holidays or vacations, are common settings where high-calorie food is readily available and overindulgence is often expected.
6. Alcohol and THC – Using alcohol can reduce inhibitions against unhealthy eating, and THC is infamous for inducing the “munchies.”
7. External Influences – Food companies have been under scrutiny for decades due to the ultra-processed foods they have engineered and marketed to encourage overeating. Additionally, restaurant portions have increased in size over time. A paper published in the American Journal of Public Health noted that portion sizes increased “2 to 5 times larger than the originals.”
   
   

How to Prevent Overeating

Despite all these factors encouraging excessive food consumption, here are nine ways to manage the temptation to overeat.

Keep a Food Journal

Business guru Peter Drucker famously said, “What gets measured gets managed,” and this holds true for overeating. Throughout the day, it's easy to forget what we’ve consumed, but by keeping a journal, we can track our food intake. This information helps us make smarter decisions about eating. Another benefit of keeping a food journal is that it can help identify specific foods that trigger overeating. Once these foods are identified, you can then work on avoiding them. You can keep the food journal using paper and pencil or use a smartphone app like Lose It!

Create a Meal Plan

Creating a meal plan helps you make thoughtful decisions about what to eat, rather than simply rummaging through the pantry or rushing to the grocery store when you’re hungry. For example, a meal plan might include three daily meals plus two or three snacks scheduled evenly during the day to prevent you from getting too hungry. A meal plan can be easily converted into a shopping list featuring healthy foods, which reduces the temptation to buy foods high in sugar and fat.

Portion Control

Next time you pick up a food package, look at the nutritional information, and you’ll see the recommended serving size. Shocked at how small it is? If so, perhaps you might consider revising your perspective on what constitutes a reasonable portion size. That being said, serving size on the Nutrition Facts label and portion size are different. Serving size is determined by the FDA based on “serving sizes of foods that can reasonably be consumed at one eating occasion”. Portion size refers to the amount an individual chooses to eat, and large portions are a significant factor in overeating. One way to help reduce portion size is to use a smaller plate or bowl, so the smaller amount of food appears more substantial. Another smart idea is to buy an inexpensive digital scale. Getting into the habit of weighing food can make it easier to reduce portion sizes.

Eat Before Hunger Hits

Overeating can sometimes occur because we’re too hungry. That’s why nutritionists recommend against skipping meals, because blood sugar drops too low, there’s a greater chance that we’ll make poor eating decisions. A regular eating schedule, therefore, reduces the risk that we’ll get off track and overeat.

Eat Fiber-Rich Food

Fiber-rich foods help keep you feeling full for longer, which means you are less likely to snack between meals. Some good examples of fiber-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eating a healthy diet rich in fiber can aid in weight loss and help prevent overeating.

HALT

A helpful acronym for avoiding various excessive behaviors is HALT, which stands for hungry, angry/anxious, lonely, or tired. When we experience any of these, it becomes more difficult to make productive choices about various situations, including overeating. Developing increased self-awareness about these feelings can help us short-circuit negative behaviors by eating regular meals, taking care of our mental health, and getting enough sleep.

Stay Hydrated

When you are dehydrated, it can make it difficult to control food intake. A 2012 study showed a link between obesity and dehydration. Other studies have shown that adequate water intake can reduce appetite, which in turn may help reduce the risk of overeating.

Identify Trigger Foods

Nutritionists distinguish between the need for food (hunger) and the desire for food (craving). Often, we crave high-fat, high-sugar, high-sodium foods that taste good and feel good in our mouths. While eaten in moderation, such foods can be a fun occasional treat. However, for many of us, it's easy to lose control and overeat. One strategy is to avoid such foods altogether. Yet, this might not always be possible, especially on social occasions. In those situations, anticipate that such tempting food might be served and make a plan to have one small portion. That way, you can enjoy an indulgence without going overboard.

Eat Mindfully

Have you ever realized that sometimes, after a meal, you can scarcely remember eating? It happens all the time and can be a significant factor in overeating. Cultivating a habit of mindful eating can serve as a counterbalance to such behavior. Mindful eating means focusing attention during a meal, moving at a slower pace, and savoring flavors and textures. Putting down your smartphone and concentrating on the food in front of you, as well as being attentive to the sensations within your body, can help you avoid overindulging.

Despite a multitude of internal and external influences that encourage overeating, there are practical ways to combat this behavior. Each person must choose the strategies that work best for them to build positive habits that help find joy and health in eating.