Do you ever get so ravenously hungry that you can eat anything and everything?
The truth is we all do. Binge eating is the most common form of overeating, and something I am definitely guilty of.
I’m not alone. The holidays are upon us, and you may have allowed yourself to get a bit loose with your diet. Knowing when to hit or stick is a matter of consciousness and being in tune with your body.
This time of year brings about many of those game changing decisions. Would you like another drink? Please try my holiday cookies….
One trip to my mothers house can tack on a few pounds quite easily.
Since eating is a ritual intricately tied to emotions and societal pressures its not surprising we blow up this time of year.
We all want to avoid the overdramatic weight loss adventure in January, so here are a few questions you should ask yourself before your next bite?
- Does the food still taste good? – This seems obvious, but try asking yourself this question next time you eat. You will realize a few things. First, that your food is not as tasty as you imagine it to be, and second that the deliciousness of your food significantly decreases after the first 2 minutes of consumption. The first bite is always the best.
- Can I walk away from this table satisfied? More often then not you will be surprised that you are quite satisfied. The number of calories that are consumed after this point really add up, and do not do much to satiate us.
- Does eating the entire portion make sense? This one gets me every time. If I order something at a restaurant or prepare a meal, I want to get my monies worth. It is a penny pincher tendency, but I doubt I am alone here either. This is flawed logic however. If you stop eating when you are actually full, then you would in effect eat less and be able to take food home to consume later (saving money that would be spent on other food).
- Could I eat an apple right now? One of my favorite sayings is that if you are not hungry enough to eat an entire apple then you are not hungry. It takes effort to eat an apple. So if you respond no to this question then you should probably stop eating.
These are my favourite mid meal questions to determine if I am satisfied or not.
If you have any other questions you ask yourself while eating don’t be shy, share them with us in the comments section.
9 Comments
Dave - Not Your Average Fitness Tips on December 10, 2011 at 1:38 pm.
Good tips. I especially like the one about eating an apple because I almost always have an apple after lunch or dinner. Therefore I need to leave room for it!
Admin on January 12, 2012 at 8:16 pm.
My wife’s grandma insists we eat an apple after dinner. So if you don’t have room, she gets angry! Great call Dave.
Nate Armstrong on December 12, 2011 at 1:00 pm.
I struggle with Number 3 all the time. I grew up with a father that did not let us leave the table without first eating all of our food. Now, I hate when I or other people I eat with waste food. More and more, I have found myself throwing away perfectly good food because I can’t afford the calories, health-wise. I think sacrificing a few dollar’s worth of food in order to abstain from overeating is well worth it. I am still trying to convert to that belief entirely.
Admin on January 12, 2012 at 8:23 pm.
I grew up in the same situation. My parents wanted me to eat everything, and I did! After years of overeating I changed my tune.
Srdjan - Bloom to Fit on December 26, 2011 at 7:26 pm.
Those are some great questions Jordan. I simply try to mentally will myself into eating less
Admin on January 12, 2012 at 8:24 pm.
Some people need schemes to help them. Will power is great if you are tough like yourself, but I learned about my weaknesses and need a few mind games to help me out once in a while.
Jonathan | WorldOfDiets on January 24, 2012 at 12:52 pm.
An easy way to eat less is to stop for a minute before eating. You may find that you’re not really hungry at all.
Admin on January 29, 2012 at 4:03 pm.
Jonathan,
It’s so true, just waiting the craving out is a surprisingly effective strategy.
Jonathan | WorldOfDiets on January 24, 2012 at 12:56 pm.
An easy way to not overeat is to stop for a moment before you begin. After a moment you may find that you’re not really hungry.