It’s already February, how many pounds have you shed since your NYE resolution? Personally, I’m at a big fat zero! What’s my biggest problem? Overeating!
It’s simple, I love food. And like most people out there I indulge a little more than I should. Here are some tips on how to curve those cravings and stop eating everything in sight.
Count ALL Calories
People are always looking for the miracle formula for losing weight; well I have found it for you. Work off more calories that you take in! It’s not rocket science people. There are many ways you can track your calorie intake. One of my favorite ways is the Lose It app. You can search specific foods and restaurants, keep track of your goals and check-in points, add in your workouts and subtract calories accordingly, and add your own foods and exercises.
And don’t forget to put in ALL calories. Yes, that side of ranch with your carrots counts as calories. Liquid calories are another issue: liquid calories ARE calories. Add them into your tracking method!
Eat More
But wait, I thought we were talking about not eating as much? Well, let me rephrase this: eat more OFTEN. It is better to have a lot of small meals during the day than 3 large meals. By eating throughout the day you will not be as hungry and prevent binge eating.
Your body can also break down the food easier in small quantities. Picture it this way: is it easier for a garbage disposal to crush up a serving of scrambled eggs and toast or a full thanksgiving turkey? Exactly.
Bowls for Days
Eating out the bag or container is one of the biggest causes of over-eating. Think about it, how many times have you popped open a bag of chips and before you know it more than half of the bag is gone? We are all human and food is a comfort. If it’s in front of us, we are more likely to eat it. So next time you’re reaching for a snack, check out the portion size and eat it out of a bowl instead of the container.
Play Mind Games
This is similar to the bowl trick. Humans react with visuals. If we see a big plate with half a cup of mashed potatoes on it, we feel inclined to scoop more on the plate to take up the space. However, if you cut the plate size in half and still have the same portion of potatoes you are more likely to be satisfied with that amount.
It’s all visual mind games. A smaller plate will make smaller portions of food look bigger and more satisfying.
Buffet Style Meals
This is a big problem with my family! My mom is an awesome cook. And not only that, she makes it her duty to see that NO ONE leaves the table hungry. So we always have the giant casserole dish of pasta, bowl of bread, and tons of different sauces right there on the table. So of course we all take seconds (and sometimes thirds!)
A good way to not over eat is by not having the food in front of you. Especially in a social setting. Somtimes you don’t even realize you reached for that second piece of bread! So have all of the meal on the counter/stove for people to serve themselves and then bring it to the table. Out of sight, out of mind!
Have a Plan
Planning out your meals ahead of time will keep you on track with what you eat. Personally, the days I have a brown-bag lunch packed the night before for work I usually only eat what is in the bag. But if I have no eating plan, I end up going to the cafeteria and getting pasta or a big club sandwich and chips. Then I'll hit up the vending machine and then go to the frozen yogurt place right outside our office doors.
Minty Miracle
One way to help you from overeating is refreshing your mouth. After you eat either pop in a piece of gum, brush your teeth, or use mouthwash. Have you ever tried drinking a big cup of orange juice after you brush your teeth? Yeah, it’s not too appetizing!
Remind Yourself of that Dream Body
A good way to keep you on track is with healthy visual stimulation. Get pictures offline of the type of body you aspire to have (Victoria Secret models always do it for me!) And have them posted as the background on your phone or around the house. Having one in the workout room and on the fridge is always helpful. Seeing the six pack abs of Miranda Kerr will make you think twice about grabbing that last cupcake.
Slow your Roll
Chew, chew, chew! I am the worst at this. I always have another piece of food ready to go before the current one is even swallowed! By chewing your food more your body has more time to digest it and make you feel full faster. Another thing to try is setting your silverware down between bites.
Get Support
The worst thing is having friends who have the metabolism of Michael Phelps. They can just eat and eat and seem to never gain a pound. Well, I sure as hell know I’m not one of those girls! So make sure you are around people that can help you stay on track. It’s nice having someone who can say, “I want that cup of Froyo too, but let’s go for a jog before we have it.” You may want to punch your “Eating Support Group” in the face sometimes (hunger brings out the worst in me) but you will thank them later!
Avoid the Munchies Monster
Food is everywhere. But sometimes avoiding temping situations is the best thing. Don’t go to the grocery store on free sample days. Avoid the break-room when you know someone brought donuts for everyone. Try to avoid crossing paths with vending machines. And don’t have a candy jar or unhealthy snack stash in your office. The less you see, the less tempted you will be.
Eat with a Consequence
This is one of my favorite things I have done to help my weight loss. I put sticky-notes in my cabinets, fridge, and pantry that have mini workouts on them. For example, each time I get something out of the fridge I have to do 50 jumping jacks or 10 burpees.
As long as you stick with it you will think twice about opening that snack cabinet when you're bored. Especially knowing you will have to do 50 crunches!
Count ALL Calories
People are always looking for the miracle formula for losing weight; well I have found it for you. Work off more calories that you take in! It’s not rocket science people. There are many ways you can track your calorie intake. One of my favorite ways is the Lose It app. You can search specific foods and restaurants, keep track of your goals and check-in points, add in your workouts and subtract calories accordingly, and add your own foods and exercises.
And don’t forget to put in ALL calories. Yes, that side of ranch with your carrots counts as calories. Liquid calories are another issue: liquid calories ARE calories. Add them into your tracking method!
Eat More
But wait, I thought we were talking about not eating as much? Well, let me rephrase this: eat more OFTEN. It is better to have a lot of small meals during the day than 3 large meals. By eating throughout the day you will not be as hungry and prevent binge eating.
Your body can also break down the food easier in small quantities. Picture it this way: is it easier for a garbage disposal to crush up a serving of scrambled eggs and toast or a full thanksgiving turkey? Exactly.
Bowls for Days
Eating out the bag or container is one of the biggest causes of over-eating. Think about it, how many times have you popped open a bag of chips and before you know it more than half of the bag is gone? We are all human and food is a comfort. If it’s in front of us, we are more likely to eat it. So next time you’re reaching for a snack, check out the portion size and eat it out of a bowl instead of the container.
Play Mind Games
This is similar to the bowl trick. Humans react with visuals. If we see a big plate with half a cup of mashed potatoes on it, we feel inclined to scoop more on the plate to take up the space. However, if you cut the plate size in half and still have the same portion of potatoes you are more likely to be satisfied with that amount.
It’s all visual mind games. A smaller plate will make smaller portions of food look bigger and more satisfying.
Buffet Style Meals
This is a big problem with my family! My mom is an awesome cook. And not only that, she makes it her duty to see that NO ONE leaves the table hungry. So we always have the giant casserole dish of pasta, bowl of bread, and tons of different sauces right there on the table. So of course we all take seconds (and sometimes thirds!)
A good way to not over eat is by not having the food in front of you. Especially in a social setting. Somtimes you don’t even realize you reached for that second piece of bread! So have all of the meal on the counter/stove for people to serve themselves and then bring it to the table. Out of sight, out of mind!
Have a Plan
Planning out your meals ahead of time will keep you on track with what you eat. Personally, the days I have a brown-bag lunch packed the night before for work I usually only eat what is in the bag. But if I have no eating plan, I end up going to the cafeteria and getting pasta or a big club sandwich and chips. Then I'll hit up the vending machine and then go to the frozen yogurt place right outside our office doors.
Minty Miracle
One way to help you from overeating is refreshing your mouth. After you eat either pop in a piece of gum, brush your teeth, or use mouthwash. Have you ever tried drinking a big cup of orange juice after you brush your teeth? Yeah, it’s not too appetizing!
Remind Yourself of that Dream Body
A good way to keep you on track is with healthy visual stimulation. Get pictures offline of the type of body you aspire to have (Victoria Secret models always do it for me!) And have them posted as the background on your phone or around the house. Having one in the workout room and on the fridge is always helpful. Seeing the six pack abs of Miranda Kerr will make you think twice about grabbing that last cupcake.
Slow your Roll
Chew, chew, chew! I am the worst at this. I always have another piece of food ready to go before the current one is even swallowed! By chewing your food more your body has more time to digest it and make you feel full faster. Another thing to try is setting your silverware down between bites.
Get Support
The worst thing is having friends who have the metabolism of Michael Phelps. They can just eat and eat and seem to never gain a pound. Well, I sure as hell know I’m not one of those girls! So make sure you are around people that can help you stay on track. It’s nice having someone who can say, “I want that cup of Froyo too, but let’s go for a jog before we have it.” You may want to punch your “Eating Support Group” in the face sometimes (hunger brings out the worst in me) but you will thank them later!
Avoid the Munchies Monster
Food is everywhere. But sometimes avoiding temping situations is the best thing. Don’t go to the grocery store on free sample days. Avoid the break-room when you know someone brought donuts for everyone. Try to avoid crossing paths with vending machines. And don’t have a candy jar or unhealthy snack stash in your office. The less you see, the less tempted you will be.
Eat with a Consequence
This is one of my favorite things I have done to help my weight loss. I put sticky-notes in my cabinets, fridge, and pantry that have mini workouts on them. For example, each time I get something out of the fridge I have to do 50 jumping jacks or 10 burpees.
As long as you stick with it you will think twice about opening that snack cabinet when you're bored. Especially knowing you will have to do 50 crunches!