How to Stop Overeating – Filling Your Time and Not Your Stomach

Once you know what hunger really is and how to read the signals, you need to know what to do when you are faced with contradicting signals. Let’s face it, you aren’t going to train your brain overnight. You will face many circumstances where your body is telling you it wants food, but you know it doesn’t. So what do you do when you are faced with the inevitable temptation to do the wrong thing? Fortunately, you have several good choices which can help keep you on track and help you to learn how to stop overeating.

Healthy Snacking

While you will generally want to stay away from snacking, there are always healthy options to choose from. So long as you do not turn a midday snack into a meal, it will not have a tremendous impact on your eating habits. But you have to make sure you eat the right snack.

You best option is the simplest: water. Not only is water an appetite suppressant, it is also something that most people do not have enough of in their diet anyways. It may seem ridiculous that you are supposed to have 8 to 12 glasses of water in a day, but if you substitute a glass of water instead of a handful of chips, you’ll be that much better off.

But sometimes the body is looking for something to chew on. Often times, when a person is bored, the body will kick in the signals to get you to do something active. This is sometimes interpreted as hunger. You may find that chewing gum squelches this hunger. If your stomach is still craving something, you can always snack on celery or another similar green. Fibrous snacks like celery not only offer you a great source of fiber, but they actually require more calories to chew and digest than they give back.

Keeping Busy With Activities

Sometimes you just need to do something to get your mind off being hungry. When you deny your body’s signals, you essentially retrain it to stop sending false signals when you aren’t hungry. If you are following a proper eating regimen already, your body may just need some time to adapt.

You can always keep working or do some exercises, but it may be easier for you to do something you enjoy. If you happen to be at work, you may have limited choices. But if you are at home and bored, you may find that getting off the couch and going for a walk gets rid of your hunger pangs. Taking the dog for a walk or playing with the kids may also keep you from boredom eating. This one simple method can go a long ways in helping you learn how to stop overeating.

Using Your Willpower

While it is the least appealing option, many people find it to be the most helpful. When you examine why your body is telling you that you are hungry, you may find it easier to resist the urge to eat. It is important to identify the factors that are causing you to be hungry.

For example, imagine that you pass by a restaurant after work on your way to your car. The smells from the restaurant may trigger a hunger signal that doesn’t need to be there. Resisting the urge and redirecting your mind to something else may be all it takes to make the hunger signal go away. You are also training your brain to understand that just because something smells good doesn’t mean you have to have it.

All of these choices work for different people and you may find a combination that works for you to help you learn how to stop overeating. The important thing in all of these options is that you’re not giving in and reinforcing the hunger signals that you know are false. By taking control of your hunger and realizing that there are other things you can do besides eating, you are training your brain to work for you. You strive to have control over other aspects of your life and you should do the same for your eating habits.