You keep on loading yourself with extra food and calories even though you are already full by that time! But how much is too much? No one can exactly tell you the amount of food that you require although there are some serving sizes recognized by the diet constitutions! But they are just standard sizes, designed irrespective of your age, height, weight and sex. Hence it's hard for anyone to stick to eating based on serving sizes. We normally try to eat till we feel satisfied and full from within. So, you can well understand that it is just a relative feeling which varies from one person to the other!
Signs of Overeating
Although there is no measure of how much food is just right for you, you can still decide it on the basis of your own feelings. You should know that you have overeaten when:
- You start feeling loaded or bloated immediately after the meal.
- The food makes you feel uncomfortable even though it was supposed to bring a feeling of satisfaction from within.
- You start feeling lazy, sleepy or drowsy immediately after the meal and if you feel the need to lie down on the bed.
- You feel so full that you have a vomiting sensation.
- You feel thirsty but can't drink water as you are already bloated.
The Circumstances Which can Lead to Overeating
- Stress: If you are unhappy or stressed, there is a chance that you might overeat. "Mood eaters" as they are referred to, tend to overeat due to the release of certain hormones. When a person is stressed, the levels of the stress hormones rise. Food, especially carbs, have a soothing effect on the brain, they can suppress the stress hormones and make you feel better.
- Habit: Some people indulge in overeating just out of habit and there isn't much that you can do about it unless the person himself is motivated to change his habits and lifestyle. Binge eating can be controlled with appropriate steps.
- Brain Dysfunction: It denotes a condition in which the brain receptors fail to receive the "fullness" signal sent by the stomach. Even sometimes, the stomach does not send any signal at all. This is mostly seen in mentally challenged people or sometimes in school going kids, whose brains are in the developmental stage.
- Parties: During functions or parties, the hosts might just be a little more pushy and we may have to stuff ourselves.
Tips to Avoid Overeating
- Eat on the Dining Table: Always eat on the dining table rather than sitting on the sofa or the bed! These are the places where you feel relaxed and comfortable to the maximum extent and this allows you to overeat!
- Don't Combine Eating with Other Activities: Never combine eating with other activities like watching TV or reading books or newspapers. If your mind gets diverted, you may fail to receive the signal and overeat. The brain takes 20 minutes to realize that the stomach is full, so eat slowly and chew your food properly.
- Eat Salads Before a Meal: A very good trick is to eat a plate of salad 10 to 15 minutes before you have your actual meal. This way, when you sit to have your meal, your brain will know exactly how much more food is needed.
- Take Small Meals in Between the Main Meals: People who take only two or three meals a day tend to overeat at all the three meals. The best way is to incorporate two small mid-meals in the mid morning and the mid afternoons to avoid overeating at the main meals.
We all know where the main problem lies! When we indulge in delicious foods and the ones listed as our favorites, we simply forget where to stop. We give a conscious effort to clear the boundary line! In other words, we do not want to stop our rolling tongue and those "cutting blades" in our mouth!
