Overeating …we all do it from time to time. Some of us, more often than others.
Overeating is easy to do because your brain doesn’t immediately alert the body that your stomach is full.
Because of this delayed signal, you end up consuming more calories than your body needs.
When you consume too many calories on a regular basis, you are at risk for becoming obese, which leads to major health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Calorie intake isn’t the only thing you need to be concerned about.
In fact, you can limit your diet to 1500 calories a day only eating cookies and still lose weight.
The problem is that a cookie-only diet does not provide your body the nutrition it needs to function properly.
Without proper nutrition, your body suffers.
You can easily make the transition to a healthier-eating routine by keeping two key healthy-eating components in mind.
- Learn how to limit your portions.
- Understand how to eat a nutritious diet that will keep you full.
Over time, these small changes will drastically shrink your waistline and improve your health and happiness.
To get started, implement these healthy-eating tips into your daily routine.
Use Smaller Plates
Your brain can’t reliably signal you to stop eating, so you must be aware of portion sizes. Avoid overconsumption by using smaller plate sizes.
After you’ve consumed the food on your plate, give yourself at least 15 minutes before deciding to go back for seconds.
This is enough time for the brain to process whether you are full or not and send that important signal that it’s time to stop.
Try this trick, and you’ll be surprised at how much less your body needs to stay satisfied.
Eat a Protein-Packed Breakfast
Reducing your food intake doesn’t mean skipping breakfast. Eating a protein-rich breakfast is vital to reducing your food intake throughout the rest of your day.
Protein-filled breakfasts are essential because they suppress your appetite and keep you full. The less hungry you are, the less you will want to eat.
Eggs and oatmeal are a few examples of protein-rich breakfast options.
Chew Your Food
The faster you chew, the more you eat.
Chewing slower helps limit the amount of food you consume. It does this by giving your brain the time it needs to determine when you are full.
If you’re a speed eater, break the habit by counting your chews.
Don’t Eat Food from Its Package
You can’t keep track of how much you’re eating when you eat food straight from its package.
This can lead you to eat double or triple the amount that you should.
This problem is avoided by pouring food onto a plate. When food is placed on a plate, it’s easy to visibly portion out what you should be consuming.
Always make sure you can visually take note of how much you have before you take that first bite.
Eat Healthier
Foods that are processed and filled with sugar may satisfy your immediate cravings, but they will also cause you to crash during the day.
Constant drops in blood sugar levels, on top of eating foods with little-to-no nutritional value, will keep you hungry all day long.
You can curb your appetite by eating healthy meals and snacks that give your body the nutrition and power to go strong all day long.
Keep Snacks out of Sight
Studies show that people eat more frequently when food is visible.
The same studies have also proven that when food is not in plain sight, it is less likely to be consumed.
Stop unnecessary eating and place foods where you can’t see them. Storing food in cabinets or a pantry works well. On the other hand, make fruits and veggies easily accessible to snack on and add some extra nutrition to your day.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking water keeps you full without adding additional calories to your diet. When you start to feel hungry, take a drink instead of reaching for the nearest snack.
It’s easy to make this a habit by storing water bottles where they are easily accessible. When it’s the only choice in front of you, you’re bound to make a good decision.
Drinking water before a meal is also a good way to help limit food consumption. Just one glass before a meal will help fill your stomach so that you eat less and still feel satisfied.
Making minor changes in your daily routine can have a major impact on your health.
Make the change now, and continue on a healthy path by learning more tips to help you live a healthy life!
