Day 16: Stop Overeating Part 1 | 30-Day Weight Loss-athon
Today we hit Day 16 and start the second half of the 30-Day Weight Loss-athon.
All tasks in the 30-Day Weight Loss-athon are adapted from the 52 Weight Loss Missions program.
Read the steps first, then take 10 minutes to think about them and take action. Ready?
What You Need:
- 52 Weight Loss Missions sample
- Pen
- Post-its.
Step 1
For most of us with extra weight, overeating plays a role. For some of us, it’s the star of the show.
So I’m going to help you to stop overeating – but without willpower, self-recrimination, obsessiveness, or a Silence of The Lambs mask.
Instead, today we’ll look at ways to reduce your portion sizes so you don’t mindlessly eat more than you need. Tomorrow we’ll deal with some of the causes of automatic eating, and consider ways to break free.
(Remember the 52 Weight Loss Missions sample you downloaded? Today’s and tomorrow’s tasks are drawn from Mission 14: Stop Overeating.)
As our first step, if you need convincing that eating mindlessly leads you to eat more, flip through Brian Wansink’s Mindless Eating. You’ll read dozens of experiments showing how switching your mind off turns your tendency to overeat on.
But I suspect most of us are already convinced.
Step 2
So we need to find ways to:
- Be more mindful when we eat
- Make it harder to overeat when we aren’t being mindful.
Here are some of the strategies that have worked for me:
- Put food on a plate rather than eating out of a container – so you can see how much you’re eating
- Use table linen, a napkin, perhaps a candle – it will make you want to enjoy and savor your meal
- Use a smaller bowl or plate – it will feel like a larger serving
- Use smaller utensils – eg a small spoon instead of a large one
- Eat as a family or with others – stopping to talk can slow down your eating and give your brain time to register when you’re no longer hungry
- After serving yourself, put leftovers away immediately – if you’re really still hungry you can get the food back out; if not, there’s a barrier to make you stop and think
- Enjoy your food – savor the taste and texture
- Eat slowly – chew your food thoroughly so you extract the nutrients and give your brain time to register when you’ve had enough.
- Make peace with leaving food on your plate – you can dispose of it in the bin or on your hips; which would you prefer?
- Eat regularly – every 3-4 hours – so you’re never ravenous and out of control (which we address in Mission 49: Recognize Start And Stop Hunger Signals).
The following ideas might also help – though I confess they haven’t worked for me.
- If you eat alone, avoid distractions like TV, the web, or reading (this one is hard and I can’t do it; if you can, great)
- Hold your eating utensil in your non-dominant hand so you’re reminded to slow down
- Eat the healthier, lower-calorie foods on your plate first – if you feel full before you’re done, you’ll have gained the best nutrition bang for your calorie buck
- Only eat in one or two places, ideally just in the dining room – not your bedroom, the bathtub or at your desk.
Choose the strategies you’re going to try.
Bonus Step For 52 Weight Loss Missions Members
Revisit Mission 49: Recognize Start And Stop Hunger Signals for strategies to help you manage hunger signals and avoid binging.
Step 3
For each strategy you’ve chosen, complete whatever action you need to take.
For example:
- Dig out your pretty tableware, table linen, candlesticks, etc
- Write post-it reminders to put away leftovers, eat slowly, only eat in certain rooms, etc
- Set alarms on your phone to remind you to eat more regularly.
Mindless eating is a trap we all fall into at times. But with these strategies, it doesn’t have to be a habit.
Which of these strategies will you use?
Check in!
And you’re done!
Be sure to leave your comment below to check in and stay accountable. If you’re reading this by email or in a reader then please click here to leave your comment.
See you tomorrow!
Keeping a food journal has been a great help against mindless eating. I think that was my main enemy. It’s on my iPad, so it is easy for me to see how my eating is calculated in calories. I am using my scale to help me understand portions too.
I’m happy with my portion sizes for all my main meals, my downfall is the snacking in between meals, not every day but just when I am stressed or feeling down. I just need to focus on my real motivators and try to stop that snacking just for the sake of eating.
I read the Mindless Eating book because of your suggestion. It was an eye opener to see how easy it is to over eat. I feel like I have been doing a good job paying more attention to what I put in my mouth. Just wish I were seeing better results.
I already use the small plates, but I definatly eat mindlessly at work. Must address that and work on it. I also struggle with over eating when we go out. It isn’t everyday, but often enough to be a problem. I WILL cut my food in half to take home and I WILL stop when I feel full. No more “so sick I over ate” feeling for me!
Many of us have grown up with that clean your plate mentality, and that is the one I’m going to really focus on, if I’m satisfied, then I’m done, whether there is still food on the plate or not. The smaller plates and bowls will be helpful too.
Bought some smaller plates for DH and I to use with the correct ratio of carbs, meat & vegs printed on.
http://healthyportionplate.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/plate.jpg
I enjoy eating, and the suggestions from such sites as RealAge and eDiets have helped me to find foods I could enjoy and feel filled. For several years, I’ve used a salad/dessert plate when eating at home, and at restaurants I usually take food home rather than eating all I order. I’ve learned during my first week using My Fitness Pal that when I’m at home I’m more obsessed with eating, and this signals that I need to find other actions to take rather than snacking.
I guess where I usually over eat is when I make mash potatoes, trying them as I mash them and eventually having more than I should. I used to do that also while making cake or cookies also but I am doing much better. Already changed the size of my plates, took smaller plate for meals and it works. I use self control now and it works:)
Being a homeschooling mom, I have very little time just to me. Reading while I eat is such an escape mechanism, but I only get it at breakfast and if the boys haven’t gotten up yet:-) I just make sure that I have portioned out my meal and put away all food items before sitting to eat. That helps keep me from getting more to eat than I am allowed to have. I still have to work on portion control, but hey, day 16 and I have done better this month, so I have hope.
I tend to overeat at functions where they have buffets, I just want to have a taste of EVERYTHING and it ends up being too much – I have to choose one or two absolute favourites and just stick to small serves of those. I also tend to skip meals due to a busy workload and our worklace doesn’t have anywhere to eat other than our desks but just switching off the email & putting on the Do Not Disturb on the phone for half an hour will be my action for this task.
Even though we went to a fancy Italian (read very generous serving sizes) restaurant with friends for dinner last week I didn’t feel compelled to finish my meal. The restaurant is more than happy to supply doggy bags (anyone remember those?) so DH enjoyed my leftovers for his lunch the next day. I’ve already embraced conscious eating so when out last night yes, I had a couple of chocolates, but I enjoyed them slowly instead of shoving them down my throat as fast as I could.
I have really taken the eating only what you love to heart. I know that you applied this to dessert but I am applying it to all my foods. I don’t want losing weight to be about deprivation, so after I read that challenge applied it to everything I eat. I am only going to eat foods I love. That also included the vegetables I love and so on, and you know it hasn’t been that hard for me to keep it to portion sizes. So what I have been doing is drinking a full glass of water then eating the lower calorie foods first then I eat the higher calorie foods, leaving behind if I am full and I lost weight last week!
I will set my alarmon my phone to remind me to eat more regularly to reduce snacking!
I love the ideas of using a smaller plate and utensils. I will start doing that!
already making my choice to eat at the table instead of tv and my husband is joining me. I have always put leftovers away straight away. I like your idea of eating with the non dominant hand and eating lower calorie food first. too late to try that today but its on the list for tomorrow. worn off today’s calories helping with a new born and 2 year old. back to the treadmill tomorrow first thing.
Am practicing the “small”plate idea– works well. Now that we are settling back into our own home, we are eating all meals at the table. (My mom would be proud- she brought us up to eat at the table with napkins, etc). Even used the good China for Sunday dinner. Do need to work on drinking LOTs of water– do well in AM but find myself slacking off later in the day.
Going to watch what I eat and how much and where I eat. I usually sit in my easy chair in front of the TV. Need to make some changes, You Think! Going to give it a try! 🙂
With eating I feel my problem is usually not that I over eat at meals but I skip meals and then snack on the wrong things all day long. I’m working hard to eat regular meals and stop with the mindless snacking. I feel I’ve made progress and the My pal fitness app has been helpful to me to see what I’m eating. I like to be organized I just never thought about organizing what I’m eating. I’m enjoining it, and I feel better about what I’m eating.
Pingback: Weight Loss Would Be Easier If Green Vegetables Tasted Like Bacon | 52 WLM
Pingback: Day 17: Stop Overeating Part 2 | 30-Day Weight Loss-athon | 52 WLM