How to Stop Yourself from Overeating

I often wonder what it is that has caused me to overeat in the past. In my life, I have eaten myself to the point of feeling like I could explode. I used to forget what it was like to be hungry and would not feel like I had eaten unless it was a lot of food. I would go from one fast food place to another and extra dessert was a daily occasion. While working on weight loss I have discovered some tips for controlling me appetite when I am not hungry. Some may work for you, some may not.

The first thing that works very well for me is getting rid of the flavor of food in my mouth after I eat. For some reason after eating a meal the lingering taste of food makes me want to eat even more. One thing that may work while at home is brushing, flossing and rinsing your mouth soon after a meal. There are a couple of reasons why this works. The first one is that is changes the flavors in your mouth and it seems to complete your last meal, no one wants to eat with the taste of toothpaste in their mouths do they?

The second reason is that it just feels weird and maybe even uncomfortable to eat after brushing. Give this a try the next time you find yourself reaching for seconds and thirds. If you happen to be out of the house you may want to try those breath strips, the ones that dissolve in your mouth. Chewing gum may work, but the flavor is not as strong and the extra chewing may actually make you want to eat.

Another trick to prevent yourself from eating or overeating between meals when you are not hungry is to check in with how you feel. Are you actually thirsty, tired, stressed out? I've heard so many times when people said it just took a minute to think about how I feel to stop myself from overeating. If it is stress, find something that relaxes you even if its not necessarily exercise. Of course, exercise will help, but sometimes simply doing something enjoyable for fifteen minutes can take your mind off of food.

Journaling or starting a blog is good resources for writing down your feelings and tracking patterns in the desire to overeat. Following eating guidelines and how many calories your need to eat to lose or maintain weight will also help in not overeating. If you write down your food intake you will know that when your calories for the day have been eaten, then you are done. Easier said than done, right?

I have compiled a small list of things that you can do instead of eating when you are not hungry: talk to a friend, write, browse the internet, get out of the house, take your pet for a walk, play with your pet, clean, organize, dance, sing, make something creative, draw, paint, go to the park, read a book, work on a hobby, blog, go to a friends house, go on an adventure, or just find ways to have fin with yourself that don't involve food. You're worth it!