I used to have a real problem with overeating, but I learned to conquer that bad habit, and hopefully these tips will help you succeed in that goal as well.
Drink a Glass of Water Before Every Meal
If your stomach is already partly full with water, it will be easier to eat smaller portions.
Eat Slowly
It sometimes takes your stomach a good bit of time to tell your brain that you've had enough, and if you inhale everything on a gigantic plate of food in record time, you will have bypassed that window of satiation and gone straight to that moaning, groaning, gut-busting feeling of excess without giving your gastric system time to realize exactly how much you've eaten. A way to eat slowly that I've found effective is this: After every one or two bites, fully put down your utensils and take a sip of your beverage. This helps give your stomach a little break so that it can take stock if you will of what it now contains.
Take Small Bites
We all know the feeling when the waitor places that huge, delicious steak in front of us and we want to just tear in and demolish it in three bites, but resist the urge. Smaller bites not only help you pace yourself, but it also helps you prolong the enjoyment of the food.
Avoid Fast Food Restaurants
I don't really have to explain this one, do I? If you are truly addicted to fast food, I suggest renting the documentary Supersize Me. It will really open your eyes to the reason that though fast food is easy on your wallet, it really is not doing your body a favor and will hurt you in the long run. If you must go to a fast food restaurant, get a kid's meal. It may make you feel a bit silly to have the little cartoon-covered bag, but a kid's meal contains the greasy delights you love in much more manageable proportions. If you are too embarassed to get a kid's meal at the counter, go through the drive-thru. No one's going to know that you aren't bringing the Happy Meal home to an eagerly awaiting todler, and your body will thank you.
Snack Right
Have a reservoir of healthy yet tasty snacks on hand for when you feel that insatiable urge to nibble on something. Healthy snack doesn't have to mean celery sticks or something tasteless and nasty (in my opinion at least) like that. An Orville Redenbacher's Mini-Bag of popcorn with butter only has 30 calories when popped, and a 90 calorie Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chunk granola bar can help calm your craving for chocolate. Pair one of these (or something similar) with a tall glass of natural juice or iced herbal tea, and you have the perfect snack!
