5 Ways To Beat Overeating

Learn how you can put a stop to emotional eating and impulse snacking.

In order to keep your weight down and improve your health, you have to watch what you eat. But it's easier said than done -- who hasn't downed a bag of chips in a moment of weakness or boredom? Still, you can take control right now and put the brakes on overeating and impulse snacking, with these expert tips.

Eat slowly

Instead of hurrying through your meal, take time to thoroughly chew your good. "It slows the eating process so that the stomach has the time, usually about 15-20 minutes, to register that it is full and send a signal to the brain that you should stop eating,

Give your food your full focus

If you eat while you're watching the TV, driving or working at the computer, the calories you consume doesn't get registered well in your brain. "These distractions can cause you to eat too much,"


So give your meals the attention they deserve. "Taking your time to savor every morsel can help you consume fewer calories," adds Targosz. "Relax and enjoy the moment." By being attentive about the whole eating experience, you can more easily derive pleasure and satisfaction from your food, too.

Go for satisfying foods

Avoid foods that have large amounts of calories (especially from fat, sugar, and refined carbs) for very little volume, such as cakes, potato chips, candy bars, and chocolate.

Instead, load up those that have high fiber and/or protein content, which are more likely to be satisfying in your stomach. Good choices include whole-meal bread, porridge, all-bran cereal, beefsteak, baked beans, apples and oranges. "The combination of fiber and protein keeps you feeling full for the longest period of time on the fewest calories. The fuller you feel after a meal, the less likely you'll be to overeat at the next meal," explains Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet.

one of the sastifying food example; Cereal

Put a stop on nighttime snack attacks

Late night snackers, take heed. Nighttime is the worst time to overeat, since that's when our bodies have the lowest need for calories, say experts.

If you've gotten into the habit of eating in front of the television, replace it with something healthy like fruits or a whole-wheat bagel. Or ban snacking in the TV room altogether. To take your mind off food, keep yourself occupied in the evenings with a new book, hobby or an evening exercise session.

Also, aim for a balanced high-fiber breakfast and lunch to help avoid overeating later on. "If you eat no breakfast (and sometimes no lunch), by the time dinner comes around, you are famished. As a result, you gorge yourself until bedtime,"

Don't use food for comfort

Do you chomp down an entire chocolate bar when you have a tight project deadline to meet? It's called emotional eating, and it's often unrelated to hunger.

It is unclear why many women turn to comfort food when they're under stress, but experts believe mindless snacking acts as a coping mechanism to help them feel better temporarily.

The next time when you're reaching for junk food, pause and ask yourself if you're truly hungry or just feeling antsy. "Avoid using food as a stress reliever by learning coping skills, such as exercise, meditation, or listening to music, that do not rely on food as a source of comfort,"