Adversity Thursday: Over Eating

We live in a time when food, for the most part, is in abundance and easy to come by.  All we have to do is walk into a grocery store, fill our carts with groceries, pay, and go home.

Also, think about where you live.  How many restaurants are in your neighborhood?  I have about 10 within a 2 block radius!  TEN!.. and I live in a residential area, just off of the main road.  Now, think about all of those restaurants and their portions.  Most fast food restaurants have the 'super size' option.  Do you want more fries?  A larger drink to go with your burger?  And ALL of the refills your heart could desire?  No problem!

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There is a Chinese restaurant close to our house that we like.  One dinner order is enough to feed my whole family...excluding Baby K.  That's fine.  I don't have to eat the whole thing, and I couldn't if I tried.  However, the idea of having that much in front of me seems risky.

Here's why.  Imagine sitting down in front of a giant plate of your favorite food.  Pasta, french fries, pizza... whatever you enjoy the most.  Can you disagree that if you have so much loaded onto your plate that it is easy to lose track of how much you have actually eaten?  When you put yourself in that position, you are much more likely to eat until you are so full that you feel sick, or it hurts.  I know this from experience.

My #2 loves almonds, and almonds are a great source of protein and healthy fat.  However, they are high in calories, so just a small handful is enough.  If she wants some as a snack, and she takes the bag, then she is going to eat way too many.  If I give her a small snack bag filled with the appropriate amount, then she is less likely to eat her fill on a high calorie food.  Then if she is still hungry, she can come back to me and ask for something else.  I usually offer her some cucumbers or carrot sticks.  We have to remember that if we have eaten our portion amount of a certain food and are still hungry, we can have something else to fill us up the rest of the way.  My #1 has the same tendency as #2.  Ultimately, I speak about it with both of my older children openly.  I explain that if they eat out of the bag or container, they are going to eat too much.

We have to do this for ourselves.  We have to portion out our own meals and snacks.  If I am hungry, but it is close to dinner time, and I just want a small snack, I can't open the box of wheat thins and snack on them while I make dinner.  I have to take out a small handful and put the rest away.

Here's what to NOT do:

• Never eat from the container or bag
• Never eat while watching television
• If you are eating popcorn and watching a movie, measure it.  Never just eat out of the bag or bowl.
• Never eat while reading a book
• Never put off eating, as sever hunger might enable binge eating. (when I am super hungry, I tend to eat more high calorie foods)

-Distractions do just that when we are eating, distract us from how much we are eating.  That is why we need to be careful about what and how much we are eating while being entertained.  We don't realize what is consumed.

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-For me, I have to be careful about what I snack on while I fix dinner.  I tend to taste everything.  I'll be chopping up things and tasting as I go.  The green vegetables are perfectly fine to eat along the way... in fact, maybe that is a great thing to put out for the whole family who is getting hungry for dinner... and they are getting some valuable nutrients first, and might be less likely to eat more of something less beneficial

Here's what To do:

• Measure or portion your food to the appropriate amount.
• If you are eating out, ask for a separate plate and portion your food on that plate.
• Drink a glass of water before eating.
• Know your goals and your limits.
• Know your portions and stick to it.
• At a buffet. Know your goals before you sit down. Start with a salad (minimal dressing), and eat healthy portions of the rest. Buffet doesn't mean, "get your money's worth," it means, "we have some of everything, so you get to chose!"
• Only bring treats into the house occasionally.
• Brush your teeth!  I lose the desire to eat when my teeth are minty fresh.
• Chew gum...for the same reason as brushing teeth.

To conclude, I believe that as a society, we have become very indulgent, eating for pleasure, and not so much for sustenance...which defeats the purpose of eating for our health and strength.  I personally am not stronger for eating more.  I have actually become weak in all aspects of my life due to my weight gain.

Remember I do not claim to be a nutritionist, a trainer, or any other prestigious title.  I am merely a woman who is sharing her experiences with weight-loss and making life changes for my health.  These suggestions are all things that have worked for me... so if you disagree, then do your own research, and make your own plan that suits you!


What are the tricks that you use to prevent over-eating?  What have I left out?

Happy losing!

Evelyn Curtis