I have been a vegan for 6 months, how do I stop over eating?!
It really has to do with the food tasting so very good, I love food now more than I ever have. But it really is putting a toll on me, my stomach feels bloated all day everyday. I know I need to stop, what advice can you give me. Thanks
Answers: I've always been a big eater, but I am not over or under weight, just make myself sick from over eating. I love to eat, and I'll find myself not stopping even when I'm full.
It really has to do with the food tasting so very good, I love food now more than I ever have. But it really is putting a toll on me, my stomach feels bloated all day everyday. I know I need to stop, what advice can you give me. Thanks
Physiology may be a part of the problem. There is a medical condition in which the body does not tell the brain that it is full and needs to stop eating. There is a test for this now since the gene has been discovered.
Psychologically speaking, you may have some emotional eating disorder that is the opposite of anorexia. You may have some issues that need to be addressed before you implement some physical techniques of curbing your eating habits. When you can separate the comfort of eating from your emotions of needing comfort, then you can start to feel more comfortable in your own body.
Otherwise go for the physical stuff right away. Pick one thing to do first. Maybe eating only what is on a small plate and nothing else. Maybe put a time limit on your eating also. Or a time when you can only eat (Like 7AM for breakfast, 11 AM for a snack, 2 PM for lunch, 5 PM for dinner, and a light snack at 8 PM). Read all the answers and pick one to try, or better yet, commit to it for a month. Then evaluate, and go on from there! I wish you well on your journey to good health!
Drink a full glass of water (8-160z) right before your meal. Then, drink another full glass while you eat. This should keep you feeling fuller and less apt to keep eating. You'll get rid of the water much faster than you would the food, so you shouldn't feel as bloated later on.
Also, try eating slower, and focusing on the flavor. There is just as much flavor in each bite, so there is really no need to rush on to the next one.
Close your mouth when your half full. Push your plate away. That way when you sit their chatting away and sneaking food from your plate because you obviously don't have very much willpower- you'll only end up full by the end of the meal.
EAT VERY SLOWLY!!!!!!!!!!!
You can fool yourself into eating less. One thing to do is to use smaller sized plates. Studies have shown that we eat less(put less on the plate), when the size is smaller. You can also cook less food, especially if you are eating for the sake of eating. Smaller portions means you eat less. If you don't have the food in front of you, then you are less likely to eat too much.
You should also eat slower. Finish a smaller portion and then wait at least 15/20 minutes, which is sometimes how long it takes to feel full.
There are some books that go into how to eat mindfully, these may be of interest to you.
You have already received 4 good suggestions. Try to follow them. However, the most important is your own will power to resist and to look other way when you find yourself surrounded by plates. As rightly pointed out by “~Dart~” you have to tackle this problem from different angles step by step, without overdoing anything.