You start your day with the best of intentions. Today, you’ll practice eating in moderation. But temptation can get the best of you. And the best laid plans can fail. So, today we’ll talk about ways you can make eating in moderation fool-proof.
Because, you can’t just tell yourself you’re going to eat better. You have to make it easy. And the only way to do this is to come up with a plan.
You know your triggers for overeating. So, you need to address moderation from the point of contact with your trigger. And how do you accomplish that? Well, look at some of my favorite ways to keep yourself from overeating.
Make ½ your plate green
Start first with the veggies. Make sure that salad or steamed vegetables cover half your plate before you take any of “the fun stuff”. This will accomplish a couple of things.
First, there’s literally less room on the plate to indulge. Plus, you’ll feel full faster by eating lots of fiber filled veggies. And you’ll relieve feelings of deprivation because half your plate is still open for whatever else you want. Hey, and don’t forget veggies can be fun too!
Take time to savor
Eating in moderation is hard when you’re gulping down your meal. Your food is just done so quickly. And you’re left feeling wistful for more. Don’t you just wish there was a way to make a smaller amount of food seem like more?
Well, there is. It’s called savoring. The slower you eat, the more you’re able to take in the flavors and enjoy. And eating just lasts longer. This is how to trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more.
Make a list of favorites
Every food isn’t your favorite. So every food shouldn’t tempt you in the same way. Eating in moderation will become unbearable unless you decide which foods are really “worth it”.
I used to eat donuts anytime someone would bring them. Until I realized that I don’t find donuts that fulfilling. You have to determine which foods are your favorites. And reserve your splurges for those foods. This is a key to moderation.
Don’t buy your temptation
There are certain foods that totally unravel your willpower. And these are foods you want to keep out of your house. It’s asking a lot of you to think that you can keep them in the fridge and not constantly hear their temptation.
You may want to indulge from time to time. That’s fine. But buy them in individual portions when you’re out. Too much of a favorite food can lead to a binge.
Designate leftovers from the start
Restaurant portions are huge. And you’re likely tempted to clear your plate. But you don’t need that much food. There’s a point when you’re only eating the food because it’s there.
So ask for a to-go container at the start and pack up half your meal before you dig-in. If you made too much with a home cooked meal, throw a portion in Tupperware. Place it in the fridge before you’re tempted to go for seconds.
Make kids snacks separate
You shouldn’t bring the foods that tempt you into your home. But what happens if the foods that tempt you happen to be a snack food for your children? Eating in moderation becomes more difficult. But it isn’t impossible.
A great trick is to immediately divide the food into individual daily servings. Then if you eat it, you have to explain why it’s gone. Or store those snacks in the car where they’re harder to just grab. Have someone else in the household be in charge of those snacks. And have them hidden so you can’t find them.
This may sound extreme. But it isn’t if this food can lead to a binge. This is key to diet self-preservation.
Ditch the “diet products”
You may feel like you’re helping your healthy diet when you choose something sweetened by sugar alcohols or fake sugars. But this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, many of these fake sugar substitutes can really amplify cravings.
When your lips taste something sweet, your body gets ready for an influx of sugar. And when it doesn’t happen because the sugar is fake, your body is left in limbo. And this will lead to intense sugar and carbohydrate cravings. Keep fake sugars to a minimum to keep your eating in line.
Eat good quality fiber
Fiber does a couple of things that help with cravings. It helps you feel fuller for longer. And it slows down digestion to help balance blood sugar and stop you from having blood sugar swings. And both of these can help with cravings.
Fiber can of course be found in most fruit and vegetables. It’s also in starchier foods like beans and oats. Choose options that are whole foods as opposed to processed grains like cereals. The more processed a food, the less likely the fiber is to help with cravings.
Fast during the evening
A version of intermittent fasting has you abstain from eating after a certain hour. Many people opt to stop eating at 7 pm. And they refrain from eating until 7 am. And this limits the eating hours to twelve hours a day. This is beneficial for eating in moderation in a couple of ways.
The first is the most obvious. It just limits the amount of hours daily in which you can eat. But it also takes away late night eating which is a key time when people binge. And fasting overnight can help with blood sugar swings to keep your cravings in line.
Practice Mindfulness/Meditation
A lot of times we overeat because of emotional hunger. And this type of overeating is the most difficult to keep in line. So it’s important to take some time in the day to soothe the stresses that may keep you from your ideal eating.
Take at least 10 minutes a day to center and breathe. This can help you acknowledge your deeper emotions. And you can loosen their grip on your life. Until you face your feelings, they can sabotage you and your eating.
One of the biggest changes in living a healthier lifestyle is eating in moderation. You must embrace this concept if you want to stick to a healthier lifestyle. Here are 10 ways to get there. Find one or two that you think will really work for you and go for it!
These are great tips as always. Lately, I have been giving in to buying my temptations like tortilla chips and ice cream. I need to stop!
I buy them once in a while. It’s just not good to buy them all the time.
I love white cheddar Cheez-its. They’re so bad, but I love them. I hold out until I get to Target and can buy the tiny container of them for $1. Then, because that’s all there is, I portion it. If I had a whole box, I’d eat the container’s worth of them. Does that make sense? Anyway, I love all these tips for controlling the binge. Now, if our neighbor would stop giving us his homemade chocolate covered Oreos at Christmas. yum.
There are so many foods I don’t buy because I know I’d eat the whole thing – I totally get it.
PS. I also love Little Debbie Nutty Bars. Serious addiction. And I really am a very healthy eater. When I get these, maybe 1-2 a year, I have my husband hide them from me and dole them out when I beg. Not only does it cut down on eating it because I see it in the cupboard, but it also provides great humor! He eats anything and gains zippo weight. Aargh.