Hạnh, Nhất, and Lilian W. Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life. New York: HarperOne, Tryon, MS, Carter, CS, Decant, R, Laugero, KD. Physiol Behav. Skip to content The Nutrition Source. The Nutrition Source Menu. Search for:. Home Nutrition News What Should I Eat?

Leave your desk, and take a break from your computer, phone and tablet. During meals, disconnect from work — and screens — to reconnect with your own hunger and satiety levels.

At home, take a few extra minutes preparing and plating your meal — even if you get take out, use a real plate instead of eating from the carton. Slowly savor each one, and think about the flavor: Is this a complex flavor, or does the sugar or salt dominate?

After noting that, ask yourself: Will this food truly satisfy me? Does it nourish you, or make you hungrier? Real food should fill you up, not prompt you to eat more. Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.

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Categories Health Nutrition and Food Health Eating Disorders How to Stop Overeating. Download Article Explore this Article parts.

Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Co-authored by Claudia Carberry, RD, MS Last Updated: October 19, Approved. Part 1. All rights reserved.

wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U. and international copyright laws. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Use smaller sized plates when eating at home.

Usually salad plates or appetizer plates are smaller than typical dinner sized plates and can prevent you from eating large portions of foods.

Some studies have even show that using certain color plates can help your be satisfied with less foods. Go for blue colored plates to help you eat less at each meal. Remove serving bowls from the table when eating. Place the food on your plate and walk away from the serving bowls.

When bowls and serving platters are on the table, individuals are likely to eat more than if they pre-serve themselves and then sit down. Keeping them off the dinner table will help you resist the temptation to scoop additional helpings onto your plate. Keep all food in the kitchen instead of bringing the extras to the table with you.

Another good option is to put the food away prior to sitting down at the table. Even when you go back to the kitchen to put dishes away, there is no food to nibble on while you clean up. Purchase a food scale or measuring cups.

Each person requires slightly different portion sizes of each food and quantity of servings throughout the day. In general, stick to the following portion sizes for the food groups: 3 — 4 oz of protein [2] X Trustworthy Source USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U.

agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research Go to source , ½ cup or 1 oz of grains [3] X Trustworthy Source USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U.

agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research Go to source , 1 cup of vegetables or 2 cups of leafy greens [4] X Trustworthy Source USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research Go to source and ½ cup of fruit or 1 small piece [5] X Trustworthy Source USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U.

agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research Go to source. Adults typically need to eat protein at each meal or snack. Include 1 — 2 servings of fruit each day and 3 — 4 servings of vegetables. Grains should be included one or twice a day, but not necessarily at each meal.

You may also want to consider measuring plates, bowls, serving utensils and reusable containers to see how much they hold. Order a small portion at restaurants. Restaurants offer the temptation of appetizers, larger entrees and dessert courses.

Not only do you have to deal with larger portion sizes, you may be tempted with multiple courses. These are generally smaller, but big enough to satisfy you for dinner. Be mindful of the complimentary bread, chips or crackers that are served.

Consider asking your server to skip these or only bring a small serving. Speak to the server about the portion size before you order. If it is a large meal that could feed two people, ask them to bring half of the meal to you and put the other half in a to-go container.

wikiHow Quiz: Which Diet Is Right for Me? For a lot of us, losing weight feels like an elusive goal—even with all the motivation in the world, you may struggle to get the results you want. Take this quiz to find the best diet for you. Part 2. Steer clear of fad diets.

Many commercialized diets and weight loss programs promise rapid weight loss in a short period of time. These diets may leave you hungry, feeling deprived and can lead to overeating or binge eating behavior.

The recommended amount of weight to safely lose is 1 — 2 pounds per week. This may set you up for overeating in the long-term. These can help you feel less hungry and more satisfied while losing weight at the same time. You may also need one or two snacks, depending on your schedule.

Eat only when you are hungry. If you are eating out of habit and not because of hunger, you could be overeating and giving your body much more than it actually needs. Learn to identify what true physical hunger means to you.

Typical sensations of physical hunger include: hunger pangs, an empty pit feeling, slight nausea or lightheadedness, irritability or an empty feeling. Try to avoid eating or snacking and wait until you experience true hunger to eat.

Stop eating when you feel satisfied. This is called satisfaction or satiation. Take 20 — 30 minutes to eat your meal. If you eat too fast you are much more likely to overeat compared to if you ate a meal more slowly.

This is why eating slowly can help prevent overeating. Set a timer or keep track of the time while you eat. This can help you pace yourself throughout your meal.

Try putting your fork down or taking a sip of water in between each bite to help you extend the length of your meal. Decrease distractions while you eat as well.

Pay attention to what is going on around you and if you find that you are distracted by bright colours or lights, loud noises, music or lots of people, you will have to pay closer attention to your eating habits to prevent yourself from overeating.

Fill half of your plate with healthy vegetables. To help cut down on excess calories if you do slip up and overeat is to try to make half of your plate a fruit or a vegetable. If you find you are still hungry after eating and you must have seconds, skip the other foods and have only more veggies.

Drink adequate water. Water is essential for the proper functioning of your body each day. Aim for eight to 13 glasses of water or other hydrating clear liquids each day.

This can help you tame your hunger and keep you hydrated throughout the day. This can help you fill up your stomach with a no calorie liquid and make you feel physically full. Refrain from using food as a reward. Many times, people make the mistake of rewarding themselves with an indulgent treat for sticking to a healthy eating plan for a designated amount of time.

Using foods as a reward for eating healthy is counterproductive to the task at hand. Instead, allow yourself to indulge in special treats every so often for no reason at all. This will help you keep healthy eating in perspective and recognize indulgences as just that.

If you do want to reward yourself for meeting a goal or for a special occasion find other activities or items that are rewarding to you. Part 3. See an emotional eating therapist. Sometimes overeating is due to emotional eating. Overeating can be an eating disorder, and it is crucial that you seek medical help if you think you have a condition that goes beyond little splurges now and then.

Working with a mental health specialist that focuses in this area can help you overcome this disorder. They will be greatly equipped to help you deal with emotional eating or overeating issues.

Starting a journal can be a great tool to help you decrease any issues you have with emotional eating or overeating. Write down your thoughts or just a few ideas either in an online journal or using a notebook and pen.

You can write about what you eat, how much you eat or why you think you overate. Many times it takes a few days or weeks to find patterns in your eating patterns.

This act of sitting down with your journal may force you to focus and be present with your meal. List your trigger foods in your journal. By understanding what your triggers are, you can avoid those situations that might cause temptations and make it difficult for you to stay on track.

For example, if going to the movies automatically prompts you to reach for a pack of candy and a large soft drink, skip the theatre and rent a movie instead. Distract yourself. If a food craving hits or you're upset and craving food, try to distract yourself before your indulge in your favorite food.

Many times food cravings or the desire to eat is very spontaneous and fleeting. If you just give yourself a few minutes the craving may go away or become much easier to handle.

Go outside for a quick walk, go read a book or do a household chore for a few minutes. Then revisit your cravings. Come up with a list of ideas of other activities you can do instead of eat. This will help you feel and be more prepared when an emotional food craving hits you.

Plan for slip-ups. Making mistakes is normal and a part of a great learning process. Use the next meal or snack time to get back on track. Melody Sayers, MS, RD, NASM-CPT.

Take your time when you're eating food since it takes a little bit of time for your body to process your meal.