If overeating is a crime, then we will all be guilty as accused! Whether it’s our habit or stress or simply the taste of food, chances are, all of us have overeaten at some point. Sometimes, eating too much is a classic example of ‘your eyes being bigger than your stomach’. This is mainly after seeing the delicious dishes at the buffet. We start with the appetizers, then move on to the main course, and by the time we get to the dessert section, we’re full, but we eat it anyway. Totally believable, isn’t it? But have you ever thought, how much is too much food? And if you are overeating, how to cut down on food? Fret not, as always, we’ve got your back.
We’ve got some expert tips that will help you control the portion sizes of your meals. These genius hacks have been shared by nutritionist Lovneet Batra on her Instagram handle ‘Nutrition.by.Lovneet’. But before we jump into that, let’s look at the effects of overeating. read on.
How to know if you are overeating?
Overeating is defined as a phenomenon when you eat more than your body actually needs. This causes the stomach to expand beyond its normal size, pushing other organs and causing discomfort in the body. Eat Can be easily determined by the feeling of fullness and discomfort. You can also keep a count of calories consumed to understand if you are eating more than the capacity (or recommended daily intake). Hence, we recommend consulting an expert before planning a balanced diet chart to stay healthy.
Read also: eating more? Here’s How To Improve Digestion And Keep Flatulence Away
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What are the side effects of overeating?
As mentioned earlier, the size of the stomach increases by eating more. it goes on weight gain and accumulation of abdominal fat. Apart from this, eating extra calories is also associated with many major health problems. Nutritionist Lavneet Batra lists some of the major side effects of eating more than your capacity. To keep an eye.
1. Weight gain:
Overeating and weight gain are directly related to each other. Eating too much food increases the size of the stomach and also adds extra calories to your body. These factors further lead to weight gain.
2. Disrupts Appetite Regulation:
Consuming too much food leads to a feeling of tightness in the stomach and slows down the metabolism. It not only disrupts your body clock, but also makes you feel hungry at odd times of the day.
3. Increased risk of disease:
With extra food, comes extra calories, which can lead to a host of lifestyle-related problems, including increased cholesterol levels in the body and heart risks.
4. Affects mental health
According to several studies, overeating can lead to inflammation, which can threaten brain health. In addition, overeating also increases blood sugar and insulin resistance, which can affect your brain health as well.
5. Makes you feel lethargic:
Overeating causes restlessness in your body, which makes you feel sluggish. According to a study, eating more food increases the level of serotonin in the body, which makes you feel tired.
6. Swelling:
feeling of fullness Often slows down the process of digestion and leads to bloating, acidity, heartburn and more.
7. Disrupts the blood sugar level in the body:
According to several studies, overeating leads to a decrease in the ability of insulin to suppress the release of glucose from the liver and lipolysis in adipose tissue. Not only can this increase the blood sugar levels in the body, but can also affect the overall liver health.
Read also: How to stop overeating at night? Follow these simple tips to avoid weight gain
How to stop overeating? 8 nutritionist-approved ways to avoid eating too much:
1. Get rid of distractions:
We all end up with a packet of chips and a big bucket of popcorn while watching a movie or a match. This leads to overeating. Hence, experts suggest avoiding distractions of any kind to make your food choices consciously.
2. Identify unhealthy foods that trigger overeating:
We all have a go-to list of foods that make us go on a binge. We suggest, identify the unhealthy ones in the list and eliminate them to avoid adding extra calories after overeating.
3. Familiarize Yourself With Recommended Portion Sizes:
It is very important to understand how much food your body needs. So, make sure you know how much food your body requires and plan your meals accordingly.
4. Eat Fibre/Protein Rich Foods:
To stay full for longer, include more protein and fiber in your diet. This will help you avoid overeating during peak times.
5. Avoid Skipping Meals:
Eating regularly is very important. Skipping one meal will make you eat more at the next meal.
6. Reduce Stress:
Stress and overeating go hand in hand. Hence, experts suggest reducing the stress level in the body to avoid binge eating.
7. Chew food thoroughly:
The more you chew, the more you will digest. It is important to chew your food thoroughly to boost metabolism. This will help you stay active, reducing fat accumulation in the body.
8. Be mindful of why you are eating:
Eating mindfully means that you are using all your senses to experience the food you are eating. It is important to eat only when needed. This will not only improve the overall eating habit but will also prevent you from overeating.
Eat Healthy, Stay Fit!