Overeating is defined as consuming more food than necessary and more than the body can use as fuel to produce energy. As people overeat, they are more likely to gain weight. For that reason, overeating can increase the risk of diabetes or worsen the condition in people who already have it. The biggest problem with overeating is that it’s difficult to stop. The best way to manage this problem is to understand why it happens. Scroll down to see all the reasons you’re overeating.
1. Stress
Stress harms your health and well-being in many ways. A growing body of evidence confirms that stress can drive non-homeostatic feeding, i.e. eating without metabolic need. Prolonged stress may alter reward and motivation pathways in the brain. That way, it could contribute to the desire to seek hyper-palatable foods. As a result, metabolic changes occur.
More precisely, unmanaged stress can make you overeat. In order to stop overeating, you need to manage stress effectively. Do something you find relaxing, whether it’s exercise, meditation, or something else. By managing stress you can make healthier food choices and thereby stop overeating.
2. Watching TV or using the phone when eating
Most people watch TV or use a phone/tablet during mealtime. Some people even read a book when eating. Even though it may seem like a harmless and practical thing to do, this habit could lead to overeating.
How?
When food reaches the stomach, the stretch receptors there send a signal of satiety to the brain. If you’re distracted by something, that signal won’t work. Just by not paying attention, you can overeat i.e. consume hundreds of extra calories, even if you’re not aware of them.
One way to overcome this problem is to practice mindful eating. Have dinner without a TV, phone, tablet, or book. Eliminate all distractions around you. People around the dinner table should do the same. Focus on every aspect of the meal, its textures, colors, and taste.
As you become more mindful of food, you are less likely to overeat.
3. Not drinking enough water
If you tend to overeat, it could be due to failing to drink enough fluid, preferably water. When you don’t drink enough water, the body becomes thirsty. But, the body sometimes confuses thirst for hunger. As a result, you may end up eating more, and it’s not because you’re hungry and need all that food, but because you actually need water. Even studies confirm that thirst and hunger can overlap and influence our eating behavior.
This is an easy fix, though. Drink plenty of fluids during the day. ideally, you should drink regular water and avoid store-bought fruit juices, soda beverages, and other drinks that could cause a spike in your blood sugar levels.
4. Too much exercise
While it’s easy to think there’s no such thing as too much exercise, overdoing it in a gym can be a reason behind your overeating. If you tend to push yourself too hard, it could trigger an insatiable appetite. This could explain why you’re constantly hungry after workouts, even when you eat.
One way to solve this problem is to experiment with workout intensity or other parameters to see what’s going to reduce your appetite. For some people, the answer is in lowering the intensity of the workouts. For others, the ideal solution is to stop with the usual interval workout 10 minutes earlier and continue at a slower pace.
Keep in mind this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t challenge yourself. The point is to make tweaks that won’t have such a huge impact on your appetite. Experiment with different options and see what works for you and your appetite or eating pattern the best.
5. Lack of sleep
If you’re eating too much, one possible explanation could be a lack of sleep. You see, lack of sleep can lead to higher levels of ghrelin and lower levels of leptin. Ghrelin and leptin are hormones that regulate hunger and appetite.
Lack of sleep also acts on the part of the brain that determines how we think about food. Your appetite for high-calorie foods is also likely to increase when you don’t get enough sleep.
Missing a single night of sleep can wreak havoc on your appetite and food intake. That’s why you know exactly what you need to do to manage to overeat – sleep better. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Set up a regular sleep schedule. When your sleeping pattern improves, you will also notice positive changes in food intake.
6. Not eating enough fiber and protein
What you have on your plate has a major impact on how you’re going to feel after a meal. If you don’t eat enough fiber and protein during the day, it could explain your overeating behavior. After all, you need both fiber and protein to combat hunger and keep you satiated during the day. So, when you don’t eat enough of these nutrients, you feel hungry for more food. That’s why you should make sure to eat adequate amounts of fiber and protein on a daily basis.
7. Other reasons you’re overeating
Besides the above-mentioned reasons, many other factors make you eat more than necessary. These include:
- Low self-esteem
- Extreme dieting
- Skipping meals
- Failing to chew food thoroughly
- Eating processed food
- Easy access to unhealthy foods at home
- Using food as a coping mechanism for emotional lows
Conclusion
Most people overeat at one point or another. In some people, overeating is a common occurrence and they can’t stop, even when they try. The key to resolving this problem is to identify the reason you’re overeating. The underlying reason could be different for every person. Some people use food to cope with negative feelings. Others overeat because they push themselves too hard in the gym. Also, some people don’t eat enough protein or fiber. The reasons are numerous, but the beauty is in the fact all these problems are solvable.