11 expert-backed tips to stop overeating

11 expert-backed tips to stop overeating

This article was reviewed by Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA.

There are several strategies to help you control your portion sizes and avoid mindless snacking.

We’ve all been there. You grab an extra slice of pizza even though you’re full or reach for a snack when bored, tired, stressed — basically anything but hungry.

Occasionally overeating is nothing to worry about. But regularly eating more food than your body needs can lead to weight gain, obesity, and a long list of related health problems.

You probably knew that already. The hard part is knowing how to stop overeating when it becomes a habit or when food noise — intrusive thoughts about food — starts to feel deafening.

“ Chronic overingestion of calories, especially calories that are made up of fat or added sugar is believed to contribute to significant weight gain.   Finding out the “why” of your overeating is the first step in reversing the pattern.”

You’re not alone if you experience this, BTW. A Hers study found that 43 percent of Americans report thinking about food often, regularly, or always.

To help, try mindful eating, eating more protein, and eating regular meals. Read on for more ideas, strategies, and guidance for building a better relationship with food.

What Causes Overeating?

Before we get to how to stop overeating, let’s talk about what causes it in the first place.

There are many reasons you may eat too much, including:

• Habit. Habits are powerful. If you always load up your plate, finish your meal (even when full), snack in the car, or nibble on a treat before bed, those eating behaviors can be hard to quit.

• Emotional eating. Many people use food to soothe uncomfortable emotions (aka comfort eating). You might overeat when you’re stressed, anxious, sad, bored, lonely — the list goes on.

• Sleep deprivation. Sleep loss does a number on your eating habits. It disrupts hunger hormones and can lead to increased appetite and cravings for sweet, salty, starchy, or high-calorie foods.

• Food noise. Food noise is ongoing, obsessive thoughts about food. These thoughts are often difficult — if not impossible — to ignore. You might be driven to eat more food or eat more often just to quiet this mental chatter.

• Hunger. It may sound obvious, but hear us out. If your body isn’t getting the fuel it needs, you’re going to feel compelled to eat. And if you’ve skipped a meal or you’re dieting and depriving yourself of food, you may find yourself overeating at your next meal or snack opportunity.

• Eating disorders. Eating disorders like binge eating disorder can involve eating large amounts of food in one sitting. Bulimia nervosa can also cause binge-eating episodes followed by purging behaviors.

What Are the Signs of Overeating?

One more thing before we cover how to not overeat. We first need to make sure you’re actually overeating.

Overeating isn’t a medical diagnosis, so there’s no official list of symptoms to look out for. Plus, everyone needs different amounts of food, so what’s overeating for one person may be just right for another.

That said, you might be overeating if you:

• Eat habitually, mindlessly, or when you’re not hungry

• Often continue eating after you feel full (or even sick to your stomach)

• Eat to relieve negative emotions

• Feel like you can’t control how much you eat

Severe overeating can sometimes be a sign of an eating disorder.

Signs of binge eating disorder include:

• Eating a lot of food in a short amount of time

• Feeling like you can’t control what or how much you eat

• Feeling shame about your eating behaviors or hiding them from others

• Eating this way at least once a week for three months

Signs of bulimia nervosa include:

• Eating a lot of food in a short amount of time

• Feeling like you can’t control what or how much you eat

• Performing compensatory activities after binge eating, like fasting, making yourself vomit, exercising, or taking laxatives

• Eating this way at least once a week for three months

Reach out to a healthcare provider if you relate to any of these symptoms. You can also find support on the National Eating Disorders Association website.

Tips and Strategies to Stop Overeating

Now, time for some good news. You can do something about your eating patterns and food choices, ultimately improving your relationship with food and your overall health and wellness.

Here’s what you can try.

1. Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating means being more aware of when and what you’re eating and being more present while you’re eating. Try pausing before you eat and checking in with yourself to see how you’re feeling. Are you actually hungry or reaching for food out of habit or to comfort yourself?

Mindful eating can help you notice when you’re starting to feel full so you can eat the right amount for you and stick to healthy portion sizes.

Wondering how to eat mindfully? Consider the following tactics:

• Start by minimizing distractions while eating by turning off the TV, putting down your phone, and focusing on your meal.

• Pay attention to how fast or slow you’re eating. Are you eating too fast? Are you slowing down after finishing two-thirds of your plate? Could that be a sign you’re full?

• Focus on chewing your food thoroughly before swallowing.

• Savor the taste and texture of your food. Is it sweet? Juicy? Crispy?

• Pay attention to what your food looks like. Notice the colors, the texture, etc.

• Think about where your food came from and how it got to you. Where was it grown? Did someone cook for you? What steps were involved?

• Ask yourself if you’re really hungry when you’re eating. If you’re not hungry, consider whether it’s boredom, stress, fatigue, or something else that’s driving you to eat.

When should you stop eating? Stop when you feel full and satisfied, before the point of being totally stuffed and uncomfortable.

Mindfulness is also a good strategy to try when learning how to stop food noise naturally. Research shows that mindfulness techniques — like self-directed or guided imagery or body scanning — can help reduce how many thoughts you have about food.

2. Eat More Slowly

Eating more slowly can help you notice when you’re feeling full. It may also lower your appetite and help you eat less later in the day.

A 2019 study compared participants who ate a meal at a slow pace to those who ate the same meal at a normal pace.

The slower eaters:

• Felt fuller two hours later

• Had reduced levels of ghrelin (a hunger hormone)

• Ate 25 percent fewer calories from snacks three hours later

FYI, the slow rate was quite a bit slower — 24 minutes compared to six minutes at the normal eating rate.

You can slow down by chewing your food thoroughly, savoring the taste and texture, putting your cutlery down between bites, and sipping water every few bites.

3. Eat More Protein

Protein is good for more than just your muscles. It can increase satiety (feelings of fullness), keep your appetite in check, and reduce food cravings after meals. If you’re looking into weight loss, eating more protein can help there too.

Opt for lean protein sources like:

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Fish

• Eggs

• Nuts and seeds

Try adding a protein source to every meal and eating high-protein healthy snacks.

4. Eat More Fiber

Fiber can help you feel fuller for longer and reduce your appetite so you don’t overdo it on high-calorie foods. You can find fiber in:

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Lentils

• Chickpeas

• Beans

• Quinoa

• Brown rice

Eating more of these foods may help you avoid overeating, as you’ll feel more satisfied.

5. Drink More Water

Drinking more water is another tip for how to curb appetite. It can help you feel fuller and more satisfied at meal times, helping you stick to healthy portion sizes.

Plus, staying hydrated throughout the day can keep your appetite in check — one reason being that thirst can sometimes come disguised as hunger.

Try drinking a glass of water before meals and drinking water regularly throughout the day.

6. Eat Regular Meals

Try not to go too long without food. It can make you feel ravenous at your next meal and struggle to avoid overeating.

Eat at regular times and don’t demonize snacks — they can be part of a healthy diet or weight loss plan.

Consider why you often skip meals and what you can do to address it.

For example, if you skip lunch because work days get busy, try preparing meals ahead of time that you can reheat or eat cold. Then schedule a short lunch break and treat it as you would a meeting with your boss — unskippable. You might find yourself overeating less in the evening when you’ve had a nutritious and satisfying lunch.

Keeping a food journal might also help you get a better idea of what you’ve already eaten on a given day and what your body actually needs.

7. Consider Weight Loss Medications

If you’re trying to lose weight, weight loss medication can help reduce overeating in a few ways.

Wegovy®, for example, is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist) injection. It can:

• Reduce your appetite

• Help you feel fuller after meals

• Curb cravings

• Reduce food noise

A 2023 study on Wegovy® found that people with overweight and obesity had fewer food cravings, better control of eating, less hunger, and more fullness when taking the medication.

Wegovy is an injectable medication. But there are also oral weight loss meds that can help you avoid overeating.

These include medications like:

• Bupropion

• Metformin

• Topiramate

• Naltrexone

Oral weight loss medications work similarly in that they can reduce your appetite, helping you avoid overeating and reaching for food when your body doesn’t need it.

A healthcare provider can let you know if you’re eligible for weight loss medication and talk you through your options.

If it’s something you’re considering, Hers offers access to a range of weight loss medications, including Wegovy and oral medication kits (which contain a custom combo of the above oral meds).

8. Reach Out to a Healthcare Provider

Overeating can be a sign of an eating disorder, or you could be turning to food to self-medicate for anxiety or depression. Get medical advice to get to the root cause of overeating and find out the best course of action.

Even if there’s not a physical or mental health issue at play, you may find yourself feeling obsessed with food. A healthcare professional can help you learn how to get over food addiction or quiet food noise if that’s something you’re experiencing.

You might find that support groups, behavioral therapy, or dietary counseling help you regain control of your eating and improve your relationship with food.

Not sure where to start with healthy eating? Consider working with a registered dietitian or nutritionist for a personalized meal plan.

Finally, apps like the Hers mobile app can help you make healthy lifestyle changes, including improving your eating habits. On the Hers app, you’ll find:

• Nutrition advice tailored to your eating patterns (like if you eat due to stress or out of habit)

• Meal plans and 100+ nutritionist-developed recipes

• Protein guidance to help you maintain muscle while losing weight

• Psychologist-developed sleep and mindset techniques to improve sleep quality

• Daily activity goals to help you build a regular movement habit

If eligible, you’ll get a custom treatment plan that includes medication and 24/7 access to healthcare providers trained in weight management. You can ask questions, discuss side effects, and get treatment tweaks at no extra cost.

9. Improve Your Sleep

Sleep is an important part of learning how to not overeat. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night to make sure a lack of sleep isn’t behind your overeating.

To hit that number, improve your sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is all the daily habits and environmental adjustments that can help you get better sleep.

They include:

• Keeping a consistent sleep schedule

• Avoiding screens one to two hours before bed

• Only using your bed for sleep and sex

• Making your bedroom cool, comfortable, and dark

• Avoiding heavy meals before bed — addressing evening overeating can help with this one

10. Practice Stress-Management Techniques

Eating when stressed? You’re not alone. The first step is recognizing stress as a trigger for you and then taking steps to manage your stress levels.

You can try stress-management techniques like:

• Journaling

• Meditating

• Spending time in nature

• Working out

• Starting a hobby

If you catch yourself raiding the cupboards when frazzled, take a few deep breaths and see if there’s another stress-relieving activity you could do instead.

11. Use Smaller Plates, Bowls, and Spoons

If you find yourself serving up too much food at mealtimes, this one’s for you.

A cool psychological trick is to use a smaller plate or bowl. You might fill your plate or bowl up with food no matter how big it is. So using smaller plates and bowls helps you naturally serve yourself smaller portions.

Smaller spoons can help too. One study found that using a smaller spoon led to people putting less sugar in their tea.

What to Do Next to Prevent Overeating

Overeating every now and again happens to everyone — hello, Thanksgiving. But regularly overeating can lead to health problems and a whole load of stress and guilt.

“Why can’t I stop eating?“ “Why do I eat so much?“ “How to stop eating so much?!“ If your search history is filled with questions like these, we’ve got you.

Here’s the TL;DR on how to stop overeating for better mental and physical well-being:

• Get more mindful. Slow down, cut distractions, and really focus on what and when you’re eating. You can get better at noticing when you’re full and stop yourself from reaching for snacks or seconds out of habit.

• Eat enough nutritious foods. Avoiding overeating isn’t about restricting yourself. Give your body the nutrients it needs to feel its best and stop hunger from building up. Opt for whole foods — including fruits, veggies, protein, whole grains, and healthy fats — and eat regular meals.

• Identify your triggers. It could be stress, sleep deprivation, boredom, or something else. Once you know what’s behind your overeating, you can take steps to address the root cause.

If a large appetite or roaring food noise is driving your eating habits and making it hard to maintain a healthy weight, consider reaching out to a healthcare professional about weight loss medications.

Related: How long can I take Semaglutide for weight loss?

Related: 9 reasons to avoid soda (& what to drink instead)

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This article originally appeared on Forhers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org