Most Americans eat out three to four times a week and if they’re not making the right choices, those meals can add extra calories and pounds. But making the right choices can be difficult. Menu items that sound healthy may have heavy cream sauces that can derail any diet. To stave off fat traps and excess calories, plan the meal ahead of time. Most restaurants have menu items online that allow customers to choose healthy dishes ahead of time. This will also keep those who are watching their waistlines from choosing items that “sound good” instead of being nutritionally sound.
I encourage my clients to look at menus and think about what they need to eat, by ordering before other diners so as not to be persuaded by their choices. This way, they’re planning their meals around nutritional needs instead of by what they think sounds good. If you’re planning in advance, you should be able to make healthy decisions regarding your meals. If you’re conserving or saving up calories all day, that’s going to set you up for failure and you’re going to end up binging on your dinner. Even eating a snack a few hours before you go to dinner will be essential to making sure that you’re going to be able to make healthy choices.
Be sure to avoid these four food pitfalls next time you're dining out:
The Freebies, i.e. Bread and Butter
This especially goes for bread, since it can add up to a lot of empty calories. Take one roll when the bread arrives and send the rest back. Be sure to account for the calories that you’re eating by buttering the bread.
Excess Calories from Drinks and Dessert
Calories from alcohol and dessert are considered “excess” because they don’t belong to one of the main food groups so by drinking only one glass of wine for women or two glasses of wine for men and sharing dessert whenever possible is a good way to cut down on your caloric intake. Avoid margaritas and other sugary cocktails unless they are low-calorie. The healthiest desserts are frozen yogurt or sorbet. You just have to give yourself a limitation whether that’s once a week or once a month.
Unhealthy Salad Additions
Avoid bacon, cheese, egg yolks and croutons when ordering your salad. If you add chicken to your salad, choose grilled skinless chicken breasts. Choose low-fat and light dressings instead of creamy ones. Dressings served on the side are easier to use sparingly. Try dipping your fork in the dressing and then picking up your salad. This trick works when you’re adding maple syrup to your pancakes.
Bypass Fried & Creamy Menu Items
Avoid items described as fried, creamy, breaded, crisp and stuffed. These are usually filled with fat and calories. Additionally, do these things to be satiated the healthy way you can
You should eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed or full or in the case of a buffet, you don’t want to keep going back until you can’t button your pants.
Many people struggle with excessive eating at dinnertime. This is particularly true when you get home late or you have to worry about cooking the family dinner. If you haven’t eaten for a while and you are really hungry then there is a greater chance that you will snack on various foods until the dinner is cooked. Or you could just opt for an easy way out and order a large takeout meal! When you are hungry it is really easy to overeat. Below you will find out the best 10 ways to stop overeating at mealtime.
Tip Number One – Eat Healthy Snacks Throughout the Day
To curb your hunger at night, plan healthy snacks throughout the day. If you're dieting or watching your weight, you may think that cutting out snacks throughout the day is saving you calories. While you may be cutting calories at the moment, saving up calories for dinnertime doesn't work! You will simply become hungrier and overeat once you have your meal in front of you. Snacking on the right foods (not doughnuts and candy) will keep you feeling full, give you more energy and stop you from overeating.
Tip Number Two – Watch Portion Sizes
Even though we know better, many of us still follow "clean your dinner plate" mantra. Especially if you have kids, you may feel the need to show them that you have to eat your entire dinner before dessert! While finishing your meal doesn't have to be a negative, most people do not understand what a proper portion of food really looks like. It can be easy to put too much food onto your plate without measuring it out first. Then, by eating everything on your plate, you actually end up overeating. Start to lower the amount of food that you serve and you will soon start to see that you didn’t need as much as you thought you did!
Tip Number Three – Eat Slowly
One of the best tips you can follow is to remember that it takes up to 20 minutes for food satisfaction signals to reach the brain. The more overweight you are, the longer it takes. Thinner people will start to feel full 10 minutes after they have eaten enough food. Eat at a slower pace so you can feel the effects of fullness long before you overeat.
Tip Number Four – Take Just a Few Bites
What you will find is that after a few bites of food, your taste buds are satisfied. Food no longer tastes as good as those first initial bites. So why not just take a few bites of a certain food before moving on to something else? Remember, enjoying your food is all about taste, not necessarily how much of it you consume. This will also help you to lower your portion sizes too if you are aware of how many bites you need.
Tip Number Five – Consider Using Smaller Plates
If you think that you will have problems with controlling your portion sizes, choosing smaller plates could be a good idea. It's a space issue, smaller plates fit less food!
Tip Number Six – Concentrate on Eating
This may sound strange, but if you actually focus on how you are eating and what you are eating then you will lower the chance of overeating. If you eat at the computer or in front of the TV or if you rush your meal, you are less likely to be aware of what you're eating and enjoy the experience. By focusing on your meal you will generally eat a lot less.
Tip Number Seven – Choose the Right Foods
If you're prone to overeating, focus on are foods that give you few calories even when you eat a lot of them. That way you can eat quite a lot without piling on the pounds. Foods to avoid eating a lot of include cheese, chocolate and milkshakes. Stick with veggies and salads as well as wholemeal pasta and brown rice. These are low calories that will make you feel satiated after just one portion.
Tip Number Eight – Drink Water Before Your Meal
One great tip is to drink a glass of water half an hour before you eat a meal. Often when you think that you're hungry, you're actually just dehydrated and thirsty. Drink a glass of water and wait a while before eating and you will know whether you are genuinely hungry. It will also encourage you to eat less once you do start eating.
Tip Number Nine – Prepare Foods in Advance
If you know that you are going to get home later than usual, plan your meals in advance. That way you can have everything prepared and you could even cook the meal the day before and you will not be tempted to snack or have to wait hours for your meal to cook.
Tip Number Ten – Figure Out Why You're Overeating
Finally, think about why you are overeating. Are you emotional eating? Many people find that they eat more both at mealtimes and throughout the day when they are feeling quite low or sad. If there are any problems causing you to overeat then you should address them.
These are 10 of the best tips that you can follow to stop overeating. If you follow just one of the above tips, then you should successfully reduce the amount that you eat. Being prepared and snacking on healthy foods are two of the best tips to follow. Nuts, seeds, fruit and raw vegetables are great to snack on. They will give you energy and you can eat as much as you like. You need to remember that the longer you have been overeating, the harder it will be to cut down. That is why you will need to do it gradually and these steps are great ways to get started!
I encourage my clients to look at menus and think about what they need to eat, by ordering before other diners so as not to be persuaded by their choices. This way, they’re planning their meals around nutritional needs instead of by what they think sounds good. If you’re planning in advance, you should be able to make healthy decisions regarding your meals. If you’re conserving or saving up calories all day, that’s going to set you up for failure and you’re going to end up binging on your dinner. Even eating a snack a few hours before you go to dinner will be essential to making sure that you’re going to be able to make healthy choices.
Be sure to avoid these four food pitfalls next time you're dining out:
The Freebies, i.e. Bread and Butter
This especially goes for bread, since it can add up to a lot of empty calories. Take one roll when the bread arrives and send the rest back. Be sure to account for the calories that you’re eating by buttering the bread.
Excess Calories from Drinks and Dessert
Calories from alcohol and dessert are considered “excess” because they don’t belong to one of the main food groups so by drinking only one glass of wine for women or two glasses of wine for men and sharing dessert whenever possible is a good way to cut down on your caloric intake. Avoid margaritas and other sugary cocktails unless they are low-calorie. The healthiest desserts are frozen yogurt or sorbet. You just have to give yourself a limitation whether that’s once a week or once a month.
Unhealthy Salad Additions
Avoid bacon, cheese, egg yolks and croutons when ordering your salad. If you add chicken to your salad, choose grilled skinless chicken breasts. Choose low-fat and light dressings instead of creamy ones. Dressings served on the side are easier to use sparingly. Try dipping your fork in the dressing and then picking up your salad. This trick works when you’re adding maple syrup to your pancakes.
Bypass Fried & Creamy Menu Items
Avoid items described as fried, creamy, breaded, crisp and stuffed. These are usually filled with fat and calories. Additionally, do these things to be satiated the healthy way you can
- Drink water immediately to make sure that you’re not just thirsty. Our bodies often mistake thirst for hunger.
- When you order, ask questions about preparation. If you’re worried about portion size, ask for half of your main course to be packed up.
- Choose a healthy appetizer and then eating your main course may save you calories in the long run because you won’t be as hungry
- You can fill up on healthy veggies before moving on to heavier dishes. You may discover that you’re full sooner than you thought.
You should eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed or full or in the case of a buffet, you don’t want to keep going back until you can’t button your pants.
Many people struggle with excessive eating at dinnertime. This is particularly true when you get home late or you have to worry about cooking the family dinner. If you haven’t eaten for a while and you are really hungry then there is a greater chance that you will snack on various foods until the dinner is cooked. Or you could just opt for an easy way out and order a large takeout meal! When you are hungry it is really easy to overeat. Below you will find out the best 10 ways to stop overeating at mealtime.
Tip Number One – Eat Healthy Snacks Throughout the Day
To curb your hunger at night, plan healthy snacks throughout the day. If you're dieting or watching your weight, you may think that cutting out snacks throughout the day is saving you calories. While you may be cutting calories at the moment, saving up calories for dinnertime doesn't work! You will simply become hungrier and overeat once you have your meal in front of you. Snacking on the right foods (not doughnuts and candy) will keep you feeling full, give you more energy and stop you from overeating.
Tip Number Two – Watch Portion Sizes
Even though we know better, many of us still follow "clean your dinner plate" mantra. Especially if you have kids, you may feel the need to show them that you have to eat your entire dinner before dessert! While finishing your meal doesn't have to be a negative, most people do not understand what a proper portion of food really looks like. It can be easy to put too much food onto your plate without measuring it out first. Then, by eating everything on your plate, you actually end up overeating. Start to lower the amount of food that you serve and you will soon start to see that you didn’t need as much as you thought you did!
Tip Number Three – Eat Slowly
One of the best tips you can follow is to remember that it takes up to 20 minutes for food satisfaction signals to reach the brain. The more overweight you are, the longer it takes. Thinner people will start to feel full 10 minutes after they have eaten enough food. Eat at a slower pace so you can feel the effects of fullness long before you overeat.
Tip Number Four – Take Just a Few Bites
What you will find is that after a few bites of food, your taste buds are satisfied. Food no longer tastes as good as those first initial bites. So why not just take a few bites of a certain food before moving on to something else? Remember, enjoying your food is all about taste, not necessarily how much of it you consume. This will also help you to lower your portion sizes too if you are aware of how many bites you need.
Tip Number Five – Consider Using Smaller Plates
If you think that you will have problems with controlling your portion sizes, choosing smaller plates could be a good idea. It's a space issue, smaller plates fit less food!
Tip Number Six – Concentrate on Eating
This may sound strange, but if you actually focus on how you are eating and what you are eating then you will lower the chance of overeating. If you eat at the computer or in front of the TV or if you rush your meal, you are less likely to be aware of what you're eating and enjoy the experience. By focusing on your meal you will generally eat a lot less.
Tip Number Seven – Choose the Right Foods
If you're prone to overeating, focus on are foods that give you few calories even when you eat a lot of them. That way you can eat quite a lot without piling on the pounds. Foods to avoid eating a lot of include cheese, chocolate and milkshakes. Stick with veggies and salads as well as wholemeal pasta and brown rice. These are low calories that will make you feel satiated after just one portion.
Tip Number Eight – Drink Water Before Your Meal
One great tip is to drink a glass of water half an hour before you eat a meal. Often when you think that you're hungry, you're actually just dehydrated and thirsty. Drink a glass of water and wait a while before eating and you will know whether you are genuinely hungry. It will also encourage you to eat less once you do start eating.
Tip Number Nine – Prepare Foods in Advance
If you know that you are going to get home later than usual, plan your meals in advance. That way you can have everything prepared and you could even cook the meal the day before and you will not be tempted to snack or have to wait hours for your meal to cook.
Tip Number Ten – Figure Out Why You're Overeating
Finally, think about why you are overeating. Are you emotional eating? Many people find that they eat more both at mealtimes and throughout the day when they are feeling quite low or sad. If there are any problems causing you to overeat then you should address them.
These are 10 of the best tips that you can follow to stop overeating. If you follow just one of the above tips, then you should successfully reduce the amount that you eat. Being prepared and snacking on healthy foods are two of the best tips to follow. Nuts, seeds, fruit and raw vegetables are great to snack on. They will give you energy and you can eat as much as you like. You need to remember that the longer you have been overeating, the harder it will be to cut down. That is why you will need to do it gradually and these steps are great ways to get started!
