Lifestyle
Why Do We Overeat?
By
Jan 25, 2010 - 9:33:09 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Why do we overeat? There are many reasons why (Wait till you see the list, aside from the fact that food is tasty!), and we all have our own reasons when we do. Many people think only overweight people overeat and while there is some truth to this, most of us overindulge at times. It's just that people of average weight overeat less often. Now that the New Year is here, many of us are thinking about losing. One step to prevent overeating is to acknowledge why we do it, because consistently overeating leads to weight gain. So, here's a tip for all of us, since two-thirds of all Americans are on a diet at any given time!

Any of these sound familiar?

Do we go for long periods of time during the day without eating? Do we skip meals such as breakfast or lunch and/or not eat any snacks all day only to attack the refrigerator the moment we walk in the door in the evening? If this is the case, we are setting ourselves up to overeat.

Do we eat the wrong foods all day? Do we eat the wrong type of foods such as mostly simple carbohydrates all day? Examples, donut for breakfast (even muffins can qualify), candy, and pretzels etc. as snacks throughout the day? I've visited many an office with such goodies hanging out by the barrelful (okay, I'm exaggerating). Once again, we're playing havoc with our blood sugar levels and setting ourselves up to overeat.

Are we always on a diet? Are we always on a diet, especially a restrictive diet which sets us up to overeat in-between diet days, or to overeat between the diets themselves?

Do we eat most of our meals out? Even dieticians were found to underestimate their calories from restaurants. Eating out requires mindfulness.

Do we mindlessly eat? We may mindlessly eat for a whole host of reasons including never paying attention to our food or making food selections based upon convenience. Hence, we may eat even more than we realize if we don't make a plan. Do we eat too much because of pure habit? Large portions and the wrong foods can become a habit. Have our stomachs stretched due to overeating? When I first reduced my portion sizes I got very annoyed just trying to change! Habits take hold and our brain fights changing them.

Do we eat in response to emotions? This includes positive emotions, negative emotions and those in-between (even boredom) emotions. Making negative judgments about ourselves can lead to even more overeating. Food is tasty, convenient and many times the worst foods for us are cheap to boot! Many times when we have too much on our plate (figuratively), we put too much on our plate.Let's cope with our emotions, but not with food.

Do we reward ourselves with food? Rewarding ourselves is a good thing except when we always use food to do it.

Do we accept all dishes in a restaurant without making special requests? Taking the time to make special requests when we order in a restaurant can mean asking for an appetizer portion instead of the full entree, or asking for the sauce on the side. These little things do add up to weight loss or at least not a gain during holiday season!

Do we lack planning? When we don't make a plan we can wind up eating anything or anywhere that is convenient. When we plan we take control of our eating (not the other way around!). Let's make a food shopping list, shop, and plan ahead. This includes days when we know we will be taken away from our regular routine. Plan!

Do we focus mostly on the food during celebrations? If we always celebrate by eating, or make a holiday only or mostly about the food , we are more likely to overeat. We just went through a long holiday season, so we can reflect on how much value was placed on the food more than the people we shared the season with. Did we focus on the food a bit too much? Lastly, if we focus on sharing time with family and friends during holidays, we may not feel the need to eat as much. I have a saying, "there is always an occasion around the corner", which gives us the reason to overeat!


Yes, most of us overeat. The question is why, how often, and how do we feel about it? Have we stopped to evaluate what effect our overeating has on our life and on our health aside from our appearance? Overeating can even cause us chronic mental stress (always dieting isn't fun, is it?).

If you haven't noticed, each week I will send out a weight loss or food tip once per week, so we'll be more mindful. I'm also starting a new weight loss program with 30 minute sessions in my NYC office, or via skype/phone to help all of us lose while spending a little less doing so (scroll below). I'm also on twitter, and once per week on Sunday's, I will be tweeting a tool from my program. I love food as I think we all do, so here's to a little more support and to a little less overeating!

I am pleased to offer 30 minute weight loss sessions at half the cost of full sessions. For more information, e mail me at june@junefit.com.

Here's to Our Health!
June M Lay M.S.
www.junefit.com

Speaking of food, I'm an animal lover so I eat only animal foods that are certified humane. Endorsed by more than 36 humane organizations, the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program is nationally recognized as the Gold Standard for certifying animal welfare from birth through slaughter. The Certified Humane® designation assures us that the meat, poultry, egg or dairy products we purchase have been produced according to precise standards for humane farm animal treatment. Animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behavior. This makes our food healthier for us too. Please go to their website for a list of supermarkets, producers, restaurants and more www.certifiedhumane.org

Junefit is included in Google's top ranked women's health resources, scroll midway; http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Women's_Health/Resources/

June is Lifestyle Columnist at www.healthnewsdigest.com/

copyright 2009, junefit. All rights reserved.

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