“You’ve decided to eat healthy and lose weight, and you’ve started making a meal plan for the whole week. But when the time comes for lunch, lunch or dinner, you begin to feel an insatiable appetite, and the craving sets in. This is especially the point where most of your healthy eating plans have been thrown out the window. You become disappointed and frustrated with yourself and all in all you are ready to give up on your plans to lose weight. You feel like you don’t have enough willpower and can’t achieve your goals.’
We’ve all been there and it’s okay to feel frustrated and discouraged. However, the most important thing to remember is not to give up. One of the best ways to continue reaching your goals is to put together a list of resources and your toolbox to avoid overeating and also to get all the essential nutrients and nutrients.
Below are some of the most common reasons we observe in people who tend to overeat and some tips to combat the behavior:
1. Lack of Protein
Optimal protein intake is very important for your overall health and well-being. Protein can boost your metabolism, reduce appetite, support healthy blood sugar levels and induce thermogenesis.
Research has shown that eating 25 percent of your diet in protein leads to more satiety, less late night eating and fewer obsessive thoughts about food. Furthermore, another study shows that women who consume an optimal intake of protein with every meal lose an average of 11 kilos in 12 weeks. If you don’t get enough protein at every meal, you’re more likely to overeat and eat unhealthy foods.
Here are some great animal, seafood, and plant-based protein sources:
ProteinPortion Size Grams of ProteinChicken1 oz7 gBeef1 oz7 gEggsOne egg6 gTurkey1 oz7 gDuck1 head cooked27 gLamb1 oz7 gSalmon4 oz18.2Pork Loin4 oz26 gHalibut3 oz19 gShrimp3 oz18 gScallops3 oz85 gTuna6 oz45 gSardines3.8 oz canned in oil22.7 gHerring3 oz85 gMackerel1 cup85 gCrab3 oz85 gLentils1 tbsp12.3 gCottage Cheese1 cup25gTofu½ cup10gBlack beans½cup cooked beans7-10gFlaxseed¼cup 10.4gCashew nuts¼cup 10.3gQuinoa1 oz8.14gFrogs1 tbsp12.5g
2. Lack of Fiber
Fiber plays an essential role in your health. Aim to eat plenty of high-fiber foods at every meal. Optimal fiber intake helps increase satiety, aids in digestion and nutrient absorption, and slows down glucose absorption. Foods rich in fiber help nourish healthy gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids and boost immune system function.
Below are some foods that are rich in fiber:
Fiber Fiber ServingGrams of FiberAvocadoMedium 10g Raspberries1 cup8gCoconut1 cup shredded coconut pulp7.2gFigsA dried fig9.8gArtichoke1 medium7 gPearMedium-large pear5 gBrussels Brussels sprouts1 cup4.1 gAcorn Squash1 cup9 gLentils1 gLentils 1 cup cooked beans
3. Chronic Stress
Chronic stress can lower your metabolism and impair your digestion and absorption of nutrients. Research studies show that chronic stress can increase your cravings for sugary, refined, and carbohydrate-rich foods that affect your mesolimbic dopamine system, also known as our reward pathway.
When you’re chronically stressed, your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is continuously activated, leading to elevated cortisol (stress hormone) increasing food cravings. In addition, chronic stress can also lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Therefore, when you are chronically stressed, it is normal for you to crave overly processed foods, turning it into a mechanism for dealing with stress.
For this reason, it is important to have non-food-based mechanisms for coping with stress as it helps reduce cravings, balance hormones and end overeating.
Some of the great ways to reduce your stress include:
YogaWalkingSwimmingSpending time in natureMeditationsSpending time with your loved ones and friendsTai ChiGratitude and mindfulness practiceReading a bookTaking a relaxing bath with Epsom salts
All of these exercises and exercises will help you reduce your stress and increase your body’s ability to handle stress better.
4. Bad sleep
Sleep is very important for our health and general well-being. A fast-paced lifestyle and chronic stress can lead to poor sleep. The study shows that chronic sleep deprivation can lead to elevated insulin and cortisol, further contributing to overeating.
Have you ever noticed increased irritability and cravings for sugary foods after a bad night’s sleep?
Your body becomes more sensitive to insulin during sleep. For example, a single night of sleep deprivation causes a 40% reduction in your ability to process glucose.
In addition, when you don’t sleep well, your body produces more hunger hormones called ghrelin and decreases production of leptin, our satiety hormone. Leptin tells our brain when to stop eating and ghrelin increases our appetite. It’s no surprise that sleep deprivation can cause many negative changes in your delicate hormones that further contribute to overeating.
Sleep is also important for the production of growth hormone. Growth hormone increases your lean body mass. It also helps you burn fat as fuel. Growth hormone improves bone mineral density and generally protects your body from aging.
This is another reason why we need to prioritize sleep to optimize our hormones and end the cycle of overeating.
A good place to start is to have a relaxed nighttime routine and avoid screen time, as blue light from your phone, TV, and other devices can disrupt your circadian rhythm and reduce melatonin production.
Alternatives include reading a book, taking a bath with magnesium Epsom salts, meditating, spending time with your family, or keeping a journal. Keeping a journal is especially useful for writing down your thoughts, worries, or to-do list to help you reduce your stress and anxiety.
5. Too Strict With Your Diet
Healthy eating is very important and I applaud your desire to lose weight and maintain it. However, the biggest mistake I see clients make is that they go on too restrictive diets, or often jump from one extreme diet to another, and/or try different weight loss pills in search of a magic cure.
You might even lose some weight, but being too restrictive with your diet often backfires in the long run as it’s hard to stick with it in the long run. Often, overly restrictive diets are manageable for short periods of time, but can then lead to unhealthy relationships with food, obsessive thinking, or chronic calorie tracking.
Restricting too much food at once can lead to uncontrollable cravings for specific foods and eventually to overeating.
I encourage you to make small, healthy changes every day and implement healthier habits to avoid chronic disability. This will allow you to lose and maintain weight.
It comes down to
I always teach my clients to look at every meal as a way to nourish yourself. Ask yourself this question: Would this meal help me feel more energized and healthier? Our mindset is very important when it comes to eating healthy. If you have access, go to the local farmers market, try some new foods, throw a healthy cooking party with your friends or family.
Overeating can be a very challenging and difficult habit to break. If you struggle with overeating, consider working with a certified health coach or licensed therapist to help you overcome this habit.
Our health coaches are happy to answer all your questions and help you on your health and wellness journey.
This post Five Reasons You Might Be Overeating- HealthifyMe was original published at “https://www.healthifyme.com/blog/five-reasons-you-might-be-overeating/”
