How to avoid overeating
All of us at one time or another have probably downed a supersize bag of chips, or cookies, or even an entire pie. Was it stress? Was it self-indulgence?
Nutritionist Leslie Beck discusses strategies for preventing binge eating.
"There are so many reasons for it," Beck says. "Stress, boredom, being depressed. Socializing -- when there's a huge variety of delicious-looking food, people tend to overeat; sometimes, too, just because it's there, it's in front of you, people are more tempted to eat, so there's lots of reasons why people overeat."
Keep a food diary
Beck encourages overeaters, especially those who are trying to lose weight, to keep a food diary for at least a couple of weeks. Write down everything you eat and you'll start to see patterns, she says. You can even write down why you're eating something and you may find it's because you're bored or stressed out or it's just become a habit in front of the television at night.
This helps you recognize your problem areas. Also, when you're writing things down, you may think twice about having something, she notes.
