With wedding season kicking in, and Christmas and New Year right around the corner, you’re probably going to end up eating out a lot for a few weeks, leading to the new year. And with such delicious food being thrown in your face all the time, it will take more than just politeness to turn all that is being served down. Overeating is not something you can be blamed for entirely, because more often than not, it is an unconscious habit. But if you’re aware of your tendency towards gulping down extra food, you need to devise a way to curb it. Here are some tips to help you say no to food, and avoid the dreaded post-holiday weight gain.
Fit in some form of exercise
Exercise gets your blood pumping, helps to keep your body in shape, and even regulates hunger. Whether you manage to fit in walking and jogging, or more intensive forms of exercise into your day, chances are, your hunger pangs will be more in control.
Eat every few hours
We’re not saying to follow a strict schedule or a diet, but if you tend to eat every three or four hours, chances are that you won’t be tempted to mindlessly binge in the middle. If you spend your day eating at regular intervals, you are taking care of your hunger pangs systematically. Thus, you are less likely to overeat, and you’re avoiding unnecessary urges to binge.
Sleep well
Not getting enough sleep can confuse the body’s hunger cycles as well, leaving you with a higher tendency to binge-eat, especially late at night. Getting a good night’s sleep puts your body on track to function the next day, and you will suffer from fewer urges to munch at odd hours.
Get in tune with your hunger pangs
Sometimes, when you know there’s good food at home, you tend to binge eat even when you’re not hungry, mostly out of boredom. Or, you continue eating despite being full. This is very unhealthy, and you’ll probably end up overeating everyday without even realising. Knowing when you’re actually hungry and when you’re not, and more importantly, how hungry, can help beat this problem. Understanding the signs your body is giving you when you’re hungry, or when you’re not, will give you clarity on when you should eat and when you shouldn’t. Basically, pay attention to what your body is telling you.
Try to stress less
Stress is one of the biggest reasons we tend to overeat. When we’re feeling overtly burdened or tired, food is the easiest thing to turn to. And this leads to a very unhealthy relationship with food. If you are able to reduce your levels of stress to a minimum, your urge to aimlessly eat will also go down.
