We all know the feeling after overeating on a diet.
Whether that’s because you’re out for dinner, it’s a special occasion, or you’ve just entered the ‘hangry zone,’ it’s probably going to happen from time to time.
(Read here for flexible dieting hacks for eating out!)
First thing’s first, if you feel like you’re overeating is something that’s happening on a weekly basis (or even more frequently than that) then you may need to speak with an eating disorder specialist, or at least book an appointment with your physician.
However, if it’s just a case that you consistently break your diet and go over macros, eating to the point of discomfort and feeling guilty afterward, then there are steps you can take to prevent this from happening in the first place.
We all like to think we’re strong-minded and can overcome cravings through sheer willpower alone, but every single one of us will have moments where it all gets to be too much and we want to break and overeat.
“Every single one of us will have moments where it all gets to be too much and we want to break and overeat”
This is part and parcel of maintaining a lean, aesthetic physique, and even smart, savvy, flexible dieters can suffer from it. But the important thing is to recognize the triggers to binging and to put steps in place to ensure that you can cope with them and beat the binge before it happens. Let’s look at the 4 Avatar-approved ways to do just that.
1. Fill Up on Fiber
The number one cause for a binge is the most obvious—hunger.
If you’re in a calorie deficit and carry low levels of body fat, it makes sense that you’re going to be hungry. In part, this is unavoidable, but if you’re constantly hungry and feeling unsatisfied then your chances of binging go through the roof.
The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to stay full and maximize your ability to stay on track.
This is where fiber becomes a real rock star. It delays gastric emptying, meaning you stay feeling fuller for longer when you eat a meal [1]. In studies, it’s also been shown that when eaten ad libitum, a higher fiber intake leads to a reduced calorie intake [2,3]. Granted, the subjects in these studies wouldn’t have been tracking macros, but if they were compelled to eat less when fiber was higher, it goes to show they weren’t as hungry.
Pounding down a large bowl of leafy greens will leave you feeling full, and only cost you a few carbs!
Chances are you know this already, but if you’re struggling with hunger, then the first step is to do a quick checklist to make sure you’re getting enough fiber, and potentially introduce tactics such as switching any white or refined carbs to whole-wheat ones, adding in extra veggies, or maybe even having some beans instead of pasta or rice at some meals.
2. Put It in Reverse
Diets need an endpoint.
We’ve all seen friends constantly try to diet and eating very little while making no changes to their physique. At some point, you need to make a change.
If you’re feeling like you’re hungry most of your waking hours and you don’t seem to be losing any more body fat, even with a theoretical calorie deficit and plenty of cardio, it might be time to reverse diet before you start overeating.
3. Get Cookin’
Flexible dieting is awesome. After all, there are no restrictions on what foods you eat, and you can literally have anything.
Trouble is, when your macros are low, there’s really not much room for ‘fun stuff’ and so we often ban all of our favorite treats. This is fine, but if it increases your cravings and makes you overeat, it becomes problematic.
The solution?
Red velvet doughnuts for only 61 calories each?
Make macro-friendly recipes.
These low-calorie alternatives to ‘junk food’ make dieting a whole lot easier and allow you to eat food that tastes awesome without blowing your numbers.
With Avatar, you get a whole host of recipes that give great macro bang for your buck, are quick and easy to make, and that kick cravings to the curb.
There are hundreds of recipes, helpfully divided up into breakfast, lunch/dinner, snack and dessert categories, with plenty to suit any taste. If you’ve not checked the recipes section out yet, why not?
4. Identify Your Triggers
Physiological factors such as feeling hungry can be a trigger for binging, but emotional factors are just as likely to play a part [4, 5].
It’s rare to overeat when we’re happy and stress-free. After all, when we’re feeling content we don’t need to use food as a crutch or a comfort to take us away from pain. When we’re stressed, anxious, angry, upset, or overwhelmed, however, it’s easy to ‘eat our feelings’ and use food as a way of escaping our true emotions for a short-term fix.
Overeating is often used as a coping mechanism, as it temporarily distracts you from discomfort. But afterwards you feel guilty for it, and these feelings of guilt can simply add to any misery you felt in the first place.
Though easier said than done, the key is to identify other forms of dealing with any negative emotions. This might mean you go for a walk, listen to a piece of music you love, talk with a friend, or take your aggression out by pumping some iron.
What’s so critical though, is that you start to recognize the signs and symptoms that a binge might be on the horizon and kick-start your strategies before the urge takes over.
“You may well slip up. But don’t let that set you back.”
While these 4 steps may make it seem like a piece of cake (pun intended) to stop overeating, it’s not always that easy. If you’ve been an on-off overeater for years, it’s not going to stop overnight, and you may well slip up. But don’t let that set you back.
Use these four tips to help you conquer your tendencies to overeat, and know that if you do slip, it’s not the end of the world. Just get back on that wagon and start over. With consistency and drive, you WILL beat this.
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