But it tastes so good...

I was chatting with my mother-in-law last night (via Skype) and she asked a great question. She made a pretty healthy dinner for herself and hub (yay) but then felt like she couldn't stop eating because it tasted so darn good (boo). She asked me how she can stop from overeating like that.

We often find ourselves overeating on healthy, nutritious meals just as much as the fried, sugary treats. Why do we do that? Perhaps it's because we have been taught to eat a lot. From "all you can eat" buffets to fast food restaurants on every corner to the massive, gloppy portions you get at Mexican restaurants, temptation and the opportunity to overeat are everywhere. I'm sure we've all felt that guilt creep up on us when we accidentally ate an entire bag of baked chips or way more than the serving size of light ice cream. It's even more frustrating, because you were trying to be good.

My answer to my mother-in-law is a little complex. I would like to preach the notion of self-control. I would love to say that I can push aside that urge to keep going. Or that I can put down the fork and run outside and take a walk. I don't always do those things. I overeat, too. We all do.

The tips that I can offer are as follows:

1. Chew some tasty gum: Sounds silly, but it can work. If you change the flavor in your mouth, then your taste buds "forget" what they were just tasting. I always keep a variety of flavored gum on hand to bust the overeating cycle. One to try is Orbit Pina Colada, sugar-free gum. Yum!

2. Half-and-half: Try separating your portion (before you start eating) into two. Put one half in the fridge and chow down on the other. Make sure that all ingredients that you used to prepare your meal are put away, too. "Grazing" on leftovers or ingredients while cleaning up the kitchen is a major contributor to taking in too many calories. The last few croutons from the salad, a pinch of shredded cheese or a few more scoops of cottage cheese have calories, too!

When you are at a restaurant, separate your meal into two and ask for a to-go box immediately. Out of sight, out of mind. You've probably heard this tip before, but have you actually tried it? Hold yourself accountable and try it the next time you dine out.

3. Make a deal: I will often eat what I had intended and then tell myself that if I still want more, I have to wait 30 minutes to eat it. If I'm still hungry or want that food in 30 minutes, then I have a little more. Usually I will try to busy myself with something during those 30 minutes, like doing laundry, checking email, vacuuming, etc. Just get yourself out of the kitchen. So, not only do you avoid those calories, you might get some housework done, too.

4. Drink up: Right after eating drink an entire glass of cold water. This should fill you up that last little bit that you might have filled up with food. We should all be having 8 glasses of water a day anyway, so consider this one of your 8.

Portion control is a challenge for most everyone. You just have to acknowledge this as one of your weaknesses and work to overcome it. Try these tips and please feel free to post some of your tactics to overcome the hunger beast.

Pina Colada gum flavored kisses,
Meghan