I have wondered far off track & have been in a bad cycle of binging. I eat & eat until I am past full but have that stuffed feeling.
Now I am having a really hard time trying to get back on track and eat normal healthy portions.
I will eat a meal with a normal sized portion and end up feeling like I am starving because I have it so in my brain to keep eating until I am stuffed. I can't deal with it well and end up snacking or even grazing because I just feel so hungry still even if I truly am not.
I know with time this will change and I can get on a healthy track and I won't feel this way anymore. But right now it is really difficult.
Yes. Aside from taking your time when you eat which research demonstrates actually does help you can do several things.
Look at the composition of your meals.
Veggies are bulky and help with that full feeling while being low in calories. Protein and fat tend to be more satiating than carbs. If you're not on a low carb diet now it might be a good idea to go on one at least temporarily.
Size of meals makes a big difference for me. Small meals just make me hungry. Eating 5-6 times a day doesn't work for me. I eat 2-3 times a day.
If you're not a big breakfast eater you might want to consider intermittent fasting.
eat slower, put a pillow behind your back (this helps make you feel more full) and take a drink of water or crystal light after every couple of bites. the liquid will fill you up faster. this is the only way i can eat regular portions, i have to have that stuffed feeling.
(this is a wierd trick, when i am out to eat, i eat only what i reasonably should, and if i feel like i am at risk of eating the rest of my plate i will dump salt all over it so i cant eat it anymore.... maybe a little extreme, but hey, it works for me, just dont give yourself the option)
You have to ask yourself if you are really hungry, or if the desire to eat is coming from somewhere else. Also, like JohnP said, it is important to eat lots of veggies and fiber with a meal so that you feel more full. My typical dinner is by volume about 25% root vegetable, 25% legumes, and 50% non-starchy vegetable. I usually have to force the last few bites because my stomach is so full. I don't have the heavy/sluggish gorged feeling, it's just that my stomach is letting me know that it truly is full of food.
what i do is fill up on protein and veggies and allow myself a little not so healthy snacks so i don't feel deprived and feel like binging. also i'd recommend some sugarfree gum to chew if you get the urge to overeat. it really helped me cut down my binge days a lot until i got back on track to healthy eating. good luck to you.
I am still a big eater and to satisfy the urge to stuff myself I do two things. First, like mentioned above, I try to eat slOwly and try to trick myself by using smaller plates and utensils. Secondly, I almost alway have on hand a big batch of very low calorie veggie stirfry or roasted vegetables that I can eat a large portion with no damage to the waistline. It takes a lot of time to slice and dice all the fresh veggies, but there is something very satisfying about a warm plate of steaming produce.
I have the same feeling, ad I get a little panicky if my food log doesn't look like it has much in it, or if I'm hungry at night before I go to bed. I have been chewing my food at least twenty times before swallowing. I also try to put my fork or whatever I'm eat down between bites, and take a sip of water after each bite, and then try to wait a minute before you pick the fork back up. Its true what they say, it takes twenty minutes for your brain to realize you're full, so if you can stretch whatever you're eating out into twenty minutes, you should be able to feel satisfied without stuffing yourself. That's what works for me anyway.
I agree with the advice to eat more slowly, although I find that extremely hard to follow as I am a naturally very fast eater. What I've found helps is to eat my meal in "courses" as I would at a restaurant. So, for example, rather than having all my dinner in front of me so that I can inhale it in five minutes (not kidding), I might start with a salad. Also, if I have some homemade soup on hand, I might have a cup of that after my salad. Then, I'll have my main meal. By serving myself in courses, not only do I force myself to slow down, but I feel as if I'm eating "fancy," which psychologically makes me want to eat more slowly.
I also like to feel full. One thing I do is make sure I drink plenty of water throughout the day and also just before I eat. Then, like others have suggested, eat slowly and use smaller plates (normal portions look huge on saucers) and utensils (baby spoons and forks really slow you down). I also eat a large healthy salad before each meal. And I just started doing low carb and that is working fantastically. I just feel so much more satisfied when I eat protein and healthy fats (in moderation). Carbs seem to always leave me wanting more. And finally I wait for at least 20 minutes, while drinking water, before getting seconds to allow my mind to catch up with my stomach (works almost every time).
All the suggestions for mealtimes are great, but often my most dangerous times for bad food choices are between meals or before bed, when it has been a few hours since I've eaten and I am hungry again. In that case, I eat an apple and a big glass of water like I did just now, and i feel nice and full and comfortable, and am no longer thinking of food. It's boring, and doesn't satisfy cravings really, but after you eat the apple and drink the water, you feel totally full and most of the time the cravings are gone with it.
You got some great advice. I would make a huge pot of vegetable soup and then puree it. Eat it before every meal. Studies show that this actually helps you not only feel fuller for the meal your'e about to eat, but also for hours longer after the meal because of how it expands in your stomach. Another idea is smoothies with Chia seeds (they're a great source of Omega 3's, etc. and also expand to make you feel fuller. I am doing Intermittent Fasting and I love it. There's a thread on it under General Diet Plans/Questions area. My final piece of advice. Have a plan for one day. Commit to that plan and stay completely on track. Don't think of your hunger, your cravings, your next day or week, month or year. Just focus on that day. Visualize success and be fully committed (it's not about motivation). Once you get through that one day, repeat over and over and you will see yourself gain control and confidence.
I agree with the advice to eat more slowly, although I find that extremely hard to follow as I am a naturally very fast eater.
I usually am, too. I don't know if this is good or bad but it works for me so oh well...I eat while I read, watch tv, do homework, whatever. I'm sitting down when I do it so it's definitely like a "meal" to me mentally but I'm doing something else at the same time so that I'm not just stuffing myself.
I was also thinking about it & i think slowing down will help me alot. I realized when I am out or with people. We are all chatting & laughing and such I seem to eat so slow (I am always the last one done lol) & I am not hungry after & usually eat so much less.
But at home when it is just me and nothing else going on. I can just focus on the food and shoving it in my mouth until I can't eat another bite.
I also really love the idea of having courses. I think I will try that and go slower.
Try to drink 8oz of water before every meal. The water can make you feel fuller. I do this along with drinking water with every few bites.
I actually have a designated water container that is covered and has a straw coming out of it. Having a certain cup just for water can help with making you drink more of it by not making you go to the kitchen every time you want to hydrate yourself.
That "stuffed" feeling
