Why Do We Overeat?

It’s the week before Thanksgiving and our company just had our “pre-Thanksgiving” Thanksgiving dinner — actually lunch.  Everybody pitched in and brought something from home while the company provided fried turkeys and BBQ brisket (I know, why brisket.  However, this is Texas…).

The food was great and there was plenty of it.  Like everybody else, I stuffed myself.  So now I’m sitting at my desk trying to make it through the rest of the afternoon feeling sleepy and miserable from overeating.

So why did I do it?  What is it that makes us stuff food into our bodies until we literally feel sick — and then push in a little more when the dessert tray comes around?  If we knew that, then maybe we’d know what to be on guard against.  We could then figure out a way to prevent ourselves from going too far.

When I was a kid, my mom used to say it’s because my eyes were bigger than my stomach.  That may still be true, but here are a couple more ideas I came up with:

1.  Food is Sensual – and We’re Sensual People.

Think about walking into a room where a feast has been laid out.  Your senses immediately get overwhelmed by all the smells and aromas of the foods.  Your eyes try to take in all the colors and textures.  You can still hear some of the dishes sizzle.  And when you take your first bite, you’re in heaven.  It’s not only a feast for the stomach, it’s a feast for the senses.

Face it.  Eating is a sensual experience, and because it is, we always want more.  We tend to overindulge – and overeat.  For some people, this essentially becomes an addiction.

2.  We Eat Way Too Fast.

I don’t know why it is but in the “land of abundance,” most of us believe that all the good stuff is going to be taken if we don’t hurry.  We rush to the dinner table, we rush to get our food, and we rush to eat it – I guess so we can go back and get some more.  We usually eat so fast that by the time the stomach signals that it’s full and can’t take any more, we still have another serving of mashed potatoes on the way down.

3.  Food is Always Readily Available

No matter where you are, food is always readily available.  Either there’s a snack machine on your office floor or someone has brought in donuts.  No matter what time of the day or night, there’s a restaurant, diner, or fast-food drive through open. Food is everywhere and it’s become commonplace to be constantly eating, munching, or snacking.

I know that there are probably more but these are the only ones I could come up with after eating so much turkey. So how do you protect yourself from these and prevent yourself from overeating?

First, like the drug addict, admit that you have a problem.  Then, get someone to help you beat it.  To prevent the sensual aspects of food from clouding your judgment, have someone else prepare a plate for you.  Why ask someone else to prepare a plat for you?  Because you don’t have the will power – at least not yet.

Second, slow down when you eat.  My mom used to tell us kids to chew our food 20 times before we swollowed it.  Why 20 times?  No reason.  There’s nothing magic about this number.  The point is to take the time to chew each mouthfull thoroughly and completely before swollowing it.  Really taste the food.  Feel its texture.  You’ll not only enjoy the food more, it will be more completely digested – and you’ll eat less of it.

Third, eat only when you’re hungry.  Yes, I know it’s dinner time but if you had a big lunch and aren’t hungry, don’t force yourself to have another meal.  Don’t eat between meals either (no snacking).  In order to eat only when you’re hungry, you obviously need to allow yourself to get hungry – something that won’t happen if you’re constantly snacking.

If All Else Fails

If you still end up overeating, don’t beat yourself up over it.  Hey, I teach this stuff and I STILL overeat at times.  Just resolve to take the tools I’ve given you and do better the next time.

As for me, I’m headed to kickboxing class.  I’ve got a lot of turkey and pecan pie to work off!

Hiram
The Balanced Health Guy

Technorati Tags: eating, diet, nutrition, dinner, overeating, thanksgiving, holidays

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