Overeating is bad all around. It can make your stomach hurt, add pounds of fat to your body, make you unhealthy, and make you feel bad about yourself. In the end, there is absolutely no upside to overeating.
That’s one affirmation that can really help you to stop overeating. When you believe there is no upside, only negatives, you may be less likely to overeat. But, if that’s not enough, then following are some other affirmations to add to your belief system to help you stop overeating once and for all.
1. I Seek Encouragement From Like-Minded People
Firstly, it’s important to seek out other people dealing with overeating in order to help you see that you are not alone and discover ways to stop overeating.
Facebook groups and overeaters anonymous are places you can go to connect with other people, talk about issues, and find answers to your problems.
It’s amazing how seeing other people struggling with something you are struggling with can help you get the courage to tackle the issue. Especially when they are not happy about the struggle.
If you have any friends who overeat but don’t care that they are doing it, then you may want to distance yourself from them while you work on not overeating. The pressure to do what they are doing and fit in can easily cause you to slip back into old habits and ruin any work you’ve done both mentally and physically.
2. I Consciously Keep Food I Overeat Out Of My House
Let’s face it, we don’t tend to overeat when we go out with friends or family, but when we are home alone, overeating is easy. That’s why we need to make our home a place where overeating doesn’t have a chance to happen.
If you overeat everything, this won’t work for you. But, most people have certain foods that they can’t help but eat over and over again in large quantities.
If that’s you, plan ahead and get rid of that stuff from your home. Make it a treat that you only have when you are out with friends or family to help you control your temptation to overeat.
3. I Only Eat At The Kitchen Table
A lot of overeating happens in front of the TV. If you eat in front of the TV, try going back in time to a place where dinner was always at the dinner table.
Eating at the table will help you be more mindful of your eating, which is important when you want to stop overeating. You will be able to recognize your fullness cues better, and you will be more mindful of how much you’ve actually eaten.
4. I Only Eat When I’m Hungry
I remember watching Fear Factor years ago, and there was a guy on there who had lost weight because of this affirmation. He said it was going to be so hard for him to eat whatever disgusting thing they were eating at the time because he had trained himself to only eat when he was hungry, and that affirmation was stuck in his head.
That’s really stuck with me over the years and helped me control my overeating.
When you affirm to yourself that you only eat when you are hungry, you will start to become a person who truly only eats when they are hungry. You will listen to your hunger cues – hungry or full – and you will be much more mindful with your eating.
5. I Do Not Restrict Myself
When you are hungry, eat. Don’t restrict yourself from eating at certain times or in certain places. Moreover, don’t restrict yourself from eating anything you want. If you do, you are just going to think about food until you are extremely hungry and stuff your face with everything you can find.
Use portion control. If there is a cake in front of you, don’t deny yourself the cake if you really want it. Have a small piece. Enjoy it. Acknowledge you have eaten and don’t need to eat more. And go on with your day without thinking about that piece of cake that you wouldn’t allow yourself to eat.
6. I Don’t Diet
According to an article on WebMD, dieting is a big part of binge eating. I believe this is just about restricting yourself from certain foods and then, when you can’t take it anymore, binging on them.
Stop dieting. Eat healthier and enjoy some of your favorite foods in moderation.
Affirm to yourself that you aren’t someone who is constantly dieting and falling off the wagon because you simply don’t diet… you just eat how a person should eat to maintain good health.
7. I Drink Water Before I Eat
This is an old but effective trick. When you drink a bunch of water before eating, you will be more likely to get full fast and recognize when you are full.
8. I Plan My Meals
Meal planning can help you gain control over what you eat. Why? Because you are constantly making choices around your food each day, and sometimes it can get overwhelming, to the point where you give up and eat whatever is in front of you.
Meal planning has plenty of other benefits, such as budget benefits and elimination of food waste. It’s something you may want to consider!
There is a ton of different meal planner products out there. Check some of them out on Amazon here.
9. I handle my stress effectively
Start affirming this to yourself and then look for ways to make it come true. When you really stressed, your cortisol rises and promotes hunger for all those foods you love to overeat.
There are many different ways to handle stress, so use what works for you. Just to name a few:
- Meditation
- Exercise
- Talking to someone
- Doing a hobby you love
- Reading a good book
- Watching a good movie
- Taking a bath
10. I Eat Food On A Plate
This is a good one to stop overeating. Once you start affirming this to yourself and keeping all of your food on a plate instead of in a bag or to-go container, you will be more aware of how much you are eating.
For instance, if you are overeating chips, try putting them on a plate so you can really see how many you are eating. If you eat straight from the bag, you can’t see what you are doing, but on a plate, you can see that you have a plate full of food and something in your brain will tell you that a plate is good enough. You just have to choose to listen to that voice.
Seeking Professional Help May Be In Order To Stop Overeating
If you have a binge-eating disorder, help includes therapy, medications, and even 24-hour care. I do believe that affirmations can help because talking to yourself differently can absolutely shift your behavior. But, someone like a therapist may be able to help you discover new affirmations that you believe and put into practice to help you stop over-eating.
