Try these five simple strategies to stop overeating and maintain a healthy weight

Thursday, February 11, 2016 by: Jennifer Lea Reynolds
Tags: weight loss, health tips, stop overeating

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(NaturalNews) It's no secret that the United States is filled with obese people; it's estimated that over one-third of adults are obese, as are approximately 17 percent of the country's youth. That's a lot of folks walking around with stomachs spilling over their waistbands, tired just from climbing the stairs.⁽¹⁾

Still, many of these same people continue with their junk food diets, demonstrating a preference for all things processed, sugary and filled with chemicals.

Of course, anyone who's ever struggled to reach a healthier weight, knows that it's not an easy process.

Woman who 'used to overeat like a boss' shares tips on healthy eating habits

Just ask Krista Scott-Dixon, who says she "used to overeat like a boss." She typically turned to the excitement that surrounds Friday and the weekend (TGIF, right?), as an excuse to indulge in unhealthy foods. Additionally, her high-stress job and lengthy commute fueled her desire to eat in this manner. "The end of the work week," Scott-Dixon explains, "meant red wine, pizza, a giant bag of chips, and bad movies. It was a Friday ritual."⁽²⁾

The problem was that the unhealthy eating habits worked their way into Thursday, because what the heck, almost-Friday is as good a reason as any to call the pizza delivery person.

However, thanks to the realization that continuing this way wasn't worth the inflammation, inability to properly exercise and the general feeling of lethargy, Scott-Dixon came up with five tips to stop overeating, which you can opt to download and listen to here.

The overarching theme, by the way? Develop a healthier relationship with food.

Five easy ways to eat better, lose weight

1. Aim for "good enough" instead of "perfect"

While at first this may sound as though it has all the trappings for falling back into unhealthy food choices, just the opposite is true.

She explains that holding tight to a perfectionist approach is unrealistic, often setting people up for failure. When you think you have to follow a perfect diet, she says you may develop the all-or-nothing approach of "perfect" eating or "crap" eating, never really finding a balance. In the end, you cave in. Your desire to follow the perfect diet can take a nosedive when temptation lurks. Or, you could end up with eating disorder behaviors that stem from your overly-strict desire for so-called perfection.

She advises people to remember these wise words: "The decent method you follow is better than the 'perfect' one you quit."⁽²⁾

2. Ditch food rules

Scott-Dixon says it's just too much to deal with all the what if's and why not's behind good eating, so instead, she said she "ditched the rules and let hunger be [her] guide." Quite simply, she says to adopt what she also calls a "F*ck It" approach to eating, which means abandoning rules and instead, tuning in to your hunger and fullness cues.

3. Eliminate "cheat days"

Rather than give yourself one measly day to have so-called "bad" foods, give yourself permission to eat what you feel is appropriate throughout the entire week. Cheat days can easily lead to overindulging, not to mention that it's not fun to return to the non-cheat days with a down mood from all those "no, I can't have that until Saturday" (or whenever your cheat day is) thoughts.⁽²⁾

4. Own your own choices

Forget battling with the good versus bad choices and silly justifications. Simply own up to your choices, and know that it's not the end of the world if you mess up along the way. "I started owning my choices," she says, "and letting my adult values and deeper principles guide me when I sat down to eat."⁽²⁾

5. Stop rationalizing

Enough with the excuses, says Scott-Dixon. She explains that emotions and circumstances shouldn't drive your eating decisions. Instead, get in touch with your feelings and understand how they might be the driving force behind your choice to reach for ice cream instead of fresh fruit.⁽²⁾

By taking these steps into consideration, it's entirely possible for you to reach a healthier weight, or maintain the good weight you already have.

Trust me, I know. Her advice is sound; after losing 70 pounds myself many years ago, I'm familiar with every point she makes. I know how easy it is to fall into perfectionist eating traps, as well as the other aspects she delves into. Her five steps are right on.

Go easier on yourself, and the good health that comes with weight loss (and maintenance) will be yours!

Sources for this article include:

(1) JAMA.JAMANetwork.com

(2) PrecisionNutrition.com