Series on Overeating

An End to Excess: A Three Part Series on Overeating. Defining it. Dealing with It. Moving On!

“Clogged with yesterday's excess, the body drags the mind down with it.”-Horace

Overeating. The modern world that we live in is abundant and thank goodness for that! We enjoy so many comforts that our ancestors did not, that sometimes it feels only natural to indulge and enjoy the fruits that our fore-parents did not. Yet studies have shown that despite our abundance of food, our health is not improving.  As our grocery aisles expand, so do our waist bands.

Overeating helps drive our economy but where is it driving you? Overeating puts the body under tremendous stress.  From basic metabolism of your food to taking care of insulin needs, whether we eat a snack pack of processed foods or engorge ourselves at one sitting, the body expands enormous energy managing the food that we have ingested.

To reduce overwhelming the body with metabolic tasks, we can, as one older lady said to me many years ago, “push away from the table." Dr. Sasson Moulavi, an internationally acclaimed bariatric physician, puts it simply, “It is important that you learn not to eat until you are full.  If you let yourself get too hungry, it may cause rebound overeating. Learn to stay in the comfort zone between 1/4 empty and 3/4 full."

Eating six small meals every two to three hours can really help you learn to eat this way.  You will not experience insulin spikes if you choose to eat small, well-balanced meals (complex carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and good fats).  You will not feel famished and want to devour the kitchen. Instead your body can use stored insulin, fat tissue, and your body will become a fat burning machine.

Being overweight comes at a tremendous cost to your health and wealth.  Not only does overeating tax the body it also taxes a person socially with subtle or overt discrimination.  It is well documented that overweight people are generally paid lower wages than a person who is of normal weight.

“A body full of excess," surmises Horace, “drags the mind down with it."  Each moment is an opportunity to experience and grow your potential.  If you or someone your know struggles with the habit of overeating, stay tuned for the next two blog posts where we will discuss strategies for overcoming overeating using a variety of techniques.  The first blog will focus on practical techniques such as relearning “bite size," staying hydrated, and keeping a record of what you eat.  In the second blog, we will explore behavior modification and other more psychologically based techniques to support your change in habit.

Until next week, my challenge to you is this (choose one): eat one helping of supper, leave some food on your plate, choose smaller dishes to eat from.  Step one in overcoming overeating, less food.

In the meantime, stay inspired, in the know, and be part of the conversation with JumpSport, Inc. by following the JumpSport Fitness Trampoline,™  JFT on Facebook or on Twitter @FitTrampoline.

In good health!

Heidi Aspen Lauckhardt-Rhoades

Writer and Social Media Correspondent

Professional Fitness Instructor

thewritefit.us

FB: The Write Fit & Open Barre Happy Hour

Twitter: @ATweetFit