How To Overcome Overeating

Overeating is a major problem induced by stress, weather conditions, mood and most importantly boredom. It is easy to eat ten cookies at once when you’re stress eating because you are sad, depressed, lonely or bored. Sometimes staying busy and preoccupied can help with overeating. I have compiled a list of things that you can do instead of eating mindlessly, so the next time you feel like ordering that 14-inch pizza and eating it in one go, do these instead:

Go Get a Massage

Sometimes all we need is a little pampering. A massage can do a great deal of stress relief for your body. It doesn’t just feel good, it also boosts your overall wellness and helps your weight loss efforts too.

Picture an Energetic You

The first key to building a healthy lifestyle and sticking to it, beyond the food, is actually picturing it. When you picture a healthier, energetic, more vibrant you, you’ll be motivated to put the snicker bar down and focus on controlling your cravings so that you can achieve better results.

Walk Around the Block

Depending on what time of the day it is, and what area of the town you live in (in terms of safety), it might be a wonderful idea to step out and walk around, observe nature, observe people, take it all in and appreciate it.

Call a Friend

Many times in my life, my friends have been the ones who have kept me on the right track. Sometimes taking out time out of your day to simply call a friend and check up on them can help you put things into perspective and give you a refresher.

Make a List of Top Ten Reasons to Get Active

The power of the written word cannot be emphasized enough. Sometimes taking out to time to jot down your goals. Take time out to make a comprehensive list of the top ten reasons to get active and study them closely and set up a plan in place to help stay active.

Read a Book To a Child

Kids are amazing. Their inquisitive minds and sense of wonder can often help us to see the beauty in life, despite how life forces us to be stoic and cynical. Reading to a child is a great way to hone and sharpen your entire perspective on life.

Make a To-Do List

At the beginning of the year, you had great plans and resolutions. You made up your mind to be the best version of yourself that you could be. It is not too late to squash those goals. A to-do list can be a great way to help you organize your day-to-day life, as well as your near future. It also requires critical thinking and clarity of thought, and that is why it is so great.

Dance a Little

Go ahead and burn those calories in creative ways! Granted, not everyone has Shakira’s rhythm, but every once in a while, it’s good to break out a sweat by dancing to some up-tempo music. I personally love Spanish music. Find out what works for you, and stick with it. You will be glad that you did.

Plan a Vacation

This is my personal favorite on this list because the possibilities are endless. You could skid off to the Maldives, or plan a trip to Cuba; there is no limit to anything, that’s the best part about it. Planning an exotic trip won’t only excite and motivate you.

Jot Down a Thank You Note

One of the greatest lessons that my mother taught me was the lesson of showing appreciation “Don’t forget to say thank you!” she’d say. Often times, certain people in our lives help us out with favors and do generally nice thing for us. Sometimes we say thank you, and other times we do not. Taking out time to jot a hand-written thank you note to your boss, your mother, that colleague at work, will give you a boost of confidence as well as strengthen those relationships in your life.

Go To Bed Early

Eating food late at night can be really tempting, especially when your body is telling you that you have to have that Snickers bar! This when you call it a night and go to bed early. Don’t turn on the TV, don’t call your Aunt Sally, just go to bed early.

Walk Your Dog

A dog is a man’s best friend, they say. Dogs make the best company. If you have a dog, he or she is probably one of your best friends so take it for a walk around the block. You’ll be glad you do, and did I mention that it can be a major mood booster?

Write Something That You Are Proud of This week

It could be a project that you finally finished, an errand that you ran, or even that movie series that you finally got to finish. Write it down, be proud of it.

Freshen Your Makeup

Makeup tends to get old throughout the day, and you probably won’t be home when boredom strikes and you decide to pop something grossly unhealthy in your mouth. Instead, freshen your make up. MAC, L’oreal, Fenty by Rihanna are all amazing brands. Add them to your collection.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h

Stretch out your body! Yoga is a great way to do that as well depending on how into that kind of stuff you are. Taking time to stretch can help to relieve general body tension as well as anxiety. Do it carefully though, people get injuries from using the wrong techniques sometimes.

Drink a Glass of Water

Water has so many health benefits. In addition to relieving thirst and dehydration, it can be great for your skin, it promotes energy and weight loss, flushes out toxins, builds your immune system and proves to be a natural headache remedy.

Brush Your Teeth

Personal hygiene will never go out of style, and oral hygiene is one of the most important facets of personal hygiene. Take care of your teeth.

Feel Your Feelings

Sometimes, life compels us to bottle things up, act tough and go through each day as it comes, but it doesn’t always have to be like that. When you are alone, take time out to actually feel your feelings. Sit down in a quiet place, close your eyes and allow yourself to mentally and emotionally process whatever it is you are going through, whether it’s anger, sadness, happiness, love, feel it and acknowledge it. Validate your feelings, because believe it or not, they have a way of directly or indirectly affecting your health and the food choices that you make.

Chop Veggies To Keep On Hand

Chopping up vegetables and storing in your fridge with a delicious dip, is a good step towards making sure that you are actively working on your diet. Many times, it is not so much how often we eat, or when, how or where we eat. It is what we eat. Keeping veggies on hand for when the need arises is an excellent way to stay on the right track.

Do a Few Sit-Ups

Sit-ups are a great way to tone and enhance your core. They are a lot like doing crunches, but the two actually have varying differences.  While both exercises start out by lying flat on your back, a sit up requires you to lift your entire torso up into a semi-seated position, whereas a crunch simply means lifting just your shoulders and upper back off the ground. Doing regular sit-ups is a great way to improve your overall fitness and health.