How to Eat in Moderation
Eat breakfast and get plenty of sleep., Keep a food diary for at least a week, and track all food and drinks, including snacks., Use the food journal to identify calorie hogs, empty calories, and hidden calories., Substitute quality for quantity...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Eat breakfast and get plenty of sleep.
Studies have shown that well-rested individuals and people who take the time to eat breakfast are less likely to indulge or overeat for the remainder of the day, sometimes saving hundreds of calories over their famished or tired counterparts.
Thinking about it logically, consider that the body needs to get energy from somewhere.
If you don’t fuel it with sleep and rest when it feels drained, it will look for sources of fuel elsewhere.
That’s when overeating can enter the scene.
The difficulty is that there are different types of fuel for a reason; when the body is physically hungry due to a lack of food, it benefits from more food, but if the body is sleep-deprived and gets food as a replacement, food stores overflow and turn into excess fat and other health issue.
Going to bed earlier may also prevent overeating by opportunistic or habitual eaters, who reach for entire bags of potato chips or pints of ice cream when staying up late. -
Step 2: Keep a food diary for at least a week
Take note of the quantity or volume, the type, and even the time each food is consumed.
For instance, write “large order of fries, two double cheeseburgers, large regular soda, noon” or “whole cinnamon raisin bagel with two tablespoons cream cheese, 1 small apple, medium latte with caramel sauce, 8am.” Note binge triggers or particular food weaknesses where moderation is neglected, such as consuming several handfuls of potato chips at 11 o’clock every evening, or a tendency to eat a second brownie after trying a first for dessert.
Many studies have documented the power of food journals for estimating the quantity and quality of food and calories consumed in an average day or week.
Be sure to include weekends, restaurant meals, quick snacks, smoothies and shakes, desserts, and other calorie sources of any type. , Sometimes just having a written log of the amount and types of food consumed in a given day or week can be enough of a wake-up call for people to reduce their consumption.
For others, it may be easier to target a reduction in quantity for specific food groups or times of day.
Simple sugars, condiments, fatty snacks, desserts, and foods that trigger additional eating can be a great place to start.
Setting small but significant goals–and achieving them–can help mitigate the risk of overeating and even provide the confidence and willpower to take more drastic dietary restrictions if necessary. , Some foods do not satisfy hunger cues because they confuse the brain or contain little nutritional value.
Add a healthy protein or fat source to small snacks or regular meals.
If a feeling of hunger persists 15 minutes after eating, try snacking on foods that carry very few calories despite their volume, such as a few handfuls of popcorn, a small bag of carrot and celery sticks, a cup of vegetable soup, or two rice cakes.
When meals and snacks are built around vital nutrients and filling but healthy ingredients, it is easier to be satisfied with modest quantities. , Many people are astonished to learn that a recommended serving size of meat is approximately the size of a deck of cards, and the recommended serving size for peanut butter is about the size of a golf ball.
By dishing up appropriate portions at home and by requesting half of a restaurant meal to be packaged for leftovers in advance, many people can avoid overeating simply by limiting amounts before the food is on the plate.
With less food on the plate at the beginning, most people’s tendency to finish their serving will still satisfy their hunger without loading on extra calories from oversized portions.
If one plateful is not enough, opt for second helpings only of the healthiest dishes, such as vegetables or whole grains. , For some people, attempts to abruptly or totally remove unhealthy items or desserts can lead to eventual binging or overeating.
Instead, start by allowing one sweet item or treat each day, in moderation.
Limit portions to only a few bites.
Waiting a few minutes between each bite to savor and appreciate the food.
This may help reduce the urge to finish the entire item while still satisfying a sweet or salty craving. , Planning meals and portion sizes ahead of time can help reduce overeating or mindless munching.
Charting out ingredients for each meal and snack in advance also makes it easier to build a balanced, nutritional diet.
Plan to keep filling but healthy snacks on hand and avoid buying trigger foods, calorie-dense foods, and high-calorie drinks. -
Step 3: and track all food and drinks
-
Step 4: including snacks.
-
Step 5: Use the food journal to identify calorie hogs
-
Step 6: empty calories
-
Step 7: and hidden calories.
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Step 8: Substitute quality for quantity.
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Step 9: Learn to measure appropriate portions.
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Step 10: Allow (some) treats.
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Step 11: Make a meal plan and stick to it.
Detailed Guide
Studies have shown that well-rested individuals and people who take the time to eat breakfast are less likely to indulge or overeat for the remainder of the day, sometimes saving hundreds of calories over their famished or tired counterparts.
Thinking about it logically, consider that the body needs to get energy from somewhere.
If you don’t fuel it with sleep and rest when it feels drained, it will look for sources of fuel elsewhere.
That’s when overeating can enter the scene.
The difficulty is that there are different types of fuel for a reason; when the body is physically hungry due to a lack of food, it benefits from more food, but if the body is sleep-deprived and gets food as a replacement, food stores overflow and turn into excess fat and other health issue.
Going to bed earlier may also prevent overeating by opportunistic or habitual eaters, who reach for entire bags of potato chips or pints of ice cream when staying up late.
Take note of the quantity or volume, the type, and even the time each food is consumed.
For instance, write “large order of fries, two double cheeseburgers, large regular soda, noon” or “whole cinnamon raisin bagel with two tablespoons cream cheese, 1 small apple, medium latte with caramel sauce, 8am.” Note binge triggers or particular food weaknesses where moderation is neglected, such as consuming several handfuls of potato chips at 11 o’clock every evening, or a tendency to eat a second brownie after trying a first for dessert.
Many studies have documented the power of food journals for estimating the quantity and quality of food and calories consumed in an average day or week.
Be sure to include weekends, restaurant meals, quick snacks, smoothies and shakes, desserts, and other calorie sources of any type. , Sometimes just having a written log of the amount and types of food consumed in a given day or week can be enough of a wake-up call for people to reduce their consumption.
For others, it may be easier to target a reduction in quantity for specific food groups or times of day.
Simple sugars, condiments, fatty snacks, desserts, and foods that trigger additional eating can be a great place to start.
Setting small but significant goals–and achieving them–can help mitigate the risk of overeating and even provide the confidence and willpower to take more drastic dietary restrictions if necessary. , Some foods do not satisfy hunger cues because they confuse the brain or contain little nutritional value.
Add a healthy protein or fat source to small snacks or regular meals.
If a feeling of hunger persists 15 minutes after eating, try snacking on foods that carry very few calories despite their volume, such as a few handfuls of popcorn, a small bag of carrot and celery sticks, a cup of vegetable soup, or two rice cakes.
When meals and snacks are built around vital nutrients and filling but healthy ingredients, it is easier to be satisfied with modest quantities. , Many people are astonished to learn that a recommended serving size of meat is approximately the size of a deck of cards, and the recommended serving size for peanut butter is about the size of a golf ball.
By dishing up appropriate portions at home and by requesting half of a restaurant meal to be packaged for leftovers in advance, many people can avoid overeating simply by limiting amounts before the food is on the plate.
With less food on the plate at the beginning, most people’s tendency to finish their serving will still satisfy their hunger without loading on extra calories from oversized portions.
If one plateful is not enough, opt for second helpings only of the healthiest dishes, such as vegetables or whole grains. , For some people, attempts to abruptly or totally remove unhealthy items or desserts can lead to eventual binging or overeating.
Instead, start by allowing one sweet item or treat each day, in moderation.
Limit portions to only a few bites.
Waiting a few minutes between each bite to savor and appreciate the food.
This may help reduce the urge to finish the entire item while still satisfying a sweet or salty craving. , Planning meals and portion sizes ahead of time can help reduce overeating or mindless munching.
Charting out ingredients for each meal and snack in advance also makes it easier to build a balanced, nutritional diet.
Plan to keep filling but healthy snacks on hand and avoid buying trigger foods, calorie-dense foods, and high-calorie drinks.
About the Author
Stephen Roberts
Specializes in breaking down complex hobbies topics into simple steps.
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