We all have been guilty of this.. well, most of us anyways. Overeating is the main reason that many of us are overweight or not exactly where we want our body composition to be.
When you are enjoying what you’re eating, overeating is an easy act to commit. Recent studies have shown that overeating can lead to EVEN MORE EATING, which may get in the way of your weight loss goals. Why does this happen? Research has found that the feeling of fullness becomes blocked in your brain once the body eats too many calories.
Uroguanylin is the hormone produced once your brain receives the information that you are full. This happens because overfeeding stresses the endoplasmic reticulum in your small intestine, an organelle responsible for much of the body’s hormone production. When you overeat, the endoplasmic reticulum becomes stressed and stops producing this hormone that tells your brain that your body has consumed enough calories so you may continue to eat more than needed.
A study on lean and obese mice showed that it is not obesity causing the issue, it’s purely the cease of the production of uroguanylin when too many calories are consumed. The study was unable to find out how much food is too much, but what is known is that it takes 20 minutes for the brain to realize that your stomach is full.
In order to avoid overeating and consumption of unneeded calories, here are some suggestions:
Stay hydrated. If your body isn’t properly hydrated, your brain will think that you are more hungry than you actually are because you are, in fact, thirsty. Drink at least 8 oz. of water before eating a meal to avoid overconsumption of calories and always drink water throughout the day.
Use smaller plates or bowls to trick your brain into thinking that you are eating more than you actually are. Plus, if you're still hungry after the first plate you can get a second serving!
After eating your first serving, wait 15-20 minutes before getting your second. That's the amount of time it takes for your brain to get the message of whether your stomach is full or not.
Avoid eating directly from a package or container and take out the portion that you want to eat and put the rest away. Eating directly from the package promotes mindless overeating and makes it harder to track how much you have eaten.
Avoid All-You-Can-Eat meals and buffets.. unless you have extreme self-control..
Keep tempting items out of your house! If you don't have access to them, you are less likely to eat them!
When eating out at a restaurant, split your meal with a friend or take half of the entree home and eat it later. Restaurant meals are usually a day's worth of calories in ONE MEAL!
My last tip is to eat healthy with lots of fruits and vegetables. Foods that are high in water content but low in calories, such as fruits or vegetables, are great because they will help keep your body hydrated and provide your body with essential nutrients. And because they are low in calories, but high in bulk, it is easier for your body to send the information to your brain that you’ve eaten enough.
I hope this helped you out, thanks for reading and have a great day! Feel free to contact me with any questions! Xo, Kylie