Overeating has become a huge problem these days and I know we are all guilty of it every now and then. The majority of Americans eat due to boredom or depression. By keeping ourselves busy, active, and out of stressful/depressing situations, we can beat this phenomenon.
Overeating not only causes rapid weight gain, but high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, or even a ruptured stomach can be result. Serving sizes have been blow out of proportion these days and can actually be rather scary. Below are the recommended serving sizes as well as a few helpful tips to prevent overeating.
Recommended Serving Sizes
Bread/Cereal/Rice/Pasta: 1 slice of bread/toast or 1/2 cup (eat 6-11 servings per day)
Fruit: 1 piece of fruit or 6 oz. glass of 100% fruit juice (eat 2-4 servings per day)
Vegetables: 1 cup or 1 whole medium baked potato (eat 3-5 servings per day)
Meat/Poultry/Fish/Nuts/Eggs: 1 egg, 3 oz. of meat/poultry/fish, or 1 oz. of nuts (eat 2-3 servings per day)
Dairy: 8 oz. glass of skim milk or 1 oz. cheese (eat 2-3 servings per day)
Fats/Oils/Sweets: Use sparingly (less than 10% of daily food intake)
Top 10 Ways To Prevent Overeating
- Don’t buy food in bulk
- Eat recommended serving sizes
- Drink a glass of water before, during, and after a meal
- Don’t grocery shop on an empty stomach
- Take your time while eating
- Start a meal with fruit (apple) or raw vegetables
- Eat small, healthy snacks throughout the day to reduce hunger
- Avoid stressful situations
- When dining out, ask the server to box half the meal in a to-go box before serving it
- Exercise