8 Tips to Avoid Overeating in the Restaurants: Quick Weight Loss Tips

You may not notice just how much you consume in any given day, and this disconnect from your food and nutrition can lead to overeating, eventually causing weight gain. Being more conscious and using easy tips to keep you constantly thinking about your food choices and eating habits can help you avoid overeating and maintain a healthy weight.

Overeating is an easy task and when one decides not to do it, then he or she can count him or herself the lucky one. According to the health researchers, extra calories a day contributes to weight gain very quickly therefore it is best to shave the excess calories in order to lose weight. This can be done by becoming aware of how and what we eat.

Tips on How to Avoid Overeating in the Restaurants

1. Drink First, then Eat:

Are you drinking eight glasses of water each day? You should be for proper hydration and to ensure your body isn’t confusing thirst for hunger. Before heading to the restaurant, drink a glass of water and make sure you sip throughout the meal. In general, staying hydrated can curb the amount of food you consume.

2. Keep a Food Diary:

Beck encourages overeaters, especially those who are trying to lose weight, to keep a food diary for at least a couple of weeks. Write down everything you eat and you’ll start to see patterns, she says. You can even write down why you’re eating something and you may find it’s because you’re bored or stressed out or it’s just become a habit in front of the television at night.

This helps you recognize your problem areas. Also, when you’re writing things down, you may think twice about having something, she notes.

3. Buy Smaller Packages:

Studies show that when people eat directly out of big bags of chips, big bags of cookies, supersize popcorn, they eat 25 to 50 per cent more, Beck says. So watch the jumbo or economy-size purchases because, especially when it comes to snack foods, they encourage overeating.

4. Eat a Healthy Snack before Heading to the Restaurant:

One of our editors snacks on veggies or other healthy snacks before dining out. The pre-dinner snack takes the edge off hunger pains, allows her to resist spending more money than she would like, and curbs her eating while still allowing her to savor a delicious meal.

5. Ask the Waiter to Skip the Bread:

There’s no point in ruining your diet before appetizers arrive. Nor do you want to be consumed by the internal battle against the tempting bread basket on the table. If it’s OK with the others in your party, ask the waiter to hold the bread. “Out of sight, out of mind” really is true when avoiding temptation.

6. Use a Luncheon-size Plate for Your Meals:

If you use an oversize plate for your meal, it will appear to be a smaller amount. Psychologically, eating your food from the smaller plate will give you the feeling that you have a full plate with lots of food.

7. Have a Snack before You go Out:

Whenever you’re going out, whether it’s to a dinner party, a restaurant or a cocktail party, have a snack before you go. Try a piece of fruit, some yogurt or a filling bowl of vegetable soup. By doing this, you won’t arrive famished and be more likely to overeat.

8. Know when to Stop:

The rule is that the first time you sigh while eating means you’ve had enough. Unfortunately, it takes our stomachs approximately 20 minutes to register a satisfied, full feeling.This more noticeable cue can help you know when to ask the waiter to remove your plate.