The key to weight loss is balancing calories you take in with the calories you burn. You know you need to eat a healthy diet to achieve your weight loss goals, but reality sets in and it's easier said than done. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) reported in 2009 that the average person consumes 3,000 calories at Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of finding excuses for your overeating, take steps to stop being a binge monster and accomplish your New Year's resolutions.
Step 1
Educate yourself about the dangers of binging. Occasionally pigging out can hurt more than your waist-line. Besides causing indigestion, gas and bloating, overeating is reported by ACE to raise your risk of a heart attack, gallbladder pain and drowsiness while driving.
Step 2
Reflect on your eating habits. Geneen Roth, author of "Why Weight: A Guide to Ending Compulsive Eating," says that instead of trying to understand our emotional eating, "we're more likely to try to ignore it or shut it up."
Don't ignore your eating habits. Keep a food diary or use online tools like Livestrong's free Daily Plate application to keep track of the foods you eat and the time of day you eat them (see Resources). Try to pinpoint habits that could be causing you to overeat. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) lists some of the most common eating habits that lead to weight gain: eating too fast, always cleaning your plate, eating when not hungry, eating while standing up, always eating dessert and skipping meals.
Step 3
Avoid tempting foods. When you open the cabinet and see your favorite snack or sit near the doughnuts at the morning staff meeting, it can be difficult to avoid binging on them. Don't make unhealthy foods convenient. You can't overeat food that isn't there.
Step 4
Replace unhealthy habits with healthier ones. Once you determine which of your habits is transforming you into a binge monster, avoid repeating the behavior and start substituting healthier alternatives. The CDC offers these suggestions: eat more slowly, eat only when you're hungry and plan meals ahead of time to make sure you eat a healthy, well-balanced meal. ACE also recommends taking a "long, hard walk" or running an hour before eating. This will elevate metabolism to help you digest food more effectively.
Step 5
Find distractions from food. Since holidays and family events often trigger overeating, ACE suggests focusing get-togethers on family and friends rather than the food being served. Engaging in conversation can give your food time to digest and allow you to connect with loved ones. Plus, keeping your mouth busy will give it less opportunity to binge.
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