3 Reasons Why You Overeat

Overeating is the main cause of obesity and even if you are not obese, but just a few pounds overweight, chances are that food is your weakness.  For most people, they have the knowledge of what they should be eating and the portion sizes, so why is weight still a problem? There are a number of reasons that you are overeating – here are a few possibilities:

1.Not enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is hard on your body both mentally and physically.  If you aren’t properly rested, it actually triggers your body to metabolically change which can lead to weight gain. It also affects your hormones that control your appetite.  According to one study, people who slept for only 4 hours a night for 2 nights had an 18% decrease in the hormone leptin which tells your brain when you are full. They also had a 28% increase in ghrelin which is a hormone that triggers hunger.  To get control of your hunger get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night.

2.Stress. We all deal with stress in different ways, but many people eat. It isn’t just mental either; the physical effects of stress cause your body to crave food. Constant stress triggers high doses of hormones that make you feel like you are hungry all of the time. One of the hormones released is Cortisol which makes us crave comfort foods that are high in calories, fat and salt.  Avoid stress whenever possible by taking time out for you and exercise regularly – yoga has been proven to significantly reduce stress levels. 

3.It’s in your genes. We are actually hardwired to crave fatty, sugary and salty foods. When our ancestors were trying to find whatever food they could to fuel their bodies, these types of foods were ideal because it gave them extra energy. For this reason, to this date we are to an extent hardwired to still want these foods. Although there isn’t much you can do about it, there are ways you can fight cravings.  When you crave something that isn’t good for you, wait it out. Drink a glass of water; go for a walk, or do something that doesn’t involve food until the craving goes away. Don’t ever keep junk foods in your house so that you are less likely to give in to temptation.

The reasons why we overeat are extensive and vary from person to person. In order to find out what is actually making you overeat, it is important to keep a food diary to track when you eat, what you eat and how you feel before, during and after you eat. By doing this you can identify your eating patterns and figure out how to correct it.