by Dorina Brown

Created on: July 28, 2007   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Discipline and Accountability. There are no two words that I find harder to swallow. Why? Because for me, this is what it takes for me to stick to my diet and not overeat. The pounds, they add slowly enough. It's kind of like the story of the frog and the pot. If you place a frog in a pot of boiling water, he'll jump right out, but if you slowly turn up the temperature, he'll never realize what's killing him. And that is exactly what it is like overeating.

So how do we prevent overeating?

Trust your body. We have become to accustomed to others telling us how it is, that we have stopped listening to our own bodies. I can think back to many a meal where my stomach was screaming, pleading with me, to stop eating, and I didn't because the meal was just too good. One of the first tricks to stop overeating is to start listening to your body. It knows when it's full and you have to trust it.

Eat breakfast. It sounds simple and stupid, and I scoffed at it for years, but breakfast is the most important meal. After the 7-9 hours of "fasting" your body has gone through, your metabolism has slowed WAY down, and needs a kick start. A good healthy breakfast will help do that, and that will help you stay fuller longer.

Drink lots of water. At least 8-10 8 oz glasses. If you can do more, then you're my hero! I find keeping smaller bottles of water on me all day (I love my 500mL Nalgene!) helps trick my mind into thinking I only have a little left to drink. I finish the bottle, fill it, and go again. Water makes you feel full (I also find an 8 oz. glass of milk fills me up as well). Drink a glass before your meal and drink throughout your meal.

Take your time. I always looked at meals as a competition. I saw my plate of food and I had to finish it. Not only that, but I had to finish before anyone else. Your body takes about 20 minutes to digest food. What does that mean? Have you ever finished your plate, feeling only a little full only to have your stomach feel fuller and fuller as you sit there? That's because your body is starting to digest. Eat slowly, completely chew your food, take sips of water between every few bites and you'll find you still have food left over on your plate. And remember, a doggy bag is not a badge of shame.

The definition of buffet is not "a green light to binge". I like buffets. I get exactly what I want. However I find it a temptation to put everything I want on my plate the first time around, which means I put too much on my plate, and overeat. It's

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