5 Reasons to Stop Overeating

Obesity has become one of the top reasons people die in America. But overeating can also cause detrimental effects in every aspect of your life.

Why You Should Stop Overeating

Because binge-eating and binge-watching TV have become everyday American pastimes, people often fall into the trap of overeating because they are watching TV and doing other passive activities. Overeating may not be easy to identify, but identify it you must. It is essential to stop overeating before it becomes a major problem. Here are five reasons to stop overeating:

Physical Health

The most important reason to stop overeating is your health. When people overeat, they are likely not eating healthy foods. Nutritious food is often at our fingertips; however, most people overeat and binge on junk food. Chips, cookies, crackers, and other snacks full of salt, sugar, and other additives can harm your body. Although these comfort people in the short term, the long term can have devastating effects.

Try to create a meal plan that includes healthy foods each day. Make a grocery list and stick to it. Aim to eat three to four vegetables a day. Although the recommended number of daily vegetable servings is five, start with three or four. Drink water. You may find that drinking water keeps you fuller longer and helps you avoid salty and sweet snacks.

If your diet affects your health, go to the doctor and ask for solutions. Don’t simply rely on medication to help. There are many ways to improve your health without medication. Taking supplements, exercising, and increasing your protein are all ways to improve your health.

A doctor may prescribe nutrition plans or refer you to a nutritionist to help you with healthy meals. Organic meats, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, and berries are the best foods to stick to when eating healthy. Keep these foods abundant in your home and stop reaching for the junk foods that comfort you emotionally but harm you physically.

Finances

Did you know that healthy food can be cheaper than junk food? If you do a price comparison of chips versus vegetables, this checks out. Overall, if you eat meat, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts, your budget will benefit.

Be sure to balance your carbohydrate and protein intake. Many people who try to make this switch quickly may feel symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or a feeling of wanting to pass out. However, this is likely your body withdrawing from all the additives and junk you’ve eaten.

Put aside the extra money from your food budget that you are now saving and put it toward something else. Pay down a bill or give it some other meaning and purpose. Often, we keep the money in our accounts and then spend it on other frivolities.

When you’re making a significant change to the diet plan, you may tend to only see the negatives rather than the positives. If you see that your money is going to an important place that is helping you move forward in your life and your finances, more than likely, you will want to stick with the diet.

Furthermore, it will cost you less medication and trips to the doctor if you monitor what you eat. By putting extra fruits and vegetables into your diet, you may find your energy increases, your blood work numbers decrease, and you’re living a better life day by day.

Relationships

You may believe that overeating is simply your choice. However, it affects other people as well. A person who is grossly overweight may not have the energy or time to play with children or be with spouses. They might skip date nights or other special activities because they’re too tired throughout the day.

Because your body is missing nutrients, it is running on empty. When you get to the end of a long day, sitting in front of the television and eating something is easy. However, this will not benefit you if you’re constantly overeating.

Furthermore, a person who uses overeating to cope rather than enjoy relationships will find that relationships become strained or even severed. A spouse may want to leave you because you’re not spending time with them or giving them the time they deserve. When you look at it from that perspective, ask yourself if this bag of chips is worth losing your relationship.

Spiritual Life

Your spiritual life can suffer from overeating as well. If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives within you. Therefore, you ought to keep your body as pure as possible. It’s difficult to cry out to God when you’re using food to numb your emotions.

Additionally, food easily becomes a sort of idol. Idolatry is the giving of those desires and affections that rightly belong to God to some other person or thing. Put another way, it’s giving a place in our heart that rightly belongs to God to something else – some created thing. God wants us to desire Him above all else, even food.

Your Life

You are more valuable than food. Perhaps you’ve dealt with emotional trauma in your life that has caused you to overeat to numb your emotions. Put down the bag of chips and go to a counselor’s office. Seek the help you need to overcome your addiction and eat right.

While it may not seem like there is a greater risk because your body is not impaired by having food, you may find one day you’re behind the wheel of the car and have a heart attack. Not only will you be injured, but also injure the people around you. Be the person who looks out for others as well as yourself and eats right.

If you are doing everything in your power to keep yourself from overeating, and you still wind up with health concerns, you may be subject to genetic or other environmental factors. If this is the case, you can rest assured that you’re doing everything you can for your health. God has turned many people’s lives around through their health. He can undoubtedly turn yours around as well.

Overeating can have devastating effects on your body. Your health, relationships, finances, and spiritual life can all be deeply affected. When you reach the end of your life, you will want to have lived your life to the best of your ability. By eating right, you may add years to your life and quality to those years.