Eating in Secret? Here are 5 Tips to stop overeating

Have you ever wondered why you find yourself eating in secret and breaking your diet while some other  people seem to be able to eat whatever they want and stay lean?

Annoying aren’t they!

Do you want to know what their secret is?

Aside from not eating in secret, there is one simple thing that naturally slim people do. And it’s not as complicated as you might think, and it doesn’t involve yoyo dieting or counting calories.

Eating in Secret challenges

Eating in secret can be so frustrating. You have spent all day trying to eat well, only for it to all fall apart when you are in the privacy of your own kitchen.

Like you, I used to really struggle with eating in secret. 

In social settings, I would mostly eat fairly healthy options and usually not overindulge. Trying to show that I was making an effort to lose weight, and often believing it myself.

But then so often behind closed doors I was struggling with feeling out of control with urges. Maybe this sounds familiar to you?

Perhaps like me you have found yourself restless in front of the TV after dinner. Struggling to resist going backwards and forwards to the fridge and pantry? Snacking on item after item trying to satisfy your urges but nothing ever quite hitting the spot?

The truth is all of your hard work during the day trying to resist temptation can be undone by eating in secret.

It can be so deflating to feel like you have put in so much effort during the day, only to then completely lose control in the evening when alone.

There are ways to stop this though and the answer might surprise you.

It is possible to stop eating in secret

Thankfully it is absolutely possible to stop eating in secret.

But let me ask you a question first. Is eating in secret really the issue?

Or is the real problem that when you are eating in secret, you tend to overeat and feel out of control with urges to eat? And are these urges particularly urges to eat “junk” and “naughty” foods.?

If you’re anything like me, the real issue with secretly eating is those feelings of uncontrollable urges. The real challenge is trying to resist overeating the “naughty” foods.

So the truth is, eating in secret is not necessarily the real issue.

Secret eating is okay

It’s actually completely ok to secretly eat. What we need to look at instead of how to stop secretly eating is how to stop overeating.

Because overeating and feeling out of control with urges to eat naughty foods are the real issue here. 

Thankfully it absolutely is possible to stop secretly overeating. Let me tell you how to do it.

How to stop secretly overeating

Here are 5 tips to help you instantly stop overeating;

1. Eat like a naturally slim person

Can you think of someone who seems to be able to eat whatever they want and stay lean?

Have you ever wondered what their secret is?

You may have noticed that they seem to be able to eat as much as they want, then stop when they are full.

2. Eat your dessert and treats

Another secret of the “naturally” slim people that you may have noticed is that they seem to be able to eat whatever they want.

Unfortunately when we try to restrict certain foods, what can happen is that they are put up on a pedestal. It’s like when we are told that we can’t have something, we just want it even more. I know I can relate to that!

Studies have also shown that when you stop restricting foods, you are more likely to lose weight! I know it sounds counterintuitive, but this highlights the need to include all foods so that you don’t overindulge when you finally and inevitably succumb to eating your favourite treats.

3. Serve your food

Ever found yourself unable to stop eating chips when you are secretly eating?

It can be really hard to stop overeating when the food is so tasty and there is no end in sight.

One simple trick is to serve up all of your food, particularly any snacks or sweet treats.

When you serve food it makes it easier to consider whether you in fact want more. Whilst of course you can always go back for more, just creating this opportunity for choice can be the difference between an enjoyable snack and an uncomfortable binge. 

4. Remove distractions

Once you have served your snacks, it’s helpful to then find a quiet place to sit down and enjoy your treats.

Studies show that you will likely consume less calories if you remove distractions when you eat. This means turn off the TV, put down your phone and really savour the flavour of your food. 

5. Slow down 

The final trick to stop secretly overeating is simply to slow down. Studies also show that you are more likely to eat less if you eat slowly. 

The general thought is that your stomach can take some time to register that it is full. Perhaps you have felt this, where you still feel hungry when you are eating, but then completely stuffed half an hour later.

As well as giving your stomach a chance to catch up, eating slowly can also make the eating experience more enjoyable. By putting down your food and concentrating on the food as you are chewing, you can more easily savour the delicious flavours of what you are eating.

But for whatever reason, there is plenty of evidence showing that “eating rate affects energy intake”, so if you want to feel satisfied with less food, then slow down.

How to lose weight without dieting

Using the above steps is the backbone of how I have lost over 25kg without dieting or exercise. 

It’s amazing knowing how to lose weight without restricting yourself from any of your favourite foods.

How would it change your life if you could enjoy chocolate, chips, pizza and even ice cream and still lose weight? If you want to find out, then book in for a free discovery call and let's talk about how you can do it too.

—-------- About the author: James Hay

Hi, I’m James, an intuitive eating weight loss coach. I teach people how to lose weight without any dieting or restrictions.

My clients lose weight whilst eating all of their favourite foods.

I’m qualified in Public Health and also a certified nutritionist and health coach. I have personally applied what I teach to lose over 25kg and can help you achieve similar results without dieting. Let’s talk