How to Stop Overeating (and Avoid Heartburn)

By Stacey Colino

It’s no secret that overeating is a major heartburn trigger. After all, when you overstuff your stomach, the increased volume in your belly produces more acid and puts extra pressure on the one-way valve that’s supposed to prevent food from backing up into your esophagus, explains Leslie Bonci, a registered dietitian and director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. To stop overeating and avoid heartburn, use these tips and tricks:

1. Eat regularly.
“Waiting too long to eat and letting yourself get too hungry is a major trigger for overeating,” says Bonci. The solution: Have a mini-meal or snack every four to five hours throughout the day.

2. Chew your food thoroughly.
By dedicating more chews to every bite, you’ll eat more slowly. This is important because it takes 15 to 20 minutes for your brain to register fullness. If you wolf down your food, your stomach could become overly stuffed before you feel full, explains Bonci.

3. Drop your fork.
After each mouthful, put your fork or spoon -- or burger or pizza slice -- down. Pick it up again only after you swallow. These built-in pauses can increase the time it takes you to eat by 20 to 50 percent, says Bonci.

4. Don’t nosh from a box or bag.
It’s easy to operate on autopilot when you’re continuously reaching into a bag or box. To avoid overeating, put chips or crackers in a small bowl.

5. Focus on your food.
Sit while you eat, and avoid distractions from a TV or computer. “This makes you more aware of what you’re eating and helps you get more satisfaction,” which will make overeating -- and heartburn -- less likely, says Bonci.

6. Limit variety on your plate.
Sampling from lots of different dishes can lead you to overeat because you’ll be tempted to continue experiencing the tastes, aromas and textures of all the foods that are available, says registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and author of The Flexitarian Diet. “To avoid overeating, be discriminating about your choices and keep flavors simple.”

7. Serve food on individual plates.
Instead of putting serving dishes on the table, set your limits from the start by serving the right portions before you begin to eat. “The less you have accessible at any given time, the less likely you are to overeat,” says Bonci.

Here, a cheat sheet of common portion sizes:

3 ounces cooked chicken or meat: Deck of cards

1 cup cooked rice, pasta or ice cream: Tennis ball

1/2 cup vegetables or 1 small baked potato: Computer mouse

1 medium fruit: Baseball

2 tablespoons peanut butter, jam or salad dressing: Golf ball

1 tablespoon butter: Die

1 ounce cheese: Domino

1 ounce chocolate: Packet of dental floss

8. Question your hunger.
Ask yourself if you’re really hungry -- or just looking for something to do. This requires some practice, says Bonci, “but if you do it, you’ll probably end up eating less and feeling a lot more comfortable.”

Stacey Colino has written for The Washington Post health section and many national magazines, including Newsweek, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Self, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Parenting, Sports Illustrated and Ladies' Home Journal.

Print this article