5 Tricks to Stop Eating When You’re Full

It’s really easy to eat your feelings. Whether in glorious celebration or furious wrath (or just by the lovely-loathsome accident of snacking), you can wind up with more in your stomach than you planned. Food’s just too good to not indulge sometimes, so we have to trick ourselves into not eating ourselves into oblivion. To help you doze off without regret, here’s a few ways to slow or stop yourself from partying down with your all-time favorite (and such delicious) guest.

1. Just start with less.

You’re a go-getter, so you hate leaving tasks unfinished. I totally hear ya, and nothing screams immediate failure louder than food leftover on a plate. It means you semi-literally bit off more than you could chew. But, honestly, if you only have enough energy for a scrimmage, don’t make it to the Super Bowl (no, I have no idea how football works). I mean, you could always just put away half the meal before you even start. Just kick that business out of your eyeline right from the get-go. Out of sight, out of mind, out of gut.

2. Use smaller tableware.

Sure, smaller plates, dishes, and glasses initially sounds like you’re dining with dolls, but just that optical illusion will fool yourself into plating less, which means eating less. You’re likely going to devour what you serve yourself and you’re unlikely to do up a presentation that looks like a special in some five-star eatery in Manhattan with a bite or two in the middle of an otherwise empty plate, save for the plant branch and balsamic drizzle. Even when you make yourself a meal, you want it to look nice, so you’ll fill the plate with a colorful spread. Just make it easier to reach the edges.

3. Don’t make expensive food a habit.

Yes, treat yo’self! But don’t always treat yo’self! I mean, come on, if you see your meal as a big deal, whether making it or ordering it, you’re going to finish the masterpiece, because you don’t just throw away jewels. Hell no, you eat jewels (no, I have no idea how fashion works either). The problem here is perception. If you see the meal as epic, grand, or upper-crust quality, then you’re less likely to shy away, even when you feel like a sludge-stuffed balloon. You’ll want to get your money’s worth and finish it while it’s hot, which is totally fine as a special occasion, not a regular occurrence.

4. Stop think of TV time as eating time.

You just straight up need to quit this (and I’m partially addressing my guilty ass here). Television will be good to your eyes and bad for your brain, regardless of whatever the hell your mouth’s doing. If it’s just a hand thing, do something better with that curious spidery ten-pack, like holding your head during sit-ups or gripping the handlebars of a stationary bike. If it’s an oral fixation, take up a mellower TV diet, one that doesn’t barge your acidic promised land like some parade that feels too long (which is all of them, by the way). If you have to eat while watching TV, make it fruits and vegetables. Otherwise, break that whack association, because you’re better than Pavlov’s Dog. For starters, that dude was a dog. You’re a human. Probably. I don’t know. Foodbeast doesn’t have these kind of metrics.

5. Make it more of a process to eat.

If you’re fast with a fork, use chopsticks, so it takes longer to eat. If you’re fast regardless, make smaller batches, so you have to make it again. By slowing yourself down, you allow the food to settle. Otherwise, when you eat a delicious meal quickly, there’s the chance you think, hot damn, that was good, grand, and you need that again. But if simply waiting to see if you’re still hungry is too much (try 10-15 minutes), simply make the actual process of dining a slower one. Your body will thank you (just say aloud, “Thanks for not making me feel like a barfy volcano, ______,” as that totally counts).