If you're constantly overeating, it may be because you're sleep-deprived, stressed, have demanding relatives, or your hormones are out of balance.

If you're worried about overeating, here are some tips from top nutritionists. Be aware of your portion sizes, even with healthy foods, and try to maintain healthy eating habits as you age.

1. May promote excess body fat

Your daily calorie balance is determined by how many calories you consume compared to how many calories you burn.

A calorie surplus occurs when you consume more calories than you burn. Your body may store these extra calories as fat.

If you overeat, you may consume more calories than you need, which can cause you to gain excess body fat or become obese.

This means that, although consuming too much protein may not lead to increased body fat, it is still possible to gain weight if you consume too many calories from carbs and fats.

You can avoid gaining too much fat by eating foods that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates before you eat foods that are higher in carbs and fat.

2. May disrupt hunger regulation

The levels of two hormones, ghrelin and leptin, have an effect on how hungry someone feels. Ghrelin levels increase appetites, while leptin suppresses appetites.

If you haven't eaten in a while, your body produces more ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that signals your body that it's time to eat. Once you've eaten, your body produces leptin. Leptin is a hormone that signals your body that it's full.

However, overeating may disrupt this balance.

Eating fatty, sugary, or salty foods releases dopamine, which activates pleasure centers in your brain.

If you keep eating foods that make you feel good, your body will start to associate those pleasurable sensations with those foods. Eventually, you'll start to eat for pleasure rather than because you're actually hungry.

If the hormones that affect hunger are disrupted, it can cause a person to overeat all the time.

You can make yourself feel better by eating certain foods slowly and in smaller amounts.

3. May increase disease risk

More frequent overeating can lead to obesity, which in turn increases the risk of developing a number of diseases.

If your BMI is 30 or above, you are obese and at risk for metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that increase your chances of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Some indications that someone has metabolic syndrome are high levels of fat in the blood, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and inflammation.

This can cause your pancreas to overproduce insulin and eventually lead to Type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance and chronic overeating are closely linked. When too much sugar is in your blood, it reduces the ability of the hormone insulin to store blood sugar in your cells. This can cause your pancreas to make too much insulin, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes.

If insulin resistance is not controlled, it may lead to type 2 diabetes.

You can improve your health by avoiding high calorie, processed foods, eating plenty of vegetables, and limiting portion sizes of carbs.

4. May impair brain function

Over time, overeating may harm brain function.

Overeating has been linked to mental decline in older adults in several studies, as opposed to those who don't overeat.

One study found that overweight individuals had worse memory than normal weight individuals.

Although more research needs to be done to determine how and to what extent overeating and obesity can lead to mental decline, it has been suggested that there is a link between the two.

Your brain is mostly fat, so eating healthy fats like avocados, nut butters, fatty fish, and olive oil may help prevent mental decline.

SUMMARY
Eating a lot and being obese are related to small decreases in intelligence as people get older, though more research is needed.

5. May make you nauseous

If you overeat on a regular basis, you might start to feel nauseous or have indigestion.

The adult stomach is about the size of a clenched fist and can hold about 2.5 ounces (75 mL) when empty. However, it can expand to hold around 1 quart (950 mL) of food or liquid.

The amount of food you need to eat each day varies depending on your size and how much you normally eat.

If you eat a lot and start to feel nauseous or have indigestion, this may be because you have reached the upper limit of your stomach's capacity. In severe cases, the nausea may cause you to vomit, which is your body's way of relieving the sudden stomach pressure.

There are many medications that can treat conditions like these, but the best way to prevent them is to regulate your portion sizes and eat slowly.

6. May cause excessive gas and bloating

If you eat a lot of food at once, it can put a lot of pressure on your digestive system and cause gas and bloating.

Spicy, fatty foods and carbonated drinks like soda tend to produce gas, which people often overeat. Beans, certain veggies and whole grains may also produce gas, but these aren't overeaten as often.

In addition, eating too fast can lead to gas and bloating because a lot of food enters your stomach quickly.

You can avoid gas and bloating by eating slowly, not drinking fluids with your meals, and reducing your portion sizes of gassy foods.

7. May make you sleepy

After overeating, many people become sluggish or tired.

Reactive hypoglycemia is a phenomenon in which your blood sugars drop shortly after eating a big meal.

Low blood sugar can cause symptoms like sleepiness, sluggishness, rapid heart rate, and headaches (23).

The cause of the condition is unknown, but it is thought to be related to too much insulin being produced.

Reactive hypoglycemia may occur as a result of overeating in some individuals, though it is most common in people with diabetes who administer too much insulin.

8. Pringles and Skittles Are Lying on Your Counter

Keeping unhealthy food out of easy sight and reach is a surefire way to discourage overeating. “Ever heard of ‘out of sight, out of mind?' Well, you can't eat the things you don't have, and you're less likely to eat them if they aren't right in front of you,” says Rebecca Lewis, RD for HelloFresh. “Instead, place bowls of fruits and veggies out on the counter and ditch the display of unhealthy snacks.” Pro-tip: Make sure none of the unhealthiest foods on the planet are within easy reach of your kitchen to avoid overeating them.

9. You're a Multitasking Master

If you don't want to gain weight, don't eat while you're doing other things. “Eating in front of the computer, TV, in the car, or while reading a book are all things we love to do,” says Kimberly Gomer, RD, Director of Nutrition at Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa. “But our stomachs have ‘stretch receptors.' When food hits our stomachs, the stretch receptors send a signal of satiety to our brains saying ‘You're full!' This signal does not work if you eat while distracted. Studies have shown that you can easily take in hundreds of extra calories simply by not paying attention.” To avoid this overeating pitfall, practice mindful eating. Turn off any distractions around you, sit quietly, and focus on all the aspects of your meal when you eat.

10. You're Not Sipping Enough H2O

“The brain confuses thirst for hunger and you wind up overeating when a glass of water would have nipped your ‘hunger' in the bud,” offer The Nutrition Twins. It's easy to outsmart this sneaky but common source of hunger pangs, though: “Carry a water bottle with you and sip it throughout the day and make an effort to drink at least one cup of water with meals and a cup before!”

11. You've Got Food Fatigue

Hever commented that because we make approximately 200 food choices each day, we get fatigued towards the end of the day. He went on to say that meal planning is optimal to help you gain control of your overall food intake.

12. You're Noshing on Processed Foods

Many of us are eating foods that are designed to make us think we are still hungry. “These foods lack actual nutrition, so we have to eat more and more of them before our brain gets the message that we're actually full,” says Lewis. “These foods are also heavily processed and filled with additives, flavorings, and textures that keep us coming back for more. Instead, we should eat fruits and veggies first.”

13. Something is Driving You Next-level Insane

Your job, your spouse, or your house hunt may be causing you a lot of stress. “When you're stressed, your cortisol levels increase, which makes you feel hungry and more likely to overeat. If you have high cortisol levels for a long time, you're more likely to gain weight,” says Hever. “Try using stress management techniques like meditation, walking, or talking to a friend or therapist to help you deal with the issues that are causing your stress.” Try eating these 5 foods that help reduce stress.

14. You're Hitting the Gym Too Hard

We all know how great it feels to push ourselves during a workout and break a sweat, but for some of us this can have the unintended consequence of increasing our appetite. “It's great to exercise, and to challenge yourself, but some people push themselves so hard that it triggers an insatiable appetite,” say The Nutrition Twins. If you find that you're suddenly ravenous after a particularly intense workout, try toning it down a bit and see if that has the opposite effect. “For some people, it means exercising with slightly less intensity but going slightly longer. For others, it means possibly stopping doing your typical interval workout 10 minutes earlier and just continue at a slightly lower intensity.” Experiment and see what works for you, but make sure to stay hydrated during your workout so that you're not confusing hunger signals with thirst.

15. You're Not Sleeping Enough

Missing even just a single night of sleep can have an effect on your appetite hormones and make you hungrier the next day, says Lewis. He recommends getting six to eight hours of sleep a night and preparing for occasions when this may be challenging by meal planning and tuning into true hunger and satiety signals.

16. You're Craving Comfort

Although it may be tempting, it is important to avoid food that makes you feel cozy instead of providing energy for your body. According to Hever, “Some foods have deep symbolic meaning and associations with happy memories, like those from family gatherings and holidays. When we feel sad or longing, it can be tempting to eat these comfort foods to feel better. Instead, try reaching out to loved ones and friends.” It can also be helpful to learn healthier alternatives for comfort foods.

17. You're Skimping on Fiber and Protein

If you cut back on the amount of cereal you have for breakfast and have Greek yogurt instead, you will be less likely to overeat later in the day. This is because protein and fiber take longer to digest, keeping you feeling satisfied for longer. When you have a salad for lunch, make sure it includes chicken, shrimp or tofu for protein, and eat veggie crudites with hummus as a snack instead of pretzels. For dinner, halve the amount of pasta you would normally have and add some seafood or grilled chicken instead, with a side of veggies.

The bottom line

You can easily eat too much if you're not paying attention to how much food you're consuming or how satiated you feel.

If you frequently drink carbonated beverages, you may be more likely to experience bloating, gas, nausea, and excess body fat. Additionally, this habit could increase your risk of developing various illnesses.

You can reduce the amount you eat by making smaller portion sizes, eating less processed foods, and choosing whole foods over processed foods.

While fad diets may give you quick results, they are often difficult to maintain and can have negative consequences on your health. If you want, you can talk to a dietician to help you make a food plan that will improve your health in the long term. Although you might see results quickly from a fad diet, these diets are often hard to keep up, and can negatively affect your health.

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