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Answered in 5 episodes

How do I stop overeating treats?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Stop treating sweets as forbidden, then build the discipline to stop when you've had enough. Nikkiey and her guests say that when a food is allowed every day, the urge to overeat it mostly fades. Decide how much is enough, savor it, give your body time to register fullness, and put the rest away.

Hear it from the show

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  1. Nikkiey on allowing treats but building the discipline to stop when you've had enough

    Plays from 11:37 · Ep. 150: Can You Eat Pizza and Still Reach Your Fat Loss Goals?

  2. Lindsey Matthews on why three bites is enough when ice cream isn't forbidden

    Plays from 43:07 · Ep. 110: Gaining Weight After Extreme Dieting? How to Find Balance

  3. Erin Washington on how taking foods off the pedestal ends the binge urge

    Plays from 42:25 · Ep. 79: Eating More to Lose Weight After Years of Restriction

  4. Nikkiey on self-awareness, serving sizes, and putting the rest away

    Plays from 18:30 · Ep. 74: Can You Stop Tracking Macros and Still Keep Results?

  5. Marie on planning her cheat meal and going right back to her macros

    Plays from 13:41 · Ep. 154: How a Busy Mom Lost 85 Pounds Without Cutting Carbs

The full answer

The overeating usually isn't a willpower problem. It's what restriction does. On Ep. 110, Lindsey Matthews says she has three or four bites of ice cream almost every night. The old her would have eaten the whole pint to get it out of the house. Once she stopped telling herself she couldn't have it, the need to overeat it mostly went away. On Ep. 79, Erin Washington says the same about wine and cookies: when nothing is off limits tomorrow, there's no reason to binge today. Nikkiey's line on Ep. 150 is "incorporate, don't exclude."

Permission alone isn't the whole plan. Nikkiey is clear that this is where discipline comes in:

  • Decide in advance what's enough. She has two to four pieces of Dove chocolate at night because that satisfies the urge for sweets.
  • Slow down and give it a few minutes. On Ep. 150 she explains that your body needs time to process food before you actually feel full.
  • Put the rest away. On Ep. 74 she describes eating half a Crumbl cookie and throwing out most of a four-pack once she noticed she felt sick. She warns that "intuitive eating" without this awareness is just eating whatever you want.
  • In the moment, ask yourself: am I hungry, am I full, do I really want this, or am I just bored on the couch?

If one cookie still turns into ten, it isn't over. On Ep. 79, Erin says you just adjust at the next meal, and Nikkiey adds that she tells women to get more protein for the rest of the day instead of writing it off. If you still feel guilty after a treat, Nikkiey suggests lowering the amount until you trust yourself with it.

If bingeing is a pattern, plan for it head on. On Ep. 154, client Marie planned her first cheat meal with Nikkiey because of her binge habit. Then she went straight back to her macros the next day. Planning and logging ahead keeps her from overthinking food.

From The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

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