RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you have issues with overeating and/or emotional eating? If so, here's FIVE ways to stop the cycle and get into the best shape of your life.

1) Eat something SMALL every 2.5-3hrs. This will keep your metabolism (how fast you burn calories) high & keep your blood sugars levels stable which prevents body fat gain.

2) Get some sleep! Lack of sleep causes: the body fat producing hormone cortisol to increase, decreases growth hormones that help us recover from exercise & our day, increases the cravings/appetite hormone ghrelin, and decreases levels of leptin which suppresses appetite.

3) Drink a BIG glass of water every time you feel hungry! That hungry feeling isn't always the body needing food, it means it's dehydrated. You should be eating every few hours anyway, but if that hungry feeling persists after drinking water, eat something SMALL.

4) When you get a craving, a nice little trick is to brush your teeth. Nothing tastes good after brushing your teeth.

5) Instead of eating/drinking, when you get emotional, go for a walk, get a massage, do some yoga to relax. Do anything instead of turning to food & drink when you're feeling emotional.