How to Quit Overeating

Let’s be honest, overeating is something most women have struggled with at some point. Whether it’s finishing the bag of chips before you realize it’s gone, eating past fullness at a holiday dinner, or mindlessly snacking while binging Netflix, it happens! And if you’re like most women, you’ve probably scolded yourself afterward, promising to “do better” tomorrow.

Here’s the thing: overeating is not a moral failure. It’s a human behaviour. And instead of beating yourself up or running back to diet rules, I want to show you a different approach rooted in intuitive eating and the way I coach women as a health coach in Toronto.

1. Get Curious, Not Critical

Most of us go straight to guilt when we overeat. But guilt doesn’t stop the cycle, it fuels it. The next time it happens, try asking:

• What was going on before I ate? (Stress, boredom, exhaustion?)

• Was I actually hungry, or was I needing something else?

• Did I restrict this food recently, making me want it even more?

Curiosity opens the door to awareness. Criticism just shuts you down. When I work with clients through health and wellness coaching, this is one of the biggest shifts, replacing judgment with curiosity.

2. Ditch the Scarcity Mentality

Overeating often happens because of the “last supper” effect, the belief that this is your one and only chance to have certain foods. Diet culture teaches us that carbs, sugar, etc., are “bad,” so when you do let yourself have it, you eat all of it while you can.

The antidote? Permission. Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat dismantles that scarcity mindset. When you know you can have chocolate chip banana muffins tomorrow (and the next day), suddenly eating the whole tray tonight doesn’t feel necessary.

If you’ve ever wondered “how to combat overeating” or “how to end emotional eating,” the answer is rarely more restriction. It’s about freedom and choice.

3. Tune Into Your Body’s Feedback

Your body is not out to get you, it’s actually just trying to communicate with you. Feeling bloating? Your body is trying to tell you that it doesn’t like something you ate or drank (or how you ingested it). Hunger, fullness, and satisfaction are cues worth listening to. But if you’ve spent years dieting, those cues might feel muted. That’s okay.

Start by pausing mid-meal (yes, even if your buddha bowl with sweet potato is delicious!) and asking yourself:

• How does this taste?

• Am I enjoying it, or am I checked out?

• Where’s my fullness right now on a scale of 1–10?

   

Even if you only notice after you’ve passed fullness, that’s progress. Awareness is the first step toward change!

4. Check in on Your Needs Beyond Food

Here’s the kicker, it has become really clear to me in my practice that most of your problems with food have nothing to do with food at all. Many times, it’s about soothing, numbing, or rewarding yourself. If you’re eating because you’re stressed, lonely, or just exhausted, food might feel like the easiest fix.

Instead of shaming yourself, ask: What nourishment am I really seeking right now? Maybe it’s rest. Maybe it’s connection. Maybe it’s movement like your favourite online fitness class or in-studio Pilates class. Or maybe, it’s a good cry. Food can be a comfort but this type of comfort doesn’t last. It’s also not the only comfort available to you.

5. Practice Self-Compassion (Seriously)

You will overeat again. I will too. We’re human. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s progress, awareness, and kindness toward yourself in the process.

When it happens, instead of spiraling into “I blew it,” try saying: This is feedback, not failure. That shift alone can stop the cycle of overeating → guilt → restriction → more overeating.

Final Word

Quitting overeating isn’t about stricter rules, more willpower, or weighing out your portions like a scientist. It’s about trusting your body and healing your relationship with food.

As an integrative nutrition health coach, I’ve seen women transform their relationship with food not through punishment, but through curiosity, compassion, and learning how to eat intuitively.

When you drop the shame and start tuning in with curiosity, overeating loses its power over you. And that’s when true freedom around food begins.