We all overeat occasionally especially around Christmas and Thanksgiving. It is our way of celebrating the abundance of food and an excuse to indulge our taste buds. While it is not the end of the world to indulge occasionally it does have consequences and if we don’t do something to counteract them it could be a case of a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips.

Overeating gives a feeling of bloatedness, indigestion and overall discomfort. It contributes to fat formation and causes fatigue and grumpiness. A great way to counteract all these unpleasant symptoms is to take a walk after a meal. I am not suggesting that you jump up from the table and rush out to walk. Finish your meal, chat with your friends or clear the table and then get ready to walk. A gentle walk at a comfortable pace will re-energise you, increase your metabolism and bring your cholesterol and blood sugar levels down to pr-eating levels. Increasing your metabolism level aids calorie burning and helps prevent weight gain.

In fact a good habit to develop is to take a short walk after every meal. Ten minutes three times daily after meals clocks up the recommended daily exercise time. I am not suggesting a fitness enhancer walk. Just a casual walk at a moderate pace. This will contribute to your overall well being and use up those calories.

Walking after a meal is an excellent exercise for diabetics. The food we eat is converted into sugars which provides the energy we need. If we do not use up that sugar by exercising our blood sugars rise and remain elevated for a longer period of time. This is something we need to avoid if we are diabetic.

Walking for a short period after an evening meal will in addition to all the above benefits contribute to a more restful night’s sleep. The fresh air and exercise clears your head of the stresses and strains of the day and the exercise tires your muscles which help a longer and deeper sleep. Light evening exercise also eases the common late night cravings for high fat or sugary foods.

If you eat out in a restaurant consider parking your car a short distance away and walk to the restaurant. In that way you get in your ten minutes walk before and after the meal which is a double bonus.

While taking a regular walk like this after meals will not contribute hugely to weight loss it will contribute greatly to managing weight gain. You can indulge in that pavlova portion knowing that your little walk has gone someway towards counteracting its ill effects.

If you regularly overeat and it is problematic for you, you may be interested in this book.

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler.
Here is the link.