Overeating on Healthy Food

Recently, I have had a number of conversations with people about "healthy food".  It seems we all understand the concept of not overeating when we crack open that box of Twinkies -- it might not stop us...but we understand that it isn't such a good choice to eat Twinkies until we are stuffed.

Often, though, people seem to think that it is okay to overeat on "healthy" food.  Like the calories you get from baked chicken, brown rice and a garden salad are going to be processed differently than the calories you get from a Twinkie  --  they' re not.

The definition of overeating is eating any time you are not physically hungry.  ANYTIME...no matter what your food choice...when you are eating in the absence of your body's signal that you need calories to continue doing what you're doing (hunger signals)....you are overeating and those calories will be stored as fat.  Period.

All right -- we overeat all the time -- that is true.  A little here and a little there -- that piece of birthday cake in the break room you just can't pass up.  The dinner you're not hungry for but the family is ready to eat.  It happens and it is not a problem.

The problem is when people justify their overeating because it is "healthy" food.  Like having nutrients is going to make it okay  --  you don't need the nutrients right then -- you aren't hungry.  Therefore, even the "healthy food" isn't all that healthy since it is just getting turned into fat for storage  ---  it that the kind of health you're looking for???