Lifestyle

What to Do When You Overeat and Can’t Even Move

2019-03-18 , 10:00 am

Last Updated on 2020-12-18 , 5:18 pm

Hey, we’ve all been there. As Singaporeans who love food, it’s hard to resist the temptation of such large varieties of cuisines available to us.

Be it at parties or one of our favorite celebrations like Chinese New Year or Christmas, food is always one important and abundant aspect.

As such, most of us have probably fallen victim to the unfortunate effect of overeating #firstworldproblem.

But then, what should you do when you feel like you’re going to burst from all the luxurious and rich food you’ve eaten? Read on to find some basic tips!

Stay upright

Perhaps the only thing you want to do is slump over in bed and lie there dying until you feel better. But this is actually a really bad idea.

If you lie down, it puts pressure on your stomach and could lead to acid reflux and heartburn, which will make you feel much worse.

Instead, make sure to prop yourself up or stand up so that stomach acid won’t move up into your esophagus and make you feel sick.

Sip on peppermint tea

Peppermint tea has always been touted as a popular cure for stomach aches and discomfort and it can really help you in this case.

Sip on a warm cup of this minty liquid to help relax your digestive tract and release any trapped air in your stomach. After a few burps, you will likely feel much less bloated and stuffed and a little bit more comfortable.

But don’t gulp it down or drink it too quickly as that could introduce more air into your stomach and make you feel worse!

Take a short walk after a while

You probably shouldn’t do any strenuous exercise right after eating but after half an hour, a little walk would be good to help stimulate your digestive tract and get food moving through your body quicker.

Maybe pace around your house a bit or if there’s a jogging track downstairs and the air is good, plug in some music and go on a stroll. But don’t do anything insane like a hike or a jog because you probably shouldn’t be running around when you’re carrying kilograms of food from your feasting.

Take it slow for the next round

If you know you’ve eaten way too much food this time, then make sure your next meal won’t push you over the edge again. Opt for smaller portions and healthier food, because something greasy or fatty will probably trigger you feeling sick and bloated again.

If you still have to deal with dessert, perhaps go for something less rich like fruits or something more refreshing as compared to a thick slice of chocolate cake or creamy pastries. Your stomach will thank you for not eating that high-calorie and heavy dessert.

Don’t skip subsequent meals

It’s always a temptation to completely skip the next meal to ‘make up’ for the massive amounts of food you’ve already eaten but that could trigger an unhealthy cycle that you probably wouldn’t want to deal with.

If you skip this meal, you will probably be super hungry during the next and thus stuff yourself once again, leading to a vicious cycle that will leave you feeling terrible again.

Instead, opt for healthy stuff like veggies or a light broth to at least get you through to the next meal.

It’s natural to overeat once in a while and you shouldn’t feel too bad about it. But make sure that it doesn’t become a habit because you might develop health issues, especially if you’re stuffing yourself with unhealthy and oily food.

Always make sure to balance it out with something healthy and fresh so you won’t feel so guilty or bloated!

Featured Image: SVRSLYIMAGE / Shutterstock.com