1.Eating When You’re Not Hungry
Many of the popular diets these days are advising you to eat. No big surprise, we’re supposed to eat! However, dieting used to mean deprivation and “no eating”. But now we are being advised to eat every 3 hours or so, to eat 3 meals and 2 to 3 snacks per day. The wisdom behind this is that it keeps your blood sugar level. It also keeps you from getting too hungry. Its much harder to resist “junk food” and make healthy. Snacking even though you are full makes the pounds add up.
2. Skipping Breakfast.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Most people, however, don’t have time for it and just grab a sugary snack which calms their appetite. Sugar does make the hunger go away, but it only lasts for about one or two hours and it doesn’t help in terms of nutrition…not mentioning the weight gain. Make time to eat a consistent breakfast and you’ll start your days much better and you will improve your health.Bet you thought your stomach tells you when you are full. It is actually your brain that signals your body it has had enough food, taking about 20 minutes from the time you begin eating. By eating chewy foods in a relaxed manner, you will be much less likely to overeat.
3.Eating fast food.
Fast-food products have a high content of sodium and a lot of calories from saturated fats. Such products lack a lot of nutritious elements and, therefore, relaying too much on them might cause vitamins and minerals deficiency.
Sure, fast-food is not poison and it’s not a crime to indulge yourself once in a while, but be careful not to make a habit out of it.Sure, it’s quick, cheap, and familiar, but fast food can also destroy your diet: Anywhere from 40 to 60 percent of the calories contained in fast food comes from fat; a single meal can impart an average of 1,000 calories and more than one-third of the daily allowance of sodium; and a daily diet of fast food can lead to deficiencies in vital vitamins and minerals. Many nutritionists agree that home-cooking is the best way to go, since you can control how your meal is prepared, the ingredients that go into it, and the portions that are doled out.
4.Taking supplements in place of eating real foods. Supplementation is a necessary consideration these days because of the destruction and contamination of our natural food supplies. The over-processing of food, even organic food, destroys much of the nutrient value and can often fail to provide your body with the full range of nutrients it needs.
5. Late-night eating.
It’s not a good idea to dine right before going to bed. During sleep, the stomach reduces its activity, thus taking longer to digest food. Also, calories have a higher chance of turning into fat due to body’s inactivity. This is also why you should avoid snacks after dinner.
Technically speaking, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie no matter when you eat it. But, more often than not, late-night snacking isn’t really about hunger. Instead, it’s just a habit to reach for the chips when your favorite show is on. If this sounds familiar, try eating dinner a half-hour later than usual. Also, go for a walk before or after dinner to help control your appetite. Then, during your down time, keep your hands busy working on a craft or doing a crossword. If you’re feeling snacky, just wait out the craving for a while and see if you’re still feeling hungry.
6. Using Food as Comfort
Often, when we’re sad, impatient or bored, we relay on food to calm us down. But this never really help dealing with the cause of the emotional problems, so experts advise us to recognize when we’re really hungry or at least to pick up a healthy snack. Most people who struggle with their weight use food to help them deal with negative emotions or stress. When the food is all gone, the problem is still there, and it’s been compounded by guilt over having eaten too much.
7. Eating in front of the T.V or P.C.
Combining the acts of dining and watching television has become a tradition in many countries, Studies have shown that if you distract yourself with T.V. while you eat, you’re likely to consume 40 percent more than you normally would, often because you’re paying more attention to what’s on the screen than how many calories you’re packing away. So it’s high time to reinstate another iconic American image: the family gathered around the dinner table with the television nowhere in sight.
8. Not Drinking Enough Water.
Some people fail to see the importance of water for our body. Water is important for the brain and all other organs. It also reduces hunger and helps detoxify the body. It is recommended to drink about 2 liters of water a day, plus the water from fruits, vegetables or other food products we eat. Some drinks, like soda and coffee, deplete our water reservoir so it’s best to avoid them when thirsty.
Water is crucial for your brain cells and every organ in your body (including your skin) to work properly. For your body to burn fat, it needs at least eight glasses of pure water daily. Water not only satisfies your thirst, it reduces hunger and flushes out toxins. Do drink your water – it makes your whole body feel good!
9. Eating sporadically and erratically
Most people turn to snacks to get them through a stressful day at work. This doesn’t necessarily have to be unhealthy as long as you choose healthy snacks and you don’t exaggerate. Grabbing food here and there, as and when you remember to eat is one way to mess up your blood sugar levels and metabolism. There’s a reason why the advice to “eat regularly” is in every single diet and nutrition book you’ve ever read…it works!
10. Lack of Exercise.
Exercise is vital for a healthy body. It increases metabolism and burns the food we eat as energy. You don’t have to exercise just for the sake of it. If you enjoy activities like: running, soccer, basketball, dancing, tennis, bike riding, skating, or even taking a walk in the park, stick to them and your body will have a lot of benefits and you will fell much better.Our bodies were made to move so the less you feel like going for a walk, the better you will feel after going for a walk! Exercise increases our metabolism to help burn the food we eat as energy.
