The 8 Eating Habits That Cause Weight Gain...
Old habits can be hard to break, but they may be breaking your weight loss efforts. Nobody's perfect. We've all plowed through endless popcorn at the movies or eaten bags of chips in front of the TV. Your hand is stuck in the bag, and you don't realize what or how much you're eating. That big ol' bag of chips can disappear pretty fast. Do something new for 21 days, and you can break this habit. Slow, steady changes in your lifestyle can free you of diets forever. Here are the 8 eating habits that are causing you to gain weight.
1. Not enough sleep. Sleep loss makes you feel hungry even if you are full, because sleep loss affects the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite and increases fat storage in your body.
2. No after dinner treats. Start a new habit -- have a warm cup of tea, sparkling water, something non-caloric. Most importantly, quit eating anything after dinner.
3. Grocery stores and extreme hunger don't mix. You end up buying the first quick fix item you see. Eat a little something healthy before grocery shopping. You could also get a sandwich on your way to the grocery store, then you won't be so hungry or tempted. Lastly, shop with a grocery list and stick to it.
4. You're at work, the airport, anywhere, and hunger could set in. Easiest thing is to grab what's convenient, and junk food always wins. The solution to repel the draw of junk food is to fix up a homemade sandwich, a few carrots, fresh fruit, a smoothie, or trail mix.
5. Think about limiting liquid calories such as beer, wine, soft drinks which add up quickly and go down easy.
6. Skipping breakfast is a big mistake, because you've fasted overnight. Your body needs fuel, and your metabolism needs to be jump-started with food. The best choices to get your day started are whole-grain cereal or fresh fruit.
7. Normalize the portions, stick to them and don’t eat everything served to you whether at home or on the go.
8. Read the label and don’t confuse fat free with calorie free. Calories are calories. Polishing off 10 fat-free cookies won't help your waistline. On your sandwich use mustard or low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise for easy calorie savings. Layer lots of crunchy veggies into the sandwich for added flavor and extra nutrition.