Do you have a problem with bad habits such as emotional eating, junk food cravings or nighttime snacking that has gotten out of control? These are habits that you need to break quickly so that you can continue on your journey to weight loss.
Having willpower is not enough and we have to stop overeating if we want to lose weight. We have to get rid of the negative habits that we have developed, most of the time without realizing it. Some of them include not eating breakfast, eating in front of the television, and eating when feeling bad. The worst thing about this is that you probably do not even realize why this is hurting your diet.
Here are some things you can do to change these habits and to be on your way:
Mindless Eating
Many people will not even pay attention to how or what they are eating. If you get a larger bowl or plate, chances are you will eat more and not even realize it. People that eat food out of large containers will eat almost half as much more than someone that eats out of a smaller container.
You can fix this by using smaller dishes. Eat on a salad plate or a bowl and never on large dishes or out of the container.
Nighttime Eating
One of the biggest problems people have is nighttime eating. If you do this, chances are you will gain weight. It isn’t just about what you eat but when you are eating. If you eat high fat foods during the day then you can burn them off but if you eat them at night before bed, you will not burn them off.
You can fix this by eating dinner and then not eating after that. Brush your teeth so that you will not crave food. If you are hungry, drink some water and wait 10 minutes and see how you feel. If you find you have to eat, eat a piece of fruit or a small piece of cheese.
Snacking
Snacking is a bad habit that many people are guilty of. This can be high calorie foods and something that some people do all day long. Kids are often known to snack more and eating things that are unhealthy like candy, chips, or soda.
You can fix this by keeping healthy snacks close to you. Cut up some vegetables or put some popcorn in a bag to eat on. This will keep you eating healthy things when you need a snack. Do not put foods around you that you cannot avoid or resist.
Breakfast
Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day but so many people miss breakfast because of time or desire. When you skip meals, it can cause your metabolism to lessen and not work as good.
Breakfast will give you a boost and will help you not to overeat later. Children who skip breakfast were seen to gain more weight over the next couple of years than those that eat breakfast.
You can fix this by having breakfast foods that you can eat on the run such as yogurt and cereal bars.
Emotional Eating
Did you have a fight with your partner or get a bad review at work? If you do, putting food in your mouth can help you feel better. This is the way that some people cope with stress and negative emotions. This can cause you to gain weight fast.
You can fix this by instead of eating, take a walk. Figure out something you can do to help you get rid of stress in your life. Choose any activity but eating.
Eating Fast
Eating fast can make you feel that you have not even eaten and does not give your brain enough time to know you are full. You should eat a meal in around 20 minutes and not slower than that.
If you eat a meal in less than 10 minutes, then you will gain weight and eat more calories than you should have.
You can fix this by eating slower and taking smaller bites. Learn to chew your food longer and drink water to slow you down.
Sleeping
Lacking sleep can cause you to not lose weight. Men and women who get less than eight hours of sleep each night will gain more weight than those that get enough sleep.
You can fix this by setting your life on a routine. Go to bed when you are supposed to, even on the weekends. Turn off your electronics so that you can get good sleep. Sleeping will help you feel better overall.
Video Games
If you are sitting in front of the television all day and eating snacks you are going to gain weight. People that play video games are more likely to gain weight than those that don’t. Even sitting in front of the computer and not moving can cause you to gain more weight than you want to.
You can fix this by taking breaks between playing or working and walking around. Get up every half hour and take a short walk so that you can be healthier.
Junk Food Junkie
Junk food will not satisfy you and if you find that you are eating high fat and high calorie foods then you are getting a high in your body. This is the same feeling that is a comforting feeling like taking illegal drugs.
You can solve this by finding things that you like to eat and making treats ahead of time that are healthy and good for you.
Do not take away all of your junk or you will crave it and want to have more of it but limit the snacks that are junk that you eat each day.