Bad Habits that Pack on the Pounds

Getting rid of your unhealthy eating habits is easier said then done. I know I have been struggling with my weight my whole life. But a few lifestyle changes has made my battle with the bulge an easier battle. All you have to do is realize what you are doing wrong so you can be conscience about doing the right thing instead.

My worst eating habit was eating in front of the television. I would fill a plate and eat it all day, sometimes going for more. Eating in front of the television, while your online, or any other distraction is the worst thing you can do. You never really get to enjoy the food that you are eating. I barely knew what I was sticking in my mouth, I just knew it was going in their. Plus my full plate always ended up empty. I was eating tons of calories and not even realizing it. So now instead of eating with a distraction, I eat in my dining room, enjoying my food. I see how much I am eating and I feel fuller faster. I ended up saving myself some calories.

While telling you about my bad distraction I let you another one of my bad habits, cleaning my plate. You know we have all grown up hearing that we need to clean our plate. We look to see if our plate is clean to tell ourselves that we are done instead of feeling if we are really full or not. There are a few things we can do to help us with this dilemma of overeating. First you can always leave half a plate full, that is probably the hardest one to do, again we have become a visual society so leaving food makes us feel like we are wasting food. I have two tricks for what I do. I like to have in my fridge already portioned our meals, so I just grab a little container of food knowing it is right portion size. I can eat that guilt free. It like having those little bags of 100 calorie cookies, I know how much I am eating. There is always another trick, buy kids plates. You can buy plates that have little sections for each food group like when we were kids, they keep portions low and its fun to eat out of.

Another bad habit is rushing to eat. Fast food has become a staple in most diets because it is fast and easy to get. So we gobble down the food as quickly as we get it. Did you see the two big mistakes you/I made? One is fast food, just because it is a convenient choice does not mean it is the best. So keep healthy snacks with you at all time. Bags full or nuts or veggies can kill a craving for a Big Mac. You can also prepare a weeks worth of meals at the beginning of the week so you know all you have to do is microwave food when you get home. The second mistake made was eating quickly. If you slow down and enjoy each bite your stomach will fill and your body will tell you that you are full. But if you slam down your food you might think you are still hungry and eat more. Then ten minutes later your stomach is filled to the maximum and you are aching.

The last bad habit is eating when your bored. Realize when you eat why you are eating. Do not run to the refrigerator every time you are bored. Instead go for a walk or reach for a book. Keep yourself or your mind active will get rid of your boredom and keep your calorie count down. Being bored was a huge reason why I gained the weight I gained. Now I just go for a walk and that want for a candy bar is gone after a ten minute walk.