Lose Weight Fast: Avoid These Five Bad Habits

I had an epiphany about what makes me fat yesterday. It isn't what you might think. A lot of people who tackle their weight loss issues don't take these five things into consideration. They use appetite suppressants and such to attempt weight loss. Of course, we all know that's ridiculous if we think about it. Overweight people don't eat because they're hungry. They eat out of habit or to fill a need. At least I know I do. You'll find the details on my top five bad eating habits below. They might give you an aha moment of your own.

Eating so you don't get hungry later. Last night, the boyfriend and I were driving to a plumbing job. He stopped to grab a quick snack at 7-11. Why? He knew we would be a while and might get hungry before dinner at home. That's when it hit me. This is one of the bad habits that made me fat in the first place. We weren't hungry yet. We were eating so we wouldn't get hungry later. No wonder we're both overweight. Eat when you're hungry and not a minute before is my new motto.

Eating when other people eat. Today my daughter came for a visit. I'm so proud of her. She's recently lost over a hundred pounds. She doesn't keep snack food in her house. She does eat it when she comes to my house sometimes, though. What's the problem? I eat it right along with her. I don't do it because I'm hungry. I eat socially with my daughter out of habit. Stop eating socially (like smokers smoke and drinkers drink) is what I'll tell myself next time she visits.

Eating because it's time for dinner. This is a big one for me. I make dinner every night and sit down to eat with the rest of the family. While family dinner is good for the soul, it's not good for the waistline if you're just not hungry. Since I've gotten older, my appetite has decreased. Nevertheless, I pile the food on my plate at dinner right along with everyone else.That brings us to the next lesson.If you're not hungry at dinner time, sit down and socialize without eating. You'll still get the mental health benefits of a family dinner without the bulging belly.

Celebrating with food. There's a food for every occasion and an occasion for every food in my family. From macaroni salad to guacamole to pumpkin pie, there are must have foods at every celebration. Not eating them would be an insult to the cook, wouldn't it? That doesn't mean you're required to stuff yourself on every holiday or special occasion. In fact, I'm not doing that anymore. If you're not that hungry on special occasions, don't overeat to save someone's feelings. It's not worth the health risks.

Eating food because it looks amazingly delicious. You love chocolate chip cookies. Someone takes a fresh batch out of the oven. You just had a big lunch. You're not hungry in the least. You reach for one anyway. No matter how good it looks, smells or tastes, don't eat it if you're not hungry. Food is fuel. Your fuel tank is full. Overflowing your fuel tank is how you got so big in the first place. Now here's my epiphany. All my bad food habits can be summed up in one sensible sentence. Don't eat if you're not hungry. It makes you fat.

More from this contributor:

Trick Yourself into Weight Loss by Forming Five New Habits

Lose Weight Faster by Eliminating the Five Factors Common to Bad Diets

Lose Weight Faster by Going Green

Source:

Personal experience