If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s not just a matter of changing your diet. For starters, you need to incorporate exercise into your routine. But from a food standpoint, to be successful, you need to change your habits.
Here are 10 bad eating habits to change.
- Eating at your desk—this prompts mindless eating, and we don’t feel completely full or satisfied. Studies show that people who eat lunch at their desk are much more likely to snack later.
- Not drinking enough water—because we often mistake thirst for hunger, skimping on hydration can make us overeat.
- Skipping breakfast—our bodies think we are trying to starve them when we wake up after a night’s sleep, and this prompts them to hold onto fat.
- Eating in the car—more mindless eating. We often forget about foods we ate in the car and then eat again, doubling up on calories.
- Eating snacks from the bag instead of a bowl or plate—while it’s not always necessary to measure out precise portions, we are much more likely to overeat from an open container than a measured serving.
- Eating alone—although this sometimes can’t be avoided, we tend to have better eating habits when we eat with someone else. Chatting with a friend or coworker keeps us accountable and prevents us from shoveling more calories into that pie hole.
- Eating when you’re stressed, bored or frustrated—probably one of the worst eating habits, and many of us do it frequently. When you’re upset, stay away from food. Go take a walk, run up and down the office stairs, scream into a pillow, call a friend, or find some other way to channel that energy. Eating your way through it is not helpful.
- Miscalculating portions—let’s face it, we’re a supersized nation. Restaurant portions are at least two (if not three or four) times what they should be. Read labels and be conscious of how much you’re putting on your plate.
- Weekend blowout—all your hard work and discipline can go out the window when the weekend rolls around. We’ve established that you’re human. But if you’re going to indulge, try to limit it to one meal, not 48 hours of dietary debauchery. Makes Mondays a little more bearable.
- Not being realistic about changes/goals—change takes time. So be reasonable. You will not lose 50 pounds by Valentine’s Day. Set a reasonable goal and celebrate small victories—like losing that first 10 pounds, and then the next.
Life happens. Not every meal is going to be salmon with brown rice and steamed veggies, washed down with a life-giving green tea and a glass of water and lemon. But by focusing more on changing the habits that are keeping you unhealthy, you’ll have the advantage when it comes to losing weight.