Losing weight and getting in shape is not an easy thing to do. In our busy world, there just isn’t enough time to do what it takes to lose weight and effectively keep it off. There might be some things you can do though that don’t take much time and include very small changes to your daily life that some people don’t even notice after the first week or so. By then, you could already be losing weight and feeling better about the way you look.
Bad Habits to Avoid
We have compiled a list of the most common habits that everybody does that is making them fat. See how many of these you do and try to make the necessary changes so you can start shedding pounds and inches in no time.
1. Eating in front of the TV
We all do it; our favorite show is on so we grab a snack, or sometimes our dinner, and hit the couch where we stay for the next couple of hours gorging ourselves on high calorie, low nutritional value foods. Move away from the TV while you eat and you will be more aware of what you are putting in your mouth.
2. Filling our plates
We have always been told that a plateful is a meal and to many people that still holds some truth. If that is the case in your home, buy smaller plates. With smaller plates, you can still fill your plate and have more normal portion sizes which will keep you from getting fat.
3. Eating too quickly
When you eat too quickly, your brain doesn’t have time to catch up and tell you that you are full. We are all overeating when we eat quickly, so slow down, maybe put your fork down every third bite and enjoy your food more. This will let your brain catch up and it can tell you when you are full before it’s too late.
4. Remaining sedentary
This is a nice way of saying that you are being lazy. Sitting around the house all day or taking your lunch breaks in your car can lead to inactivity and increased weight gain. Get outside and take a walk. Even a short 20 minute walk has been shown to increase energy, concentration levels and also reduce the amount of fat that ends up on your hips and belly.
5. Not drinking enough water
Water is important for the body to grow and remain healthy but people don’t drink enough of it. A good guideline to how much water you should be drinking is to divide your weight in half and drink that amount of ounces of water per day.
6. Liquid calories
Since we are in the topic of water, watch out for hidden calories in other beverages that you drink. That Starbucks Mocha Frap has almost 600 calories in it and fruit juices aren’t much better. Read the labels on your beverages before you end up drinking those empty calories.
7. Not sleeping enough
Didn’t we just say that a sedentary lifestyle will make you fat? Sleep isn’t the same as lounging around the house all day. Our bodies need sleep to rebuild cells and boost our energy levels. Without sleep, our body start to shut down and take the easy way around things which leads to more fat around our bodies.
8. Skipping breakfast
We have all heard it before, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, it is! Your morning meal is what starts your body’s metabolism and without a healthy metabolism, you won’t burn many calories and that can lead to an increase in body fat.
9. Bad shopping habits
We aren’t going to tell you not to shop when you are hungry; that is something that is written in our code and has been since our hunter. Gatherer ancestors. If you are hungry, you need to go in search for food. What foods you choose is where this idea goes wrong. Choose healthy foods at the store and avoid the center aisles; this is where stores put the high calorie, high sugar foods that have the colorful packaging which grabs our eyes and reels us in to make a purchase.
10. Not working out
When you go to the gym, do you work out or do you exercise? There is a difference and that difference could lead to less results in the gym and more fat around your waist. Add some strength training to your workouts; a pound of muscle burns many more calories than a pound of fat and you will feel much better for it afterwards.
Bad Habits to Avoid
We have compiled a list of the most common habits that everybody does that is making them fat. See how many of these you do and try to make the necessary changes so you can start shedding pounds and inches in no time.
1. Eating in front of the TV
We all do it; our favorite show is on so we grab a snack, or sometimes our dinner, and hit the couch where we stay for the next couple of hours gorging ourselves on high calorie, low nutritional value foods. Move away from the TV while you eat and you will be more aware of what you are putting in your mouth.
2. Filling our plates
We have always been told that a plateful is a meal and to many people that still holds some truth. If that is the case in your home, buy smaller plates. With smaller plates, you can still fill your plate and have more normal portion sizes which will keep you from getting fat.
3. Eating too quickly
When you eat too quickly, your brain doesn’t have time to catch up and tell you that you are full. We are all overeating when we eat quickly, so slow down, maybe put your fork down every third bite and enjoy your food more. This will let your brain catch up and it can tell you when you are full before it’s too late.
4. Remaining sedentary
This is a nice way of saying that you are being lazy. Sitting around the house all day or taking your lunch breaks in your car can lead to inactivity and increased weight gain. Get outside and take a walk. Even a short 20 minute walk has been shown to increase energy, concentration levels and also reduce the amount of fat that ends up on your hips and belly.
5. Not drinking enough water
Water is important for the body to grow and remain healthy but people don’t drink enough of it. A good guideline to how much water you should be drinking is to divide your weight in half and drink that amount of ounces of water per day.
6. Liquid calories
Since we are in the topic of water, watch out for hidden calories in other beverages that you drink. That Starbucks Mocha Frap has almost 600 calories in it and fruit juices aren’t much better. Read the labels on your beverages before you end up drinking those empty calories.
7. Not sleeping enough
Didn’t we just say that a sedentary lifestyle will make you fat? Sleep isn’t the same as lounging around the house all day. Our bodies need sleep to rebuild cells and boost our energy levels. Without sleep, our body start to shut down and take the easy way around things which leads to more fat around our bodies.
8. Skipping breakfast
We have all heard it before, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, it is! Your morning meal is what starts your body’s metabolism and without a healthy metabolism, you won’t burn many calories and that can lead to an increase in body fat.
9. Bad shopping habits
We aren’t going to tell you not to shop when you are hungry; that is something that is written in our code and has been since our hunter. Gatherer ancestors. If you are hungry, you need to go in search for food. What foods you choose is where this idea goes wrong. Choose healthy foods at the store and avoid the center aisles; this is where stores put the high calorie, high sugar foods that have the colorful packaging which grabs our eyes and reels us in to make a purchase.
10. Not working out
When you go to the gym, do you work out or do you exercise? There is a difference and that difference could lead to less results in the gym and more fat around your waist. Add some strength training to your workouts; a pound of muscle burns many more calories than a pound of fat and you will feel much better for it afterwards.
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