Bad Habits Hindering Weight Loss
As those first few pounds start to melt off, it’s easy to be enthusiastic about your diet. But it’s after you’ve been on your diet (or food plan) for awhile and still not losing that you can get discouraged. Sometimes it seems you’re doing everything right but the scale still isn’t budging. Chances are there are some bad habits that are hindering weight loss.
Late Night Meals and Snacking
Oprah Winfrey’s weight loss coach, Bob Greene, contends late night eating can hinder weight loss. That’s because your body doesn’t have a chance to burn off the calories while you sleep. If you feel hungry, then be thankful, as it means your body has an opportunity to burn off fat.A good rule of thumb is to finish your food intake about 3-4 hours before going to bed. In other words, if you go to bed at 11 PM, close up your kitchen sometime between 7 and 8 PM. Brush your teeth after you’ve eaten that last morsel for the day. After brushing, flossing, and using mouth wash you don’t want to undo that entire procedure.
Eating While Doing Other Activities
Do you eat your dinner to the evening news? When you eat a meal, sit down at your dining room table and focus on what you’re eating. Put away the newspaper, turn off the TV, etc.Eating Fast
Most people who struggle with their weight inhale their food rather than eating slowly. A good discipline is to take a bite and then put your hand down, counting slowly to at least 10. When you eat too fast your body doesn’t even have a chance to determine that it’s full. And, you probably don’t feel satisfied and are more tempted to overindulge.Tasting Food While Preparing It
Even healthy program foods such as chicken and meats can add up when you nibble. When tempted to take “just a tiny bite”, just imagine how many all those little bites add up to at the end of the day. Most often, you’ve tasted more than a serving size by the time you sit down to eat.Record What You Eat
If it goes in your mouth, then record it. Weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers encourage members to write down everything they put into their mouths. This way you’ll know just how much damage is done if you do get out of control.Limit Sodium Intake
A high amount of sodium can easily get in the way of your weight loss progress as sodium retains water. In fact, some weight loss programs such as Trim Club, Inc. (based in South Florida) don’t include regular diet vegetables such as pickles and celery in their food program because of the high amount of sodium.Also, take diet sodas. Because they have zero calories, diet sodas are better than most choices when you need a snack. But it’s really best to eliminate them because of the sodium. If you feel you can’t diet without having diet sodas, then at least limit the number you drink each day. Rather than going “cold turkey”, wean yourself off them gradually. Whenever you have a craving for a diet soda, substitute for it with water. It’s better for you.
Finally, be patient. Even if you get rid of bad eating habits, there are weeks when the scale still fails to budge. When that happens, it’s a good time to take body measurements. Most often, you’ll see results. After all, people look at your body and not the numbers on the scale.
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