HABITS THAT MAKE YOU FAT
If you notice that it is difficult for you to lose weight or you are gaining weight for no apparent reason, pay attention! If you are one of those who think every day about how to maintain your weight, be online, and maintain your figure without an extra kilo, this information will be useful to you.
Sometimes gaining weight or not losing weight does not only depend on what you eat but the way you do it. Your daily habits influence your weight and fat accumulation and are responsible for whether a diet works or not. It is interesting to tell you these habits that can make you fat because I myself commit one or the other. So the idea is that you don’t do the same. Find out below!
Remember that in 21 days the body gets used to the new habits and it will be easier for you to achieve your weight and health goal.
These 12 habits make your diet not work.
1. Skip Breakfast or Snacks:
Skipping breakfast is a mistake. Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day since it is what gives you the energy you need for all your activities. Skipping breakfast is a bad habit that can make you fat since when you go without food for a long time, the body begins to store fat and the metabolism slows down.
Your metabolism slows down and you are much more likely to overeat later in the day. The American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who skipped breakfast were 4.5 times more likely to be obese. Boost your metabolism by eating small portions of nutritious foods throughout the day; for breakfast, 1 cup of Greek yogurt and berries is a quick and nutritious option. If you’re on the go, have a handful of pistachios or edamame.
These will keep you full and satiated for about 200 calories. It is ideal to have breakfast no more than an hour after you wake up and include the 3 food groups in it, carbohydrates, healthy fat, and protein. The body needs to eat every 4 hours to balance the hormone insulin, which regulates appetite and fat storage. When you eat five times a day your body feels satiated and you will not arrive at lunch or dinner ravenously hungry.
2. Eat Carbohydrates after 3 PM:
Carbohydrates are one of the most important food groups, however, it is better to consume them during breakfast or lunch and avoid them in the afternoon and evening if you want to lose weight. Carbohydrates turn into sugar and later fat if they are not burned during the day.
According to chronobiology, eat before going to bed is the worst time of day to take carbohydrates, because there is less sensitivity to insulin, and calories are stored in the form of fat. Snack and dine lightly and if you need to have something in the kitchen, better protein that will not provide you with so many calories.
3. Eating Distracted Makes You Fat:
If you are eating with your mobile, reading, watching TV, etc., it will make your mind wander and you are not really aware of what you have eaten. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, distracted eaters typically eat up to 50% more calories. . When you watch TV, you don’t fully focus on everything you are doing, and that includes eating.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham found that people who were distracted while eating ate more snacks afterward than those who paid attention; most didn’t even remember everything they ate! Statistics also show that you eat 5-10 times more when you eat while watching TV. If you snack while watching TV, eat chopped veggies or 2-cup servings of popcorn and don’t refill. Frozen grapes are also excellent; it takes about 20 minutes to eat a cup.
4. Eating Fast May Make You Fat:
Many people make the mistake of eating too fast. Food must be well chewed to have a greater feeling of satiety and facilitate digestion. Also, the feeling of fullness takes about 15-20 minutes to reach your brain. Ideally, take at least half an hour to eat and not drink fluids until you finish eating.
A study from the University of Rhode Island found that slow eaters ate 1/3 less than fast eaters. Digestion begins in the mouth and the more you chew the food, the easier it will be for your body to digest it. So you can practice eating slow. Drinking water during your meal will help you slow down and feel full as you go.
5. Not Drinking Enough Fluids:
Water is essential for the human body because it hydrates it and helps revitalize the skin, bones, joints, digestive system, memory, and brain function. If the body lacks water, it can cause a slight drop in blood pressure, resulting in a feeling of discomfort, loss of energy. Unconsciously, then we will eat sugary products to regain strength, while our body, which is 65% water, just needs to be hydrated.
To stay hydrated and take care of the proper functioning of your metabolism, you should drink at least 2 liters of water a day. It is not correct to do it only in one or two bouts but to do it throughout the day, taking approximately 250 ml (which corresponds to a glass) every hour. Avoid drinking drinks with added sugar or soft drinks even if they are “light”, drink natural water or infusions.
6. Having Overweight Friends:
According to researchers, obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus. When one person gains weight, close friends or spouses often gain weight too. A study of high school students provides new evidence that a person’s friend circle can influence their body weight. Students were more likely to gain weight if they had heavier friends.
On the other hand, students were at risk of losing weight or gaining weight at a slower rate – if their friends were leaner than they were. According to a study by the New England Journal of Medicine, if your friends or spouse overeat, you are also 57% more likely to overeat. I am not suggesting that you cut ties with your overweight friends! Instead of going out to eat, plan social activities. You will have more fun together and burn calories instead of storing them.
7. Avoid Shopping On an Empty Stomach:
Going to the supermarket on an empty stomach is a common mistake. If you go shopping without having eaten, it will be easier for you to fall in love with products that are not recommended during a diet, especially fatty and sugary foods, which weren’t on the list. And this will not have the only consequence of increasing the amount that appears on the receipt.
To prevent the cupboards from being filled with all kinds of goodies, and you are bound to be tempted to eat. So eat before going to the supermarket, and make a shopping list to keep you to the essentials.
8. Salt and Hidden Sugar:
Your palate can be educated for both sugar and salt. Get in the habit of reading labels to select foods that have the least sugar and salt content. Eating too much salt can cause your body to store more water, which can show up on the scale as extra pounds. But we are not just talking about the water weight here. High-salt diets appear to be linked to high body fat – especially, the type of fat that accumulates in the middle.
It’s so shocking when you start looking at nutrition labels and see all the hidden sugar in our daily food packet – even though the foods are not at all sweet. While it is often marketed as healthy food, most breakfast cereals and bars are full of hidden sugar. This can be in the cereal itself, or even in pieces of dried fruit such as raisins or banana chips. Excess sugar activates insulin and salt promotes water retention and overweight.
9. Not Getting Enough Sleep:
Can not getting enough sleep to ruin your weight loss efforts? Yes, according to a recent analysis by Tokyo researchers. They found that men and women who slept five hours or less a night were more likely to gain weight than those who slept seven hours or more. Little or bad sleep affects the hormonal level, facilitates the conversion of calories into fat, and that you do not have a feeling of satiety when eating.
Not getting enough sleep (less than 6 hours a night) can also promote weight gain. This deficiency triggers the secretion of cortisol, which stimulates the synthesis of abdominal fat and clearly increases the desire to eat sweets. On the other hand, the perceived fatigue pushes to reduce the level of physical activity of the day.
10. Stress:
It triggers “emotional hunger” and makes you jump into junk or calorie-laden food to calm your anxiety. Stress also activates insulin helps your body accumulate more fat and not burn your deposits (inhibit lipolysis). Stress can be one of the culprits that play a vital role in weight gain. While it may make you lose your appetite at first, long-term “chronic” stress actually increases your hunger. Levels of “stress hormone,” cortisol, increase at times full of tension.
This can turn your overeating into a habit because elevated levels of cortisol also create high levels of insulin, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods. Eating while stressed will make you eat more. We often do not realize how much food we eat when we are stressed or depressed. At those times, it is best to make note of everything we eat and thus avoid heavy foods that can cause obesity.
11. A Sedentary Lifestyle:
In addition to diet, you need to follow an active lifestyle. In the United States and around the world, people are spending more and more time doing sedentary jobs. In our leisure time, we often sit: while using a computer or other device, watching TV, or playing video games. If you have an inactive lifestyle, you burn fewer calories.
Your metabolism can be affected, and your body may have more trouble breaking down fats and sugars. This gives you more chances to gain weight. Take frequent breaks from the computer – get up and walk around the room or office every 15 to 30 minutes. Walk, stroll, bike, walk up the stairs, and do some muscle toning every day.
12. Taking Big Bites:
This is a common scenario when you are at work or in college. You have to rush to a meeting or conference and you don’t have enough time to properly munch on your food. It makes you take bigger bites that help you finish faster.
We rarely realize that it later becomes a habit and is a major cause of obesity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate large meals consumed 52% more calories in one sitting than those who ate smaller meals and chewed longer!
Cut your food into smaller pieces using a smaller fork or spoon. You enjoy more and eat longer, which increases your satisfaction.
Breaking Habits
When you have them – a few key habits that can lead to weight gain. Avoiding these behaviors can help prevent weight gain and help you live a healthier life. Here are some tips to help you avoid the above points:
· Plan your diet and strictly follow that plan.
· Don’t set unreachable goals for yourself.
· Participate in other stress management programs that will help you deal with all of your stressful situations more easily.
· Take a break to focus on the food you eat.
· Don’t expect major changes in your eating habits. It takes about a month to get used to a particular program.
· Eat three healthy meals with at least two snacks a day.
These tips will help you plan better and prevent the addition of those extra calories. You will still be able to eat everything you like, but you need to make sure you eat it in moderation. Avoiding these bad habits and using a healthy diet that does not involve overeating or starvation will help control the weight gain process and keep you healthy and fit.
Like all habits, you need a few days to change them -according to the experts, once the 21-day barrier has been passed, it will come out automatically. But it’s worth trying. They will help you lose kilos regardless of the diet. Just get used to incorporating some of these tips we’ve given you and lose calories. You’ll feel better with yourself!
