Easy Ways to Control Bad Eating Habits
January is already underway and many people are starting with their weight loss goals. Even when you plan your regular food and exercise routine, there are little things you can do that require little effort. It is simple. Pay attention to your habits to reduce and prevent weight gain long into the future. Here are some tips to eliminate mindless habits that are ruining your progress.
Take Your Time!
When you take your time and chew food slowly, your brain can process what it is eating. Your brain signals the body letting it know that your full, so when you eat slow you consume less. Research shows that people who eat fast are three times more likely to gain weight. When you eat too fast, by the time your brain tells your body it’s full, you have already eaten too much.
Plate Size
Use smaller plates when you indulge. Plate sizes have increased over the years, and make the portion look smaller causing you to add more food. Trick your brain into thinking your eating more by using a smaller plate.
The Power of Protein
Protein is effective in appetite reduction and helps you feel full. One study found that increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of the diet, helped participants eat 441 fewer calories daily. This resulted in a 11 pound reduction in just 12 weeks!
Eliminate Distractions While Eating
We all are distracted these days from our smart phones to the TV, and when we eat at the same time we can mindlessly eat too much. Then later you may consume more calories throughout the day, because you were not aware of how much you ate while distracted. If you must eat in front of the television or computer, portion out the correct amount then put the rest away. This will not only let your brain signal you are full, but will stop the mindless overeating.
Get Enough Sleep and Reduce stress
Lack of sleep has been shown to cause weight gain. It specifically interrupts the hormones that tell you when you had enough. In addition, lack of sleep raises stress and cortisol levels in the body. When these hormones are disrupted, it can increase hunger signals and cravings for bad foods.
Take a moment to slow down, pay attention, and break through plateaus with little physical effort. You never realize what simple things can be done to make a lasting change. We all can take a moment to slow down and work on ourselves for a lasting change.
Heather Fletcher is a lifestyle writer with 10 years of experience in health and wellness. She received her Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from The University of Pittsburgh. She enjoys everything fitness related and is a self-described foodie.
