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Skipping
Breakfast- We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the
day. Many people think that if you skip breakfast you will save calories
and you will shed more pounds, but quite the contrary. In fact, this bad habit adds pounds. A recent study found that those who ate
ready to eat breakfast cereal or even muffins had significantly lower BMI
(body mass indexes) than those who skipped breakfast.
- Clean
Your Plate Syndrome- Serving sizes are much smaller than we place on our
plates and what we visualize.
Portion sizes at restaurants or even what we serve ourselves on an
average size dinner plate are far greater than one serving. This packs on
numerous uncounted calories and ultimately packs on the bulge. Check the
label and stick to the portion size, even if you have to put the rest in
the refrigerator or take home a doggie bag.
- Eating
at your desk- Everyone is busy. We eat when we can fit a few bites in our
mouth between jobs, picking up kids and keeping our families
together. This is why you need to
take time to eat a well balance meal with small snacks in between. Make
time for meals as often as you can.
When you designate only the dining room, kitchen and restaurants as
your eating area, you are less likely to be distracted and overeat.
- Eating
Late Nights- This is one of the
most common ways people sabotage their weight loss goals. They have been good all day and had a
reasonable dinner. Then they sit on
the couch and they get a sudden urge to eat. Others eat late nights because they work
long hours and do not have time to eat during the day. Which brings us
back to snacking at your desk. Make
sure to eat a well balance meal for breakfast and lunch with a small snack
in between to prevent hunger or boredom binging late at night.
- Fat-Free
Everything- Eating fat free everything is not the best way to balance your
diet. Many people believe that the
way to lose weight to is lose the fat from your diet. In addition to
making food taste good, fat also makes you feel satisfied. If you cut out all fat from your diet,
you will feel the need to eat more calorie-full foods like cookies and
pretzels. Keep your calories to
about 20-30 percent of good fats such as olive oil, peanuts, avocados and fish
oils.
- Alcohol-
Beer, wine or spirits pack calories mercilessly. Not only does alcohol contribute seven
calories per gram, but it has the effect of making you eat more during a
meal. If you are going to drink, space each drink you have with a glass of
water and avoid any high sugar and calorie packed tropical and frozen
drinks. Also, do not head out for a wild night on the town without eating
something first.
- Skipping
the Gym- Many dieters think that cutting calories back will be the solution to weight loss and
a healthy lifestyle. This may work
initially to drop a few pounds, but it will not help you with your muscle
tone, your lean body mass and its function to increase your metabolism. It
may even cause loss of muscle mass as well as yo-yo dieting.
- Sleeplessness-
Everyone needs their sleep. Our bodies recover during sleep, burn fat
during sleep, reduce our stress levels and insulin levels and restore our
cells for the following day. Lack
of sleep causes your body to shut down and to perform at a less productive
rate. Just one extra hour of sleep
a night will help you be more alert and have more energy to make your
workouts better.
- Negative
Attitude- If you want it, you can
achieve it if you work hard. This applies to anything in life. Use this
motto. A positive attitude and
constant affirmations will keep your mind clear of negative energy and you
will stay focused on your goals.
- Lack of Support- Everyone needs a support group. Your support group may be your family, your friends, your trainer, your co-workers or your dog. Everyone needs someone to turn to. It is alright to use your support group to talk to and to be accountable to. Most people work better and accomplish more goals knowing that their loved ones are watching out for them. Workout with a partner and push each other. If one of you does not want to come to the gym or wants to eat a Ding Dong, the other one should encourage them to stay of track.
5 ways to stay on track
1. Take a multi-vitamin each day
2. Make small attainable goals and
track your progress.
3. Start a walking group during
your lunch hour.
4. Log all your meals
5. Drink at least 64 ounces of
water.
Eat 6 meals a day. Break up all of your meals into smaller parts
with breakfast, lunch and dinner to have a ratio of 40% carbohydrates, 35%
protein and 25% fat. Snack in between with a fruit, vegetable and a
protein. Keep your calories under 2500
for men and 2000 for women each day to lose 1 pound to a half a pound a week.
