5. Eating Too Fast
Eating too fast is a major culprit in over-eating. Once you begin eating, you need at least 15 to 20 minutes to begin to process food and feel somewhat full. Scarfing down a meal in under six minutes may have been a great thing for frat guys to brag about in college, but it has no place in the food habits of the healthy.
Instead: Take time to savor your food and slow down. Be sure to enjoy a meal away from the computer or television to ensure you reasonably pace yourself.
And speaking of television and computers...
6. Munching In Front Of A Screen
Regardless if it's a computer or television screen, when you are distracted by what's being shown it's easy to lose track of how much you are eating.
Instead: Sit at the dinner table and allot a decent amount of time (usually 30 minutes will do) for your meal.
7. Using Large Plates
Using large plates are a recipe for disaster on your diet. The problem with large plates is that most people feel the urge to fill those plates with food. Larger plates means larger portions and larger portions mean more calories and more chances to over-eat.
Instead: Use a medium to small size plate for all your meals. You'll consume less calories and your eyes won't notice the difference.
8. Scale Back
When you weigh yourself daily or worse, several times a day, you create an environment where you are constantly in turmoil over every fluctuation you see. While it is helpful to maintain your weight with some monitoring, constant monitoring is more harmful than helpful.
Instead: Set a day and time to weigh yourself and stick to it. Know that your weight will change throughout the day so weighing yourself at the same time weekly, will give you more accurate and comparable results.
9. Stress
Some people respond to stress by eating less and others respond by eating more. Either way, stress is a surefire derail to your healthy habits. Cortisol is raised when you're stressed and that can lead your blood pressure and sugar levels to become out-of-whack. Once that happens, the chances of over-eating increase.
Instead: Indulge in things that help you relax. Reading, listening to soothing music and yoga are excellent ways to de-stress after a long day.
10. Your Friends
When you hang out with people, do you tend to eat more? Do you eat different types of foods? Monitor your eating habits when your environment changes and notice if you're the type of person who's eating habits change dramatically with the company that you keep.
Instead: Don't turn into a recluse in order to keep to your diet. Do choose your foods wisely and, when possible, bring your own food to dinner parties—share your healthy and delicious dishes.
When you take all things into consideration, maintaining a life-long healthy lifestyle takes work. But, when you are mindful of all the big and seemingly small things that can take you off-track, you will be well on your way to coasting into a great, healthy lifestyle for years to come.
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