It sometimes seems like no matter what you do, you just can’t lose weight. You diet, you exercise, but still the pounds won’t come off. Maybe even you see yourself gaining weight. But it may be that you, like many people, are making eating mistakes without even realizing it. Here are 6 major eating mistakes that many people make.
First, don’t think that just because you are eating less that you are cutting back on calories. When you are on a diet, and reducing how much food you take in, it’s sometimes easy to overcompensate by eating foods high in fat and calories. You think to yourself, I’m not eating a lot so I can have this one piece of double fudge chocolate ice cream cake! But don’t fool yourself by eating small portions of fatty foods because the calories add up quickly.
Another mistake people make is developing a rush to the finish attitude with meals. You might start thinking of meals as the enemy, gulping down whatever you eat in the hope that if you eat it fast enough, it might not stick, and you’ll lose weight. But research has shown that if you eat fast you not only tend to eat more, it also interferes with digestion. The body cannot break down the calories to convert them to energy. Thus, calories are stored and become fat cells.
Sometimes we try to eat right, ordering a nice salad for lunch, but then we load it up with so much cheese and salad dressing that we actually eat more calories than we might eating a healthy sandwich. Don’t make the mistake of adding a lot of unnecessary calories to a meal that should be good for you and good for your diet.
A fourth major eating mistake that people make is believing that if something comes in liquid form, it must be lower in calories. But don’t fall for this one; one study done in the U.S. showed we get up to 20 percent of our calories in liquid form. Coffee with cream and sugar is a major source of calories, as is beer. Some of those so called healthy smoothies can be overflowing with fat and sugar. Make sure you know what’s going into your smoothie before you buy it!
Next, did you know you can actually take in too few calories? It’s true; if you aren’t getting enough calories, your body tries to conserve your energy stores by slowing down the metabolism, thus not burning off fat. Eating frequent, smaller meals keeps your metabolism up while lowering your caloric intake.
Finally, stop eating on autopilot. Whether because of stress or boredom or just as something to do, we can grab at whatever high fat, low nutrition food might be available. We eat without thinking about it. Instead, get outside and take a walk, develop a hobby, join a sports club. These activities are not only good for you, they will give you a healthy alternative to mindless eating.