Eating Habits That Add to Your Waistline
By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Breaking established habits and developing new ones is no easy feat, especially when it comes to healthy eating. But if you are trying to improve your diet and lose weight, it’s worth reviewing your habits. You may spot one or a few that could be adding to your waistline.
Here’s a list of the most common eating and lifestyle habits that make it difficult to lose weight.
1 – Eating larger portions than you need.
It’s no secret that America has a portion problem, often referred to as “portion distortion.” Portion sizes served at restaurants are usually very large, and this practice seems to have spilled over into home cooking for many people.
A commonly recommended serving size for meat at a meal is roughly 3 ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards. For carbohydrates like pasta and grains, it’s about ½ to 1 cup, and for fats and oils, it’s about 1 tablespoon. Nutritional needs of course vary by person, but these serving sizes are a generally a good place for most people to start when building meals.
Put together a healthy plate with these amounts, add some non-starchy vegetables, and see how you feel after eating. If you are still hungry, go back for more protein and vegetables first, since they tend to be the most filling. After a while, you’ll start to figure out what portion sizes are best for you. If you need assistance with meal prep, consider meal prep services or diet meal delivery like Healthy For Life Meals!
2 – Eating too fast.
If you have a busy schedule full of family and work commitments, carving out time to sit down and eat your meals isn’t always possible. In reality, you may have more meals on-the-go than at a table, which can lead to eating too fast.
Scarfing down a meal usually results in eating more calories than you need, since your brain and body don’t have enough time to register that you are full. If you get into the habit of eating too fast, you may put on pounds over time. In fact, a meta-analysis of 23 studies found that people who ate quickly were more than twice as likely to be obese than those who did not.
If you tend to eat fast and weight loss is a priority for you, try to develop a new habit of taking at least 20 minutes to eat a meal. Minimize distractions while eating, such as working, watching TV, or scrolling your phone, as much as possible. For more tips on mindful eating, see our blog post on the topic.
3 – Overeating while stressed.
Stress is a common trigger for overeating. Plus, when stress levels are high, you probably crave sweet or indulgent comfort foods instead of veggies and hummus! If you are trying to lose weight but feel like stress eating is getting in the way, consider working on stress management.
Once you develop effective techniques for coping with stress, sticking to healthy eating may feel easier and more manageable. Some stress-reducing practices you can try include yoga, cardio exercise, journaling, reducing screen time, and increasing time spent in nature. If you need additional help, speak to your healthcare provider about options for therapy or other forms of counseling from a trained professional.
4 – Drinking too much alcohol.
Winding down after a busy day with an adult beverage may not seem like a detrimental habit, but it may be hindering weight loss more than you think. An occasional alcoholic drink is likely OK from time to time, but drinking too much can lead to consuming more calories than you need. Plus, alcohol may negatively impact sleep and in turn make it harder to lose weight.
Current recommendations from health experts suggest limiting alcohol consumption to a maximum of 1 drink per day for women and 1 to 2 drinks per day for men. A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1 to 1.5 ounces of liquor. Some experts recommend not drinking at all.
If you have a habit of drinking alcohol every day or a few times a week and want to lose weight, consider cutting back. Check out our blog post on mocktails for some ideas to enjoy a refreshing beverage made without alcohol.
5 – Not drinking enough water.
If you’re looking to slim down, don’t overlook drinking more water. The simple act of staying hydrated may prevent overeating, increase the amount of calories you burn, and reduce appetite. Replacing other drinks with water, especially sugar-sweetened beverages and high-calorie drinks, is an additional step that can support weight loss goals.
Even in light of all the benefits of staying hydrated, it can be easier said than done. If you want to develop the habit of drinking more water, start with small steps. Leave a glass of water on your bedside table or next to the coffee pot to drink first thing in the morning. Drink flavored sparkling water in place of soda or juice. Last but not least, add hydrating foods to your meals! You can easily increase your water intake by eating more raw vegetables, fruits, and soups.
6 – Skipping breakfast.
Some people find skipping breakfast hard to imagine, while others regularly miss the first meal of the day. Whether you’re not hungry in the morning or just caught up in the chaos of getting you and your family out the door, it’s easy to put eating on the backburner. However, if missing breakfast becomes a habit, you may be hindering your weight loss efforts more than you realize.
For many people, skipping breakfast can lead to overeating at the next meal. You may feel sluggish and “hangry” by the time you sit down for lunch and opt for indulgent, high-calorie foods as a result. To prevent this situation, try developing the habit of eating breakfast by planning out what you’ll eat before you go to bed or setting yourself up with quick options on hand.
Plain Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts, hard boiled eggs with a banana, a slice of whole grain toast with peanut butter, overnight oats with fruit, or chia seed puddings are all easy choices for busy mornings. If you’re not hungry right when you wake up, grab one of these options to eat after you drop off your kids or get settled at your desk.
7 – Not getting enough sleep.
Food choices are important for weight loss, but sleep quality makes a big difference too! Getting a good night of sleep positively impacts hormones that regulate hunger and makes it easier to stick to eating and exercise plans. Knowing these benefits, it’s easy to see how consistently missing out on sleep can hinder weight loss.
If you want to improve your sleep, start with assessing your sleep environment. Make sure your room is a cool temperature and free of distractions, such as clutter, computers, and TVs. If you do like to use screens at night, just be sure to power them down at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Transition to reading or journaling after that to promote better sleep.
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