Harmless Habits That Add Pounds

There are many little things we do mindlessly that sabotage our diet plans. Sometimes, we even abandon our diet plans because we think they're not working. We get so frustrated because despite our best efforts, we still pile on the pounds. However, observing our eating habits carefully may reveal practices that taken together can spell the difference between failure and success. We may be surprised to realize that what we thought as harmless can, in fact, be the reason why we are not losing weight.

Eating a little bit of everything. From a jar of jelly beans to a buffet table, eating a little bit of everything sets us up for overeating. A study shows that when respondents were given 24 flavors of jelly beans, they ate twice as many as those given 6 flavors. It shows that a large assortment of flavors piques interest and encourage further tasting. When we are confronted with a lot of options at meal times, sometimes it is hard to make choices. If we want to stick to our diet, it pays to be prepared before putting food on your plate. Try to survey the food at the buffet table first. You will be better equipped to make healthy food choices if you know your options. You can then choose what to put on your plate and consuming exactly what you intended to.

Eating while standing. Eating out of fast food containers while standing up increases your chances of overeating by up to 50% at the next meal. People feel that the meal that was consumed while standing up is just a snack. Consequently, they would feel less satisfied and therefore, make up for it at the next meal. The best way to counteract this habit is by making sure that all your meals should be eaten in the proper setting. Sitting down for a meal makes you go through the rituals of eating. Psychologically, you will be more satisfied with what you eat. You will be less likely to overindulge later on.

Listening to music affects how much and how fast you eat. When we listen to fast music, we tend to eat fast, too. This results to increased food intake because it takes 20 minutes to reach our satiety level. Soft music encourages you to linger over dinner and eat more food. Instead of listening to music, engage in an interesting conversation with your dinner companion. When at home, turn off the music and focus on what you're eating. One diet advice that I often find is to savor your food. Concentrate on what you are eating and really take the time to eat. Chew your food well and enjoy every bite.

These habits are just some of the things we do that may wreck our well planned diet. The next time you eat, observe your behavior. Are you guilty of one of these habits? It is never too late to change habits that prevent us from reaching our fitness goals. But the best time to start is now.