Eating Habits You Need to Break Away From

Sharon Moore January 07, 2015

When you try to adopt a healthy habit, you should also make an effort to drop an unhealthy one. Losing weight and being healthy is not all about cutting down on your food intake or eating lots of nutritious foods. To achieve the results you want in a faster and more effective way, there are a few eating habits that you need to break away from, right now.

Eating “diet” foods.

Food products with the word ‘diet’ in their labels are very much deceiving. You might think it is okay to eat them because they contain fewer calories than their regular counterparts. But wait until you check its nutritional content. Most ‘diet’ foods and beverages contain artificial sweeteners and additives that enhance flavour while reducing calories. Unfortunately, these artificial stuff do more bad to your body than good. First, they make you feel more hungry, fuelling you to binge-eat. Next, they cause damage to your DNA, exposing you to an array of health problems, including the most serious ones like cancer. So ditch those ‘diet’ foods. And switch to fresh, whole foods instead. They are low in calories but are very rich in nutrients which your body need to burn fats and get healthy.

Skipping meals.

Think skipping meals is going to save you from the extra calories? Wait until your next meal. Studies show that people who skip meals tend to consume more calories than those who eat three balanced meals throughout the day. Other studies have found that it’s not just your overall daily calories, but also when you eat them that matters. A good rule of thumb is to eat larger meals before your more active hours, smaller meals before less active hours, and never let more than four to five hours go by without eating.

Engaging to emotional eating.

Don’t turn to foods when you are stressed. While eating can give you a temporary boost in mood, it can backfire and lead to guilt feelings and disappointment over time.

Overeating healthy foods.

Just because they are healthy doesn’t mean you can eat a lot of them. While whole foods are nutrient-rich and enhance metabolism, they still contain calories. It is important that you observe proper portion sizes. One serving of any food should just be about the size of your fist. Listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues.

Drinking excessively.

Even if you’re watching your food intake, if you drink a lot too often, you’re still setting yourself up to weight loss failure. Alcoholic beverages, especially cocktails contain lots of empty calories which do not only cause to excess fats, but also predispose your body to health problems. Commit to limiting your alcohol intake to one night per week, and a max of two drinks.

Ditching all fats.

Not all fats are bad. There are also good fats which play a crucial role in your health. Foods that are high in essential fats include avocado, salmon and other fatty fish, and nuts. Aside from helping you burn calories, healthy fats are incredibly satisfying. Make guacamole for your sandwich, grilled salmon for your lunch, and a handful of walnuts or almonds for your snack. Yum!

Making healthy eating habits don’t happen overnight. It’s going to take time, effort and constant practice. But once you’ve adopted these habits, you will be amazed of how these can dramatically improve your health and well-being.