Water fasting, Keto/low-carb, Paleo, the Master Cleanse
if you battle with your weight, you may be on the lookout for the next fad diet that will miraculously make everything better.
Sorry to break it to you, but staying small and healthy typically involves committing to long-term lifestyle changes rather than the next fad diet.
Here are six poor behaviors to break if you want to see long-term results.
1. BANNING A FOOD
Everyone has a go-to junk food or item that they can’t stop eating once they start. However, removing it from your shopping list will only increase its allure.
Try not to exclude any foods from your diet since they will become more appealing when they are restricted.
Instead, enjoy the meal in moderation.
To be sure, you are aware of your own tendencies. If you know you’ll devour a whole box of cookies if it’s sitting in your cupboard, buy yourself only one cookie. And when you’re eating it, do so consciously.
Slowly savor each part of flavor, texture, and scent until you are completely pleased.
2. SKIMPING ON SLEEP
If you’ve ever sat at your desk bleary-eyed and swallowed an entire croissant without paying attention to what you were doing, you know that your sleep has an impact on your eating habits.
Sleep deprivation is the leading cause of hunger cues that are out of whack.
The good news is… This may be the most pleasurable habit to overcome, because the advantages of obtaining adequate sleep may be felt in all aspects of your life.
3. CRASH DIETING
You have a wedding next weekend and know that eating solely cottage cheese can easily kill 5 pounds.
Or maybe everyone in your office is doing the juice cleanse, and you feel left out if you don’t join in.
Resist the temptation. Strict diets are harmful, but there’s more to it: studies indicate they don’t work, they slow your metabolism, and you’ll regain all of the weight you lost.
It’s hardly a long-term answer if it’s making you dizzy with hunger.
4. BINGE DRINKING
Getting drunk and then having a pizza may be a practice associated with college life, but it doesn’t imply you stopped when you were 22.
Because alcohol decreases inhibitions, it promotes thoughtless eating. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach, pace yourself, and put healthy snacks in the fridge for when you arrive home when your defenses are down.
5. SKIPPING MEALS
It appears to be straightforward math, doesn’t it? You just saved a tonne of calories by skipping lunch and eating a regular supper.
That, however, is not how it works. When you eat every four hours, your hunger hormone (ghrelin) and satiety hormone (leptin) operate optimally.
If not, they go out of balance and might lead to overeating later on.
Plan your meals ahead of time, especially if you know you’ll be really busy and inclined to skip.
6. EATING FAT-FREE FOODS
Low-fat cheese, butter, and cookies are a bit of a throwback from the 1990s, but they may still be lurking in your pantry right now.
Keep in mind that obesity is not the enemy. Fat is required to keep us full and promote satiety.
Removing fat from meals causes us to crave more and overeat later.
Choosing fat-free versions of some meals may result in you absorbing fewer nutrients from them.
Removing fat from foods such as dairy inhibits the absorption of key fat-soluble vitamins such as A and D — as well as calcium.