5 Ways NOT to Lose Weight

1. Setting a “Course” record

Maybe it’s ingrained in us from childhood, maybe it’s culture, but Americans have a habit of finishing their meals much faster than people in other countries. Deliberately slowing down your consumption at mealtime will give your brain and stomach time to get in sync and indicate to you that you’re full and it’s time to stop foraging. However, if you’d like to pack on the pounds then by all means treat every meal like a time-trial!

2. Breaking Breakfast

Although it may go against our logic, research shows that individuals who skip meals weigh more than those who don’t. The reason for this is that our body’s play tricks on us by making up for the calories they missed earlier in the day. They send signals that say “KEEP EATING”. So in our minds we think we’ve eaten less, but in reality we probably ate more than we would have otherwise had we not skipped breakfast.

3. Buying into the fluid fallacy

You or someone you know might have tried replacing your meal intake with liquids instead. Now, if you’re consuming water…you’re in the clear, but if you think you’ve found your savior in something a bit sweeter, you may have unknowingly made a deal with the devil. Studies have shown that Americans  get 21% of their daily caloric intake via liquids. The most popular liquids are those that are often high in sugars: sodas, teas, coffee, etc. There’s no easier way to pack on the pounds than by slurping down liquid sugar all day.

4. Piling it high

Think going back for “seconds” is where the weight gain comes? Think again. The propensity to overeat and consume unnecessary calories typically comes from initial, large portion sizes. We’ve become so used to the large portion sizes in restaurants, that we think that’s normal even for the meals we make at home. You can “trick” yourself by leaving a few bites on the plate, using smaller plates and bowls, or actually divide out your portions using  measuring cups.

5. Choose unhealthy “healthy” options

So opting for the salad instead of the burger, eh? Choosing the parfait instead of the egg-bacon sandwich? Good try, but you may have just made an unhealthy “healthy” choice. It would appear that a salad or a yogurt option would be healthier than a burger or breakfast sandwich, but that’s not always the case. Many salads are covered with candied nuts, syrup infused fruit, fat-laden dressings, and carbs. The green in them is usually just cheap ice-berg lettuce offering no nutritional value. The yogurt and fruit in parfait is basically a dessert, heavy with sugar that is just waiting to transform into fat.
photo credit: poolie via photopin cc
photo credit: Jason Lander via photopin cc

 

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