Are you piling on the body fat but not sure why? It’s time to identify your diet troublemakers.
Are you slipping into common diet mistakes? Don’t worry. I am here to help you identify the diet mistakes and correct them. I will tell you easy and effective ways to avoid them.
Many of you keep wondering that they are eating healthy, then why the number on the scales is not dropping?
Losing weight is not easy, and it gets even more challenging when certain circumstances induce you into flawed eating habits.
To quote nutrition expert Fitness Buffhq: “Part of the challenge is being aware of what could be a danger and making small changes to your diet.”
Most Common Dieting Mistakes And Simple Tricks To Correct Them.
# 1
Are You Eating Leftovers?
We all go through this sometimes – the kids have only eaten half their dinner, and before you know it, you eat the rest. But don’t worry; you are not alone. According to research by the Almond Board of California, 90% of women in the UK admit to snacking mindlessly throughout the day. So, it’s not surprising to find how our healthy diets can become unbalanced.
Whereas your kids’ food might sometimes be super healthy, nicking even a portion of oven chips or muffin top is undoubtedly not the right thing to do.
To quote dietitian Fitness Buffhq: “Snacking is important to help control hunger and provide essential nutrients.” But snacking on the right foods plus keeping creamy pasta at bay is the key.
Diet Trick: According to dietitian Lucy: “If you’re a snacker, there are easy ways to ensure you’re still achieving a balanced diet. Almonds are a high source of fiber, and just a handful (30 grams) a day can boost your nutrient intake. The research found that a mid-morning snack of almonds resulted in a reduced calorie intake during the rest of the day.”
Other healthier options are lightly salted popcorn, carrot sticks, or fruit to keep your blood sugar steady until it’s time for your main meal.
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# 2
Too Many Diet Disruptors At Your Work
Are you frequently lured by tea-break indulgences, birthday & anniversary cakes, and lunchtime excursions to the sandwich shop? A recent research poll concluded that not only the weekends or holidays are bad for our diet, but in many cases, it can also be going to the office.
Many people divulged that workplace treats constantly disrupt their healthy-eating routine, with the coffee shop trips for hot chocolates or cappuccinos being the nastiest.
To quote Fitness Buffhq, “The office can be a hotbed of unhealthy snacks and sedentary habits.”
Diet Trick: Avoid office temptations by taking your own lunch to your office and low-fat snacks. Switch over from high-calorie ready-made sandwiches and crisps to homemade salads and snacks carried from home. Evade the temptation of the office biscuit tin by having plenty of healthy foods to nibble on between meals, like nuts and low-fat crackers.
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# 3
A Night On The Town With Your Friends
Although a night out with your friends occasionally doesn’t harm. But if you go out frequently with your friends and you’re trying to be in good physical shape, ask them to help you and not attempt to wreck your diet by urging you to eat stodgy food or drink creamy cocktails.
Diet Trick: While your friends might be swigging Piña Coladas or a creamy after-dinner liqueur, you can go for better options like a spritzer or spirit with slimline tonic water for a longer, more refreshing drink.
To quote nutritionist Fitness Buffhq: “Once you’ve been eating well for a few months, you won’t actually want anything bad for you. You’ll be content having a salad with chicken or another protein meal without the carbs.”
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# 4
Eating out
If you have to eat out a lot, maybe due to your frequent traveling or working away from home and staying in hotels, try to select healthier options than burgers, pizza, and heavy pasta. A large salad is filling and good for you.
To quote nutritionist Fitness Buffhq: “Don’t get too stressed when you dine out, particularly if it’s infrequent, as you don’t have to spoil your outing. It’s all about how you eat daily – an odd treat doesn’t matter.”
Diet Trick: To quote nutritionist Fitness Buffhq: “Choose a main course salad or a large side salad with added protein like fish, chicken, or goat’s cheese. Another option is to have two starters rather than a main. Avoid the before-dinner bread; choose olives if you’re feeling a little hungry. And when it comes to alcohol, have one measure of a spirit or a small glass of wine.”
# 5
Eating the Same Portion Size As Your Partner
Watch out that your partner’s eating habits could partly contribute to your weight gain. I have seen many individuals are pretty slimmer before they meet their partner, but after that, they slowly start gaining weight! To quote Fitness Buffhq: “If it’s your partner who cooks, gently encourage him to cut portions and make sure he’s using healthy, fresh ingredients.”
Diet Tricks:
(i) Go prudently with takeaways: Choose a grilled chicken kebab without the pitta, chicken tikka instead of korma, and cut out the carbohydrates.
(ii) Take the lead for the weekly food shopping and try to buy only healthy foods so you face less temptation. If you feel your meals are incomplete without carbs, try millet or quinoa.
(iii) Prepare meals together using wholesome ingredients and no carbs.
And if all the above don’t work out, be firm and put smaller portions on your plate.
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Fitness Tips
Here are some tips to avoid diet mistakes making you fat.
- Use A Smaller Plate: A study by Cornell University found that curtailing your plate size from 30cm to 25cm can reduce calorie intake by 22%. Using a smaller plate is an effective trick in depicting portions you eat to look much larger.
- Drink First: You feel hungry when you get home and routinely lunge for food, but sometimes our bodies misperceive thirst with hunger. Having a glass of water first can prevent this from happening.
- Take It Slow: It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register when you are full – so when you eat in a hurry, you tend to eat more than you require. So make a habit of eating slowly to let your brain catch up with the signals from your digestive system.
- Eat Before You Shop: Hungry shoppers are likely to gobble more calories! Try to go shopping after having a meal, and you will stick to your shopping list.
- Steer Clear Of Unhealthy Snacks: Don’t keep a supply of your favorite high-calorie snacks in the kitchen, contemplating you’ll ‘just have one’ with that cuppa – but most of the time, you will end up eating more, especially after a hard day. Start having low-calorific snacks around, so next time you have a craving, you’ll reach for healthy alternatives instead.
- Heap Up On Veg: Increase your salad or veg portion to half a plate. Apart from being nutritious and delectable, veggies are low in calories and high in fiber to keep you full for longer.
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About Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffhq, is ISSA Certified Elite Trainer. He passed Personal Fitness Trainer Course, Nutrition Health Coach course & Specialist Exercise Therapy course from ISSA, USA obtaining + 97% marks. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says, ” Age is just a number!”