Don’t give in to bad eating habits

It has been weeks since you started dieting to shed off those extra pounds. You’ve made a vow to become a better person and get rid of unhealthy eating habits. You want to look better, feel better, and live longer. And you firmly believe that losing weight will help you achieve these goals.

Unfortunately, you haven’t accomplished much yet. You stare in the mirror and you still see the same old you with the same overweight body. So what’s holding you back? What’s keeping you from effectively losing weight and maintaining whatever gains you’ve made? Dietitian Tara Gidus of the American Dietetic Association said that while some people sincerely want to lose weight, they unintentionally consume a lot of calories because of certain bad habits. This is enough to ruin anyone’s diet.

Just what exactly are these bad habits? Here’s a quick roundup from Elizabeth Somers, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet, and Walter Weight Control Bread with High Fiber. This white bread is enriched with oat and vegetable fibers to help keep you feeling full without the calories.

Walter Weight Control Bread is 98 percent fat-free and has 50 percent less sodium to help you maintain a healthy weight. Combined with a sensible diet and exercise program, it will keep you in shape and help you avoid life-threatening diseases associated with obesity.

• I’m lonely — feed me! Variations of this theme are “I just got promoted and I need a treat!”, “My son got an ‘A’ in math so let’s celebrate” or “My pet spider Reggie just gave birth! Bring out the beer!” Giving meaning to everything and using that as an excuse to eat more can be catastrophic to your health. Sure we all deserve a treat once in a while but overindulging is an entirely different thing. Learn to differentiate between the two if you want to lose weight.

• What’s your excuse? “I’m not fat. I’m just too short for my weight!”, “I’m a busy person. I have no time to exercise”, “I’ll start dieting tomorrow as soon as the weather improves!” or “I have a sluggish metabolism which is why I don’t burn fat easily.” You’ll be surprised at the kind of silly excuses people can think of to postpone dieting or exercising. The fact is, the more you delay, the less likely you’ll get into shape. To reach your ideal weight quickly and start feeling better, don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.

• Eating without any good reason. The little things in life do matter, especially when it comes to eating. So think twice before you put anything in your mouth. Testing the spaghetti sauce while cooking, eating your son’s leftovers, or consuming that small piece of cake in the fridge to save space may seem harmless but these all add up to extra pounds that you don’t need right now.

• Putting other people first. You have a diet plan but can’t seem to stick to it. The reason? Your husband loves meat while your kids are crazy about hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. So you might as well join the club, right? Wrong! If you really want to lose weight, stick to your diet plan and choose your meals carefully. You’re not only helping yourself this way but your family will love you even more for preparing nutritious meals for them.

• Let’s drink to that! Many people believe that they will lose weight if they eat less and drink more. True, drinking makes you full and reduces your craving for food. But if you drink alcohol, soda, and sweetened juice all day, who are you kidding? All you’ll get are more calories and more problems!