5 BAD HABITS THAT MAKE YOU GAIN WEIGHT
The average person gains one to two pounds (0.5 to 1 kg) every year. Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly can help prevent this conniving weight gain. It’s not just the foods, though, that can cause weight issues. Unhealthy behaviors play a role, too. That’s because they can lead you to take in more calories, sometimes without even realizing it.
Don’t worry, you can take control by changing your habits today.
Here are 7 bad things that are making you put on weight.
- Not Taking Enough Fruits And Veggies:
Vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber and high in volume with few calories. Without fruits and vegetables in your diet, you will most likely be consuming foods smaller in volume and higher in calories, leading to a lack of satiety or an excessive intake of overall calories.
Not only are fruits and vegetables are packed with beneficial and essential nutrients, but they are also quite low in calories, which is great for your waistline. Studies have shown that people who eat more vegetables and fruits are more likely to be in a healthy weight.
If you find it hard to eat your fruits and veggies, here are a few helpful tips:
- Add some fruit to your morning oatmeal.
- Prepare some raw veggie sticks and take them with you to work.
- Add veggies with a sandwich.
- Eat vegetable-rich soups.
- Include fruits and veggies in snacks.
- Make fruits or veggies as a salad and have it with dinner.
RELATED: 6 Fabulous Fruits That Could Help In Weight loss
2.Eating Quickly:
Eating too quickly can lead to weight gain and decreased enjoyment of food. However, slowing down the eating habit can increase fullness and promote weight loss. It also provides other health benefits. If you increase the chew time and focus on high-fiber foods, you’ll be well on your way to slower eating.
In today’s world, people are busy and tend to eat their meals quickly. Unfortunately, eating quickly might make you gain fat. Studies show that people who eat their meals quickly are more likely to be overweight or obese.
When you eat too fast, you swallow more air, which can cause bloating and gas. Slowing down to properly chew your food helps to break down larger particles of food into smaller ones, aiding digestion. If weight loss is your goal, eating fast may be hindering your progress.
RELATED: 10 Best Zero Calorie Foods To Boost Weight Loss
3.Eating While Watching TV:
People often eat while watching TV.
According to studies, watching TV doesn’t help in burning calories, rather it reduces the metabolic rate at which you should ideally digest the food and gain energy.
Watching TV probably does increase your likelihood to consume extra calories and be overweight. Experts say, multitasking like eating while watching television or working can prompt you to eat more, and gain weight.
Interestingly, those who ate while distracted also ate significantly more food later in the day. This might be because they didn’t realize how much food they ate during the meal.
RELATED: 10 Super Food To Burn Belly Fat
4. Not Drinking Enough Water:
“Sometimes people mistake thirst for hunger and they eat more, but really they just need to drink more,” says Dr. Moghaddam. “Sometimes if you have a glass of water, the hunger cues will go away.”
Studies estimate that up to 16–28% of adults are dehydrated, with older people at an increased risk.
Not drinking enough water can make you thirsty. However, thirst may be mistaken as a sign of hunger or food cravings by the body. Best of all, plain water has zero calories. Drinking water before a meal will avoid overeating and limits your calorie intake. If you find plain water boring, add some slices of cucumber, lemon, or your favorite fruit to add flavor.
Related: 10 Best Zero Calorie Foods To Boost Weight Loss
5. Not Getting Enough Sleep:
Getting adequate, quality of sleep is an important part of a healthy weight loss plan. Most importantly, research has shown that lack of sleep while dieting can reduce the amount of weight loss and it would encourage overeating.
Unfortunately, lack of sleep is strongly linked to weight gain. This is due to many factors, including hormonal changes and a lack of exercise. The worse case is, people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to gain belly fat or visceral fat. Carrying more visceral fat is linked to a higher risk of harmful diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
If you want to lose weight, you should make sure that you are getting sufficient sleep in addition to a healthy diet and exercise program. That means you’ll need to sleep at least 7 hours or more a night.
RELATED: Easy Weight Loss Tips To Reduce Body Fat And Lose Weight
6.Sitting Too Long:
In Western countries, the average adult sits for 9 to 11 hours per day.
Research shows that people with obesity sit for an average of two hours longer each day than do people with a normal weight. People who sit for long periods of time are more likely to be overweight or obese.
In fact, studies show that people who sit longer are more likely to be overweight. In addition, they have higher risks of chronic diseases and early death. If your work involves sitting for long intervals, break the long period of sitting by standing up, walking while in the phone call, relaxing by moving or twisting your body, between 15 to 20 minutes in between of your work. Make sure you exercise either before work or after work a few times per week. You can also try using a standing desk.
Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with several health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels that make up metabolic syndrome.
RELATED: 5 Healthy Habits Of A Fit Women Who Lose Weight Even On A Busy Schedule
7.Taking elevator instead of stairs:
If you take the elevator instead of the stairs at work, you’re missing out on an easy workout.
Climbing stairs is one of the best exercises when it comes to pure FAT BURN, strengthening the lower body, toning the butt, thighs, calves, losing inches from those love handles and belly, and building great abs. Along with these benefits is the immense good it does for your lungs and cardiovascular system.
Research shows that you burn 8 calories for every 20 steps you climb. While 8 calories may seem insignificant, it can easily add up to an extra hundred calories per day if you often travel between many floors.
Another interesting thing is, running stairs can help you burn belly fat, and fast. It’s a type of high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, which studies have shown is effective at helping to burn away belly fat more efficiently than traditional steady-state exercise, such as jogging.
Walking up the stairs is an aerobic exercise that burns calories, so it will help you lose belly fat if you do it as part of a regular exercise program.
RELATED: 8 Effective Gym Workout ideas For Beginners To Get Fit And Lose Weight
Bottom Line:
Like these, many little things can make you gain fat.
However, you can make these simple lifestyle changes today to account for them.
By following the tips in this article, you can make sure you get the most out of your healthy diet and exercise routine and avoid sabotaging it accidentally.
