7 Bad eating habits

Lose Weight Permanently - Avoid These 7 Bad Eating Habits

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by Diane Gilabert

Are you trying to lose weight permenantly? See if any of these 7 bad eating habits are sabotaging your natural healthy diet.

1. Skipping Meals

Skipping meals robs your body of the regular nutrition it requires to operate at peak efficiency. Studies show that frequent meal skippers retain more fat than participants who eat at least every 4 to 5 hours.

Why do you skip meals? Do you run out of time? Carry healthy snacks like Clif Bars, fresh fruit, and nuts for emergencies. Do you skip breakfast? Eating a healthy breakfast is critical to jump start your metabolism and prevent overeating later in the day.

2. Eating Out Often

If you hate to cook or have to travel frequently, then eating out is a way of life. Restaurant meals and fast food tend to be loaded with fat and salt and skimpy on fruits and vegetables.

Try to make at least a few healthy meals a week at home. Here are some quick and easy recipes for a whole food, plant-based diet: www.lose-weight-for-life.com/vegan-recipes.html.

Choose the right restaurant and order carefully. Here are some suggestions for healthy dining out on a vegan diet: www.lose-weight-for-life.com/vegan-dining.html.

3. Late Night Snacking

This is one bad habit that you just need to go cold turkey and ditch. Resolve not to eat after dinner and stick to it. First throw out or give away all the foods that you tend to snack on late at night. Then vary your after-dinner routine. The first couple days will be the most challenging, but then you will get used to it.

4. Constant Grazing

Healthy snacks a couple of times a day will help prevent overeating and control hunger. However, if you find yourself eating continually throughout the day then you are likely consuming too many calories no matter what you're eating.

Stick to one or two snacks a day and make sure to control portions. Here's a recent blog post on healthy snacking to guide you: blog.lose-weight-for-life.com/blog/high-fiber-diets/0/0/a-healthy-living-diet-how-to-snack.

5. Portion Non-control

Maybe you have resolved to follow a healthy living diet but you are still overweight. Be honest with yourself about the size of your meals and snacks. Are you supersizing your way to fat?

Don't fall into old traps like thinking you need to "clean your plate" or wanting to polish off food to avoid leftovers. Avoid mindless eating by turning off the TV and eating slowly.

6. Being Too Perfect then Binge Eating

Are you the type who follows a strict diet then loses control and overeats? Binge eating can be caused by being too restrictive. We crave what we can't have. Allow yourself small doses of healthy indulgences once in a while to avoid eating an entire pint of ice cream or bag of chips.

Here are some healthy dessert recipes if your relentless sweet tooth is wreaking havoc on your healthy lifestyle diet: www.lose-weight-for-life.com/vegan-dessert-recipes.html.

7. Skimping on Fruits and Vegetables

The best way to lose weight for life without hunger is to adopt a whole food, plant-based diet. You can never go wrong eating mostly fruits and vegetables. Eat a big salad every day. A high fiber diet of mostly fruits and vegetables will result in permanent weight loss and vibrant health.

If you have more than one of these bad eating habits don't make the mistake of trying to tackle them all at once. Choose one to focus on for two or three weeks then move on to the next one.

Bad habits are never easy to break, but with commitment and focus you can maintain a healthy weight.