Seven Habits to Avoid for Your Weight Loss Success

Seven Habits to Avoid for Your Weight Loss Success
There are commonalities of those of us that struggle with
weight. Due to many years of unhealthy habits and food
choices, we have found ourselves overweight or obese.
Habits are hard to break but they can be broken. Replace
the unhealthy habits that have made you heavy with healthy
habits to not only help you to lose weight but to keep it
off and maintain. I've probably lost 2,000 pounds in my
lifetime only to lose and regain plus a few bonus pounds
from the diet. To help you to lose weight and reach your
weight loss goals, notice if any of these habits are
applicable to you. If so, change the habit, change your
weight, change your life.

1. Regularly eat sweet, sugary treats. If you can eat a
bite of something you'd like to eat, great! However, if it
is a trigger food to set you off on a day-long binge (or
longer), it is best to avoid eating it in the first place.
Be aware of your behavior and know yourself. There are
some food choices that I just can't handle. As I've lost
and maintained my weight, I'm able to stay more in control
and my trigger foods have lost their power over my ability
to choose.

2. Eating the majority of meals in restaurants or fast
food. Restaurant portions are huge. Usually, a portion in
a restaurant is the equivalent to three or more healthy
portions. If you must eat out, ask for a to go box at the
time that you order. When your meal comes, take your
single portion and put the rest in the box. You'll save
calories and money to eat it the following day. Fast food
is void of nutrition but packed with calories, fat, and
carbohydrates. Fast food may be fast but it is far from
healthy. The additional time you spent in preparing
something healthy for you is minimal compared to the
additional time spent trying to lose the weight from fast
food.

3. Faster causes fatter. Slow it down. Did you know that
it takes 20 minutes for the physical message to get to your
brain that you're satisfied. Yes, it take 20 minutes for
your brain to essentially catch up to your stomach's "I'm
full" cues. Eat slower to allow sufficient time for your
stomach to communicate with your brain. In 20 minutes, you
can consume a lot of excess food. Try putting your fork or
spoon down between bites.

4. Have a sedentary mindset. Look for little ways to be
active. Exercise is important yet being active is also a
mindset. Look for ways throughout your day to be more
active. Little things can lead to a more active lifestyle
and extra calories burned along with a boost to your
metabolism. Take breaks and go outside for a different
perspective and for some fresh air. Muscles were meant to
be used rather than sit at your desk all day. Take the
stairs instead of the escalator; park further away rather
than drive around for a closer space. Active people lose
weight and maintain it just by having a mindset for moving
your body.

5. Don't exercise regularly. There's no way around it,
exercise is a component to weight loss. Exercise (such as
walking) a few days a week along with resistance training
is the key to weight loss. Resistance training is
important because it builds muscle. Muscle helps boosts
your metabolism and burns more fat. Even walking around
the room, walking in place or lifting hand weights during
commercials while you watch television can make a
difference.

6. Eating as a recreational activity. Eating in response
to true hunger is a physiologically and psychologically
satisfying, nurturing experience. Many people eat out of
food triggers, soothe emotions, or even provide an outlet
for boredom. Eat because you are physically hungry and not
according to the clock or in response to your head.

7. Skip meals. One of the ways to encourage a late day
binge is to skip meals. By skipping meals results in
larger meals and unhealthy food choices. Being overly
hungry triggers eating fast and overeating, along with poor
food choices. Feed your body throughout the day to avoid
issues with insulin and blood sugar rise and crash episodes.

Habits are created and habits can be broken. Identify the
habits that promote overeating and unhealthy food choices.
Become aware of how many habits don't serve you well and
assist you in losing weight. After you're aware, it's time
to take action. Take the heavy habits and exchange them
for healthy habits. Before you know it, your new healthy
habits will be such a natural part of who you are and what
you do with your diet and activity per day. If you're
tired of being heavy, ditch the habits that make you heavy.
Healthy habits are the way to reaching your weight loss
goal.

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Cathy Wilson is a weight loss life coach. Cathy lost 147
pounds six years ago. Her passion is helping clients
achieve their weight loss and life goals. Cathy works with
clients to create a weight loss life plan that is
customized to each client. Cathy is a member of the
International Coaching Federation, International
Association of Coaches, and Obesity Action Coalition.
Visit Cathy's website:
http://www.LoseWeightFindLife.com