-Going to sleep super late: not only would this probably lead to getting less sleep throughout the night, which can cause weight gain in itself, but there is also a higher likelihood that you are in turn eating more throughout the night! Watching TV late at night is another factor in possible weight gain, since late night TV watchers tend to mindlessly munch on snacks without realizing how much they're really taking in! Try easing into going to sleep earlier by 10-15 minutes each night, and if you do indulge in some late night TV, portion out your snacks instead of grabbing the whole bag of chips, or sip on some water or tea!
-Having your fridge and pantry be too full: this may sound a little strange, but in this case, too much of a good thing may really be a bad thing! Even if it's lots of fruits, veggies, and lean meats, if we have so much food in our fridge that we don't know where to start, we will probably feel pressured to eat much more than necessary each day to assure that our fresh foods don't go bad! Instead, try planning out your meals and getting only what's necessary for the week ahead! That way, you will have everything portioned out and not feel overwhelmed to eat more than you need to.
-Being stressed: Just to stress you out even more, being stressed all the time can make our brains send off all different kinds of hormones and stress adaptors, causing us to turn to coping mechanisms that are not so healthy! Ever felt bad about someone making you feel bad, and you wanted to turn away from exercise, and turn to all of the pasta and brownies? Moral of the story: DITCH the negative nancies in your life, and cling on to the positive pollies! Ain't NOBODY got time for someone who's always down and bringing you down with them!
-Your body is missing certain nutrients: this is why I am so strongly against diets that try to force you out of certain food groups, like "no carb" diets or "sugar free" diets. Our bodies NEED all of those nutrients! It's not necessarily about eating less than you are right now, but eating right. Being low in certain vitamins and nutrients causes our bodies to weaken our immune and metabolism systems, causing us to feel weak, low in energy, and more likely to turn to caffeine and sweets to help that. Point blank: eat ALL of your foods, and eat them right! If you find that you have a hard time getting all of your nutrients and vitamins in, I have always turned to Shakeology, because on busy days, I can be the same way. It helps me rest assured that I have ALL of my daily goodies in!
-Traveling for work/Vacations: it's a no brainer that vacations can lead to weight gain, because, well, vacations mean vacation FOOD! But if you're constantly on the road for work, or a vacation-holic, try to think ahead by packing lots of your own healthy snacks, and making smarter decisions at the restaurants you are eating at. You can still enjoy your juicy cheeseburger, just try taking off one of the buns, and ordering their fresh steamed veggies instead of fries. That's a solid 1,000 calorie save just in those 2 decisions! Don't let a 5 day vacation or work stay ruin a month's worth of hard work!
-Eating with bigger plates: When we eat meals with really large plates, sometimes we can feel that we didn't eat enough when our food doesn't cover the plate, even if our portions were actually correct- our minds have a funny way of doing that! Try eating on a smaller plate. Your food will probably cover the whole thing plus some, and it'll have you feeling more full and satisfied at the end of it!
-Eating too fast: Sometimes we are in such a rush, or we are so hungry that we scarf down whatever meal we have. That's one of the reasons I always try to eat many small meals throughout the day, because I have always eaten way too fast! That way, I will never get so starving that I eat badly or too much. But if you do get to that point, just slow down! The faster we scarf our food down, the longer it takes for our bodies to register what we have just consumed. Therefore, we fill our bellies up way too full before it would've realized how full it was- causing our stomachs to stretch out a little more each time we overeat.
As you can see, a healthy lifestyle can be SO much more than diet and exercise alone! If you have been making lifestyle changes by daily exercise and a healthier diet, and still not seeing the results you want, try some of these tactics out and let me know how it goes!
With love,
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