14 Active Dates For Valentine's Day
Benjamin Committed To A Gym Routine And Lost 245 Pounds
Bad Eating Habits - 3 Tips for Nixing Them
Posted on Mar 30th 2009 5:00PM by Maggie VinkFiled Under: Nutrition & Supplements
Everyone falls off the healthy-eating wagon from time to time. And that's OK. Life happens -- and so does chocolate cake. But when unhealthy eating becomes less of an occasional slip and more of a habit, it's time to take action. The good news is, even the worst eating patterns aren't hard habits to break:- Late-night eating. Technically speaking, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie no matter when you eat it. But, more often than not, late-night snacking isn't really about hunger. Instead, it's just a habit to reach for the chips when your favorite show is on. If this sounds familiar, try eating dinner a half-hour later than usual. Also, go for a walk before or after dinner to help control your appetite. Then, during your down time, keep your hands busy working on a craft or doing a crossword. If you're feeling snacky, just wait out the craving for a while and see if you're still feeling hungry.
- Sweet tooth. Is your sweet tooth out of control? There's nothing wrong with having a small treat from time to time, but for many people, one small treat leads to a craving for a second treat (or third, or fourth). You can end up with a lot of calories and very few nutrients. When you've got a sugar craving, try soothing it with a sweet -- but healthful -- replacement such as dried fruit or some homemade trail mix. Check out Bethany's "Walking the Walk" to see how she nipped her sugar habit in the bud.
- Mindless munching. You're at a restaurant, chatting it up with friends, when you realize you finished off that impossibly large plate of pasta. Or, you're working through your lunch hour and managed to mindlessly munch on a half bag of pretzels when you only intended to have a handful. When your mind is elsewhere, it's quite easy to eat more than you planned. After all, it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realize you're full. You can pack away a lot of unnecessary food in 20 minutes! Not only do you eat more when you eat mindlessly, you're also not enjoying your food -- and where's the fun in that? Be more cognizant of what you're eating. Take the time to chew slowly and really taste your food. It's also wise to place appropriate portion sizes in a bowl or on a plate to prevent overeating. You may also want to keep eating for the table -- eating in front of the TV is a major cause of mindless eating.
Confession time -- what is your worst eating habit?
