15 habits that hurt your figure

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

These weaknesses and failures are a serious obstacle on the way to a dream figure. And they are not always associated with nutrition.

By virtue of my profession, I constantly have to analyze other people's habits related to nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle. And it turns out that seemingly insignificant weaknesses cost people too much, causing significant damage to their health, harmony, beauty, self-confidence, relationships and quality of life.

What are these little monsters that, turning into a habit, spoil our lives and prevent us from achieving our goals?

1. You are trying to achieve the ideal

Perhaps I will disappoint you, but you will not succeed. You will not be perfect because you are human. There will always be something in your life that will prevent you from achieving perfection: lack of time, blockage at work, family problems, a small child …

But you don't need that. All it takes to achieve your nutritional and fitness goals (I'll call them fitness goals) is consistency.

Why is perfection dangerous? The fact that, after failing, you decide to take a break and postpone change until better times. And they will never come. I tell you this for sure.

What to do?

Strive to do “good enough” but every day, not “perfect” once a week.

2. Looking for excuses, postponing changes until tomorrow, Monday, January 1

A Chinese proverb says: "The one who is afraid to take the first step spends his whole life on one leg."

"What will change tomorrow / Monday / January 1?" - I ask my clients. 9 out of 10 honestly admit that nothing. Nothing will change! So why wait and waste precious time and health?

What to do?

Do the best you can in the circumstances that you have. Have you heard about the power of small steps? Small but constant steps will lead you to bigger goals. Do a little better every day than you did yesterday. And you will definitely succeed.

3. You store “harmful” products at home, but “right” products are never at hand

The environment is critical to your health. It is on her that largely depends on what you eat and what you do not eat. John Berardi, founder of nutrition education company Precision Nutrition, says: "If you have 'unhealthy' food in your home, sooner or later either you or someone close to you will eat it."

And accordingly, if you have the "right" food in your house, then someone will eat it too, right? It is accessibility and convenience that help us to consume this or that food.

What to do?

Don't buy or store the wrong foods at home that you don't want to eat. Make sure you have healthy foods and healthy snacks close at hand. This will significantly reduce the likelihood that you will eat something "unnecessary".

4. You are distracted while eating

The first step to eating healthy is developing mindfulness. It helps you hear your body. You begin to understand when and how much you eat and when to stop. If you are in a hurry while eating, watching TV or reading the news, your ability to hear yourself tends to zero.

What to do?

Try to eat slowly while sitting at a table, rather than on the run. Avoid any distractions while eating. Your attention should be riveted to the plate: concentrate on the taste, smell, texture of the food.

Give yourself some time. Create a pleasant atmosphere. Eating is your time.

5. You don't sleep much

Sleeping too short and of poor quality can negatively affect your health. Sleep prolongs youth and is essential for overall health, physical recovery, proper functioning of the brain, hormonal system and other systems of the body. The night's sleep should last at least 7 hours.

What to do?

• Stick to the regime. Good sleep, fast falling asleep and ease of awakening depend on the production of hormones. If you lie down and wake up at the same time, your body knows exactly when to produce which hormones to make it easier to fall asleep and wake up.
• Cut out alcohol and caffeine in the afternoon.
• Try not to eat or drink 2-3 hours before bed.
• Free your head from unpleasant thoughts, and leave all urgent matters until the next day.
• Switch off electronic devices. They activate the brain and reduce the production of melatonin, which is needed to fall asleep.
• Try to avoid strenuous workouts in the evening.

6. You eat few fruits and vegetables

Plant foods should make up half of your diet. Vegetables and fruits are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for health. The ratio of vegetables to fruits, depending on your goals, should be between 7: 1 and 3: 1.

What to do?

Try to eat vegetables with every meal. They can (and should be!) Of different colors, raw and thermally processed. After eating, you can eat one fruit as a dessert.

7. You don't plan a menu

Spontaneity is the enemy of healthy eating. Knowing what and when to eat will greatly reduce the likelihood that you will eat the wrong thing.

What to do?

Plan your menu a few days in advance. Try to prepare food in advance on a free day (for example, Sunday). You buy groceries, bring home and prepare. Vegetables can be washed, sliced, and placed in airtight containers. Meat - cut and fry (bake). Cereals, legumes - boil. These foods keep well in the refrigerator for several days. And when you come home from work exhausted, you will always have healthy food on hand.

8. You go to the store without a list

Such shopping is dangerous with spontaneous purchases that are rarely healthy. By making a list, you will not only save time and make better choices, but also spend less money.

What to do?

Make a list when planning your menu for the week. And don't forget to grab it to the store!

9. You are leaning on processed foods

Your diet should be predominantly whole foods. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and contain no preservatives. Industrial processed products tend to be rich in composition, including preservatives, colors, flavors, trans fats, and other unwanted ingredients. Your body just doesn't know what to do with them! After all, your ancestors hardly ate such foods.

What to do?

Increase the amount of whole foods in your diet and reduce or eliminate processed foods.

10. You eat little protein

Protein is not only the building block of all body tissues, but also makes you feel full. It activates metabolic processes and promotes the production of hormones that suppress appetite and hunger. As a result, you eat less and stay full longer.

What to do?

Eat protein with every meal. This can be meat, fish, eggs, legumes, tofu, quinoa.

11. You don't drink much

According to statistics, more than a third of the adult population suffer from dehydration. The risk of dehydration increases with age. Pay special attention to your drinking regime. Drinking a glass of water before you eat will not only help you stay hydrated but also eat less.

What to do?

Drink 1-2 glasses of water before or during each meal.

12. You abuse "junk" food on weekends

For most people, weekends turn into "days without rules" when everything is possible. For breakfast, they gobble up sandwiches, chew popcorn in the cinema, go in for fast food while walking with children, and in the evening rush to visit for a feast. The thought of the restrictions impending on Monday pushes them towards gluttony. You need to take everything from life, while you can! The paradox is that overeating on weekends is not the worst thing you do. The worst thing you do is then.

What to do?

Abandon strict rules on weekdays. Listen more to yourself, your body and the signals that it sends you. Remember how you felt physically after your weekend overeating? And morally? Were you satisfied with yourself? Maybe it's time to stop looking for excuses?

13. You severely limit yourself to food

After a fun weekend, accompanied by overeating and alcohol, you understand that the time has come to atone for "sins", and embark on the path of asceticism. It is these days - the days of severe restrictions - that make you, then, when the weekend comes, to be greedy and continue your meal, even when you are full.

What to do?

Let go of strict restrictions and sometimes allow yourself what you want. You no longer need to gorge on for the future, because you can eat it whenever you want. You are the master of your body. You learn to listen to him and understand what he needs.

14. Constantly under the influence of stress

Stress is the body's normal physiological response to threat and even helps you grow and be stronger. But if stress is too strong or for too long, it destroys health and degrades the quality of life.

What to do?

Find your sweet spot between good and bad stress. It depends on your individual ability to endure and recover from stress.

Stay balanced and don't push yourself more than you can handle. Remember that camel that carried a heavy heap of straw on its back? One extra straw was enough to break his back. Don't become like this camel.

15. You think in terms of "all or nothing"

An all-or-nothing approach almost never gives you all. More often than not, it gives "nothing."

What to do?

Don't strive for perfection. Act according to your capabilities and circumstances. Can't go to the gym? Go for a walk. Did you eat dessert after dinner? For dinner, cut back a little.

And remember the Chinese proverb. The main thing is to take the first step. Already today.