We all know that eating too much sugar and unhealthy junk food easily promotes fat gain. We all know that leading a sedentary lifestyle increases our risk of obesity which further increases our chances of developing heart disease and other related illnesses. This is knowledge we already have.
However, have you realized that there are certain habits that we do that promote unhealthy fat gain? These practices might seem very mundane and ordinary, but upon close inspection, they reveal a myriad of unhealthy fat-forming habits. Take note of these and make sure you mind the solutions given to prevent these habits from becoming unbreakable:
1. Watching TV. Virtually any other activity is more calorie-burning than staying glued to the boob tube. This gets compounded even more when we have a bowl of popcorn or chips and dips right in front of us as we watch our favorite movie or talk show.
Solution: Exercise while staying glued to the tube! You could run or march in place in between commercials or do stretches while watching the entire program. If you have a treadmill, it's best to position this at an angle where you can see the television while you're doing your runs.
2. Habitually losing sleep. Our busy lifestyles have made sleeping 3 to 4 hours a day the norm. Studies have shown that individuals who do not get the right amount of sleep were twice more likely to gain abdominal fat.
Solution: Clock in at least 6 hours of sleep each night. There's really no other way around it. If you're bringing home work, you're going to have to learn to manage your time more successfully or else you're going to end up stressed, fat and harassed.
3. Guzzling down soda. Study after study has proven the link between soda and obesity. Downing a can of this sweetened beverage increases your risk of obesity by as much as 30%! You can just imagine the effect if you consume more everyday. Plus, the more you ingest soda, the more you are likely to feast on greasy and unhealthy fare.
Solution: Replace soda with cold water or fresh lemon juice. It might be difficult to do this cold turkey so gradually cutting down on the number of cans you consume everyday should go a long way towards drinking your way to better health.
4. Eating too fast. Quick lunch hours and constantly busy schedules have made us a nation of fast chewers. When we eat our food as if there's no tomorrow, our brains don't register satiety and as a result, we eat more than we have to. This contributes to fat gain.
Solution: Chew your food slowly, about fifteen times, before swallowing it. Take at least 20 minutes to finish one meal.
5. Skipping breakfast. Mornings are crazy times for the whole family. When we're pressed for time, it's easy to just skip breakfast and go to work or school without anything in our bellies. By 9 o'clock, we're ready for snacks and most of the time, we chose chips or burgers that are not only unhealthy but lead us to gain a lot of weight.
Solution: Don't skip breakfast. Wake up earlier if you have to, just to be able to prepare this meal in the morning.
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Fitness enthusiast and health nut who enjoys traveling the world and helping others achieve their weight loss goals.