Habits That Make You Fat

We tend to see things in generalities rather than detail.

We might generalize that we are over weight, have trouble keeping weight off, or can’t for the life of us take off that ten pounds. We accept that the extra weight is just the result of what we do during the day to stay alive.

In a great slide show, an article from Men’s Health printed in MSN.com by Dave Zinczenko lays out 20 different little habits that accumulate to add extra pounds. What to avoid is important for losing those pounds, but when confronted with a long list we are likely to pick and choose.

The list includes the usual habits such as drinking soda, eating too late at night, and ordering combo meals. It also has some tips about choosing smaller plates, don’t face the buffet table, don’t eat the freebies on the table at restaurants, and don’t hang out with fat friends.

It results in slapping your hand for all your violations but doesn’t set out a plan for being proactive and avoiding the bad habits. Results come from eating natural foods and avoiding most combinations of ingredients that come in packages or are prepared in a restaurant.  You don’t choose bad ingredients, they are included in the foods you do choose.

You don’t choose fructose or fried fats but they are included in soda, fries, chips, and other foods we crave. Breaking cravings is not easy. It has to be done a step at a time. I lost 45 pounds over four years by selecting the most harmful foods and finding a substitute. I still do that.

The first substitution doesn’t always have to be healthy. If you are addicted to something harmful like ice cream after dinner, find something that you would like just as much and start eating it. After a week move to something more healthy and the habit is then probably broken.

I have found over the years that my healthiest meals are prepared at home. Then I have 100% choice of ingredients. If I have to eat out, then I would have my breakfast and dinner at home and just have to find the best alternative for lunch.

Evolving to a diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, protein, and good fats becomes the food we crave. This means fruit and hot grain cereal or eggs for breakfast; salads soups, chicken, tuna or even spaghetti for lunch; soups, salads, spaghetti, meat, and vegetables for dinner. If your diet is 85% on target, your body will start to release the harmful foods you have eaten that it has encapsulated in fat.

When you start dropping those pounds and inches you become more enthusiastic. You don’t ever have to starve. You can eat all day if you are eating natural non calorie foods. You can drink water and green tea in between and feel satiated and they keep your mouth busy.

If you want to accelerate the process and build your health, add some exercise. Even though walking is great, some aerobics really please the muscles and organs. The amount of time you exercise is almost as important as the intensity. An hour walk can be as good as twenty minutes on the tread mill.

The devil is in the details. Look at what you should be eating in the long run like the list I included above and start substituting now. Consider how fit you would like to be in the long run and start adding exercises now.

The biggest impediment to success is thinking you can reach your goal in 30 days. It’s a much longer life process that will last you the rest of your life.

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http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/20-habits-make-you-fat

By Dave Zinczenko