12 ridiculous reasons you’re still not losing weight 7
You eat a healthy diet and try to squeeze in daily exercise so, why aren’t you shifting the pounds? You may be surprised… By Michele O’Connor
1 The ambience
Whether it’s sitting in front of the TV or shovelling food in as you help the kids to eat, there are plenty of ways we can get into harmful eating habits.
“The atmosphere and environment in which we eat can play a huge role in determining how much we eat,” warns nutritionist Lily Soutter (lilysoutter nutrition.com).
“When we feel comfy and relaxed, we often linger at the dinner table longer and are more likely to order extra food.”
And music can play a role too. “One interesting study showed that diners exposed to slow, soft and pleasant music stayed longer and spent an extra 41% on drinks per table.”
■ SOLUTION? Sit by the window or in a well-lit part of the restaurant and you’ll tend to order healthier foods, says Dr Brian Wansink, author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions For Everyday Life (Hay House
UK, £12.99).
2 You can see your cereal
Storing your breakfast cereal on the worktop is just convenient, right?
In a recent study, researchers looked at the worktops in 200 homes and found people who had fizzy pop on display weighed an average of 25lb more than the other participants, while those with breakfast cereal out weighed about 20lb more.
Women with boxes on show tend to be 21lb heavier than those who don’t, warns Dr Wansink.
It seems the more you’re unconsciously exposed to foods like cereals and biscuits, the more likely you are to eat them without realising what you are doing. ■ SOLUTION? Put out fruit instead. Those who have fruit on display are up to 13lb lighter than those who don’t.
3
There’s more than one choice
It seems it’s time to embrace being a creature of habit. “In studies, when people were offered an assortment of three different flavours of yoghurt, they ate 26% more, on average, than if offered only one flavour,” explains Lily. “This is called sensory specific behaviour. In other words, if our senses are exposed to the same continuous stimulus it can be numbed and we eat less of it.” So too much variety means we eat more!
■ SOLUTION? Avoid buffets and share a dessert. Remember, three bites is often enough to satisfy a sweet craving.
4
The size of your plates – and glasses
It turns out your eyes really are bigger than your belly.
In a recent study, researchers found that people tend to eat about 92% of the food on their plates regardless of how full they are. So if your dishes can fit more than a single serving of food, you could be overeating without even realising it.
“This is all about optical illusion,” says Lily. “It may sound strange but we can actually trick our brain into thinking we’re eating and drinking more.” Using coloured crockery that contrasts to the food colours also helps give the brain a chance to see how much we really have on the plate,” advises Martina Della Vedova, nutritionist at Nature’s Plus, naturesplus.co.uk. And, because we tend to fill wide-rim glasses with 30% more liquid than slender glasses, it might also be worth rethinking glass shapes and sizes. ■ SOLUTION? Using smaller plates is helpful when you want to control your portion size.
5 Blame your mates
Peer pressure affects us in many ways, and our food choices – as well as how fast we eat – are no different.
“While we may not be aware of it, others usually set the pace at which we eat – as well as how much we consume,” explains Lily.
In fact, studies have actually used undercover ‘pacesetters’ who have secretly been instructed to either eat one, three or six cookies.
The unsuspecting snacker consistently mimics the pacesetter in terms of the speed at which the cookies are consumed as well as the amount.
■ SOLUTION? Order first to avoid being influenced by the choices of your fellow diners. If you can’t order first, then make your decision, close the menu and
repeat your selection to yourself to help you stick to it. And try to remember, it’s not a race to the finish... and the inevitable indigestion.
6 You’re too optimistic
Feeling confident your diet will work could scupper its success, say Japanese researchers. They found over-optimistic dieters underestimate how hard losing weight can be and overestimate how well they’ll do. When the expected results don’t materialise, they’re more likely to give up.
■ SOLUTION? Try using a food tracker that not only logs how many calories you’re eating, but also takes nutrients into account.
You’re distracted
With ever-decreasing attention spans and more and more distractions, it’s hardly surprising we find it difficult to concentrate on something as automatic as eating.
“It’s easy to fall into bad habits like playing with your phone at mealtimes or eating dinner on your lap while you watch a programme,” said Dr Aria Campbell-Danesh, a behaviour change psychologist and mindfulness expert who specialises in weightrelated issues (dr-aria.com).
“But if you’re not paying attention to what you’re eating, this information is less likely to be stored in your memory bank – and you’re far more likely to overeat.”
■ SOLUTION? Sit at a dining table and focus on food. A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that when overweight women were encouraged to pay attention to their food at lunch it reduced later snack consumption by 30%.
8 You’re skimping on sleep
It’s not just about having less awake time to be stuffing your face. “Studies have shown that people who get less than seven hours of sleep at night are more likely to be overweight than those who get nine,” warns MedicSpot GP, Dr Maheinthan Yogeswaran. “The body produces less of the ‘fullness’ hormone leptin when sleepdeprived, and more of the ‘hunger’ hormone ghrelin. This can lead to overeating and gaining weight when they haven’t had enough sleep. “Tiredness also encourages people to eat calorific snacks to keep their energy levels up and do less exercise than usual.”
■ SOLUTION? Keeping regular sleeping hours, making sure your bed is comfortable and cutting down on caffeine are just a few things you could try, he suggests. “If you are persistently struggling to get enough sleep, make an appointment to speak with a GP.”
9
You have fruit for breakfast
It might sound healthy but beware of hidden sugar in your foods.
“Fruit is a great source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and fibre, but also rich in sugars, so bingeing on fruit is not a good idea,” says Martina.
■ SOLUTION? “We need a balanced breakfast to avoid insulin swings, so rather than just having fruit, try a handful of nuts and seeds, and Greek yoghurt,” she suggests. These make a
10 You’re eating too quickly
When you wolf down food, your body doesn’t have the time to signal to your brain, “Stop, I’m satisfied and full!”
Studies consistently show that people who ate at a slower pace instead consumed fewer calories and are actually full for longer.
■ SOLUTION? Try eating with your nondominant hand, set your fork down after each bite, or chew each mouthful well.
11 The packaging
In studies, people assumed that snacks labelled “organic” were lower in calories and more nutritious than the exact same snacks that didn’t have the label. And a separate experiment found cinemagoers ate 45.3% more popcorn when given large containers rather than medium tubs, adds Lily.
■ SOLUTION? Look at the nutrition facts on the labelling and be wary of health-halo buzzwords such as “organic”, “low fat” and “low cal”. Avoid family packs of crisps or chocolate – or pour a portion size into a bowl first.
12 You rely on ready meals
Making a meal when you get home from work can seem like an enormous hassle, but it’s worth it.
Research from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows cooking for yourself and eating at home helps you make healthier choices and consume fewer calories.
Not only does ready-made food contain lots of hidden oils, creams and salt, we feel more satisfied when we’ve taken the time to make a meal ourselves. ■ SOLUTION? Buy fresh ingredients and try to cook from scratch as often as you can.