Are you guilty of any of these common unhealthy eating habits? Read on to find out more information and tips on how to avoid them.

Starving Yourself

You might think that a strict diet of nothing but carrot sticks and lettuce leaves is just what you need to lose those last few pounds before the holiday party, but starving yourself will actually have the opposite event on your weight loss.

When you don’t eat enough calories for a long period of time, your body will start to panic because it will think you are stranded on a deserted island with no food. Your body’s first reaction to this scenario is to store fat like crazy in order to survive.

When you do cave in and finally eat something, your body will store that meal directly in your fat reserves because it doesn’t know when you will have the chance to eat again, and so the fat will remain with you longer.

A healthier way to lose weight is to eat several small and nutritionally balanced meals per day, so that you don’t deprive yourself of the nutrients that you need to function and your body never has to go into “starvation mode” and start hording calories.

Eating Too Fast

We are often squeezing our meals into short time spans, such as gulping down our breakfast before heading to work or shoveling in our lunch during a short break. Eating your food too fast can cause a lot of problems, and it will also increase your chances of weight gain. I

t takes your body approximately 20 minutes from the time that you start eating for your stomach to tell you that you are full. If you eat within five minutes, you will still feel hungry and will be tempted to eat more than you need to.

You will also gulp down extra air and perhaps fail to chew your food properly. Instead, slow down and chew each bite.

Forgetting to Drink Water

Did you know that not drinking enough water throughout the day will actually slow down your metabolism and make you more likely to gain weight?

This is because water helps with metabolic functions, including burning calories. Bring a bottle of water with you everywhere you go, and sip from it frequently throughout the day.

Leaving Meal Prep to the Last Minute

If you only start to think about what to have for dinner when it’s late in the evening and you are very hungry, you will be tempted to prepare something that is quick and easy so that you can eat right away.

This often results in microwave meals, prepared food high in sodium, or pizza delivery. If you can start thinking about your evening meal a little bit earlier, you will have the chance to cook something yourself before your stomach starts grumbling.

These are just a few of the bad eating habits that you might be guilty of, and how you can break them to make yourself healthier.