Eating While Distracted

How many times have you been eating while watching TV and thought that you had another few bites left but then realize you have devoured the whole thing? Not watching television while eating will actually help you lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.

Since your mind is so entranced by the television, cramming the food into your mouth becomes automatic and it is hard to notice when you have eaten too much.

How to kick it: When you make dinner, sit down at the table instead of on the couch. If you live with a partner, converse and enjoy each other’s company while you eat. If you live alone, give yourself some quiet time to focus on how yummy the food tastes. Savour each bite slowly and chew it well, and stop when you feel full.

Skipping Breakfast

“I don’t have time before work.”

“I’m just not hungry in the mornings.”

“I’m trying to lose weight.”

No matter what your excuse is for not eating a morning meal, this is an unhealthy habit that you need to kick. Studies have shown that people who eat a healthy breakfast in the morning perform better on tests and are more alert.

Also, forget about skipping breakfast to lose weight, as studies have shown that this will actually make you more likely to indulge in an unhealthy mid-morning snack or eat more at lunchtime. When you starve your body your natural metabolism tends to assume that you have ended up stranded on a deserted island and that you might not get a meal again for days.

Once your body is in starvation mode, you will horde more calories when you finally do eat something.

 How to kick it: If you can’t stomach a large breakfast first thing in the morning have a simple piece of multigrain toast and jam before you leave for work, and then bring fruit, nuts, and yogurt to eat at your desk an hour later.

3AM Facebook Sessions

We’ve all done it. We can get so distracted doing something online, whether it is watching clips from your favourite television shows, chatting with friends, or clicking through funny forums, that we don’t even notice that we have stayed up way longer than we need to being hypnotized by the computer’s glow.

Studies have shown that using electronic devices such as computers right before bed can increase the risk of insomnia. The bright flickering screen hinders the natural release of the hormone melatonin, which is what puts you to sleep.

Lack of sleep makes you less alert, more susceptible to illness, more emotional, and not to mention those bleary eyes are so not attractive!

How to kick it: Create a “computer curfew” for yourself that is at least 2 hours before bedtime. Shut down your laptop. Take a relaxing bath, listen to music, or read a book instead.