9 Habits that Cause Weight Gain

Anxiety and stress can make us want to eat more and prefer sweets or fast foods over healthier options.

When it comes to losing weight and burning excess fat, it’s not just about dieting and calorie consumption. Some people follow a healthy diet but never lose weight, and it seems like nothing will work for them. It’s important to realize that weight loss goals need to incorporate factors that go beyond just food – there are many other daily habits that will influence your success, and if we don’t control them they can even cause additional weight gain.

Achieving a healthy weight isn’t a simple task and it requires a lot of commitment regarding both our food intake and daily habits. If you don’t already know what behaviors can cause weight gain regardless of a healthy diet, please keep reading this article to find out.

Eating just before bedtime

The desire to eat food at night before going to bed is usually not caused by hunger, but rather out of habit. People who have this craving, usually for something sweet or high in calories, need to understand that it’s not going to help them lose weight. Rather than having a treat before bedtime, start programming set times for meals throughout the day and if you need a snack in between, reach for some fruit instead.

Poor sleep

Staying up late or getting a bad night’s sleep can make us lose track of what we’re eating. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep causes a hormonal imbalance that prevents us from feeling as satisfied by the foods we eat, so people tend to eat more.

Eating while distracted

Eating while watching TV, using a cell phone, computer, or other distracting devices is a big mistake. According to research conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who eat while distracted consume 50% more calories. It addition, it’s been shown that those who eat while distracted feel less satisfied and may feel the need to eat again later.

Stress and anxiety

These two factors are mortal enemies of weight loss and overall quality of life. Both of them are associated with what’s known as “stress eating,” which makes us feel the need to eat more and feel satisfied by junk food and sweets. To fight this, it’s important to try to stay free from or minimize stress, worry, and anxiety. But for the times when we can’t escape it, try to drink some water or tea and eat fruit instead.

Eating too quickly

Eating too quickly is a common habit today, and not many people realize that chewing food carefully and slowly is not only safer but also aids in digestion. Spending at least 20 minutes eating without distractions and chewing food carefully is recommended.

Sedentary lifestyle

Leading a sedentary lifestyle is one of the most common causes for obesity in the world because people who don’t exercise also tend to eat more, storing more fat and limiting their physical activity. It’s crucially important to avoid being a couch potato for dietary reasons, but it can also help us avoid a serious illness in the long-term.

Skipping breakfast

Whether it’s because they don’t have time in the morning, or think that it might help them lose weight, people who skip breakfast are engaging in a very bad habit that believe it or not can actually cause weight gain. It turns out that this first meal of the day actually activates the metabolism and starts your day off right by burning calories. A good breakfast is one that combines complex carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats.

Consuming an excess amount of salt

Both for weight management and overall health, having too much salt with our food is not recommended because it promotes fluid retention and can affect blood pressure. It’s important to eat a diet that’s low in sodium or replace salt with other spices to add flavor to meals.

Not drinking enough liquids

When we don’t drink enough liquids, our kidney function slows down and this allows toxins to build up in the body that aren’t eliminated.Experts recommend drinking at least two liters of water per day to stay hydrated, prevent fluid retention, and eliminate waste that the body doesn’t need. You can also choose to drink all-natural juices or teas. Consuming soft drinks and sugary drinks, however, can contribute to weight gain because of their high concentrations of sugars and other compounds. Therefore, they should always be avoided.