That question was asked from me some 2 months back from a client of mine who had problem with over eating.
A closer look at the reason why people gain so much weight overtime can be attributed to how much they eat.
Over eating is the number one reason why a lot of people are gaining weight every single day. At the end of the day, one gets obese and grows out of proportions. Along with obesity comes increased risk of the following illnesses; High blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other cancerous diseases.
If you are truly serious to lose weight, then you need to take a proactive decision on the way you eat generally. And this decision should be made today, not tomorrow or next week because each day you refuse to take action, an ounce of fat is deposited in your system with a potential of causing any of the above consequences of obesity sooner or later.
Reason People Gain weight
1. Eating Out
When you are outside your home, eating healthy becomes a big problem because there is a barrage of junk foods out there which one can easily fall for to quench the hunger for food.
For instance, eating snacks made of flour, sugar and carbonated drinks can add loads of calories to your body which doesn’t digest easily and majority of these calories are stored as fat.
What food makes up this description?
Hamburger
Meat pie
Fish pie
Fish roll
Hot dogs
Chin-chin
Egg roll
All types of carbonated drinks, eg soft drinks etc
2. Stock Pilling The Refrigerator with Processed Foods
Have you taken a look at your Fridge recently? What is the content of your fridge? Is it full of fruits, vegetables and water or full of processed junk?
Is Your Fridge Full Fruits & Veggies or Is It Full of Assorted Processed Foods
The truth is, most of us have the habit of visiting the fridge at the end of the day to take foods to eat. When you open your fridge, you should have only food items that helps you to lose weight, NOT to gain the weight you are fighting to lose.
3. Making Too Much Staple Foods Your Main Meal.
Our staple foods in Nigeria are: Rice, Garri, Yam, Wheat, and all Cassava derivatives.
When you eat these foods, how much of it do you eat every day?
Do you eat Fried yam in the morning, Garri and Egusi soup in the afternoon, and stewed rice in the night? Is your eating habit in that line?
If it is so, you are in trouble, because this eating style will only help you to gain weight every day of the week, no matter how much exercise you engage in.
Instead of eating these staple foods 3 times in a day, is it possible you eat a little portion of it with plenty vegetables just once in a day?
Can you instead supplement your breakfast or dinner with proteinous and fibre foods instead such as beans, fish, cabbage, chicken, or egg?
Truth is when you eat a lot of the staple foods available to us with the junk foods you find in Fast food joints, you will continue to crave for more food.
When you have an insatiable desire for food, losing weight becomes impossible because you have to control your desire for food to make weight loss a success.
However, when you load your meals with foods that have plenty of fibre such as vegetables, fruits and proteins, your cravings for food comes to a halt.
If you want a significant change in your weight, you need to do a complete lifestyle change.
A lifestyle change is all it takes to lose all the weight you have accumulated over the years.
A single change in your eating habit over a 2 months period will have drastic results.
Tips To Help You Eat Healthy and Reduce Food Intake
Reduce The Amount of Food You Eat
If you are the type that loves eating a full plate of food, you can get a small plate of food and fill it up. Alternatively, when you are served a large portion of food, simply request for a second plate, dish out the one you feel you can’t eat and eat the remaining.
Eliminate Soft Drinks Completely
Many people are addicted to soft drinks. If you are that type of person, it’s time to do something about it. Replace your soft drink with water or pure and natural fruit drink from pineapples or orange.
At times, maybe once in a week or two, you may indulge yourself with any soft drink of your choice, but that should be occasional. With time, you will come to love the natural taste of water. Water on it’s own helps in weight loss as it functions as a detoxifier.
Fall in Love with Fruits, and Vegetables
Do you eat fruits or vegetables seldomly? Now is the time to learn to have it as part of your daily food. Make a habit of stocking your Fridge every weekend with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Get Bananas, oranges, Pineapples, Carrots, Apples, Cashew. Cucumber, Watermelon, Ugu leaves etc in your refrigerator.
In the night, when you crave for food after dinner, open your refrigerator and eat an apple, an orange or a garden egg and go to bed, you will be happy and satisfied.
Eliminate Flour Products Completely
If you eat Fast food snacks regularly, can you make an effort to put a stop to it? Can you instead replace it with local African dishes prepared by these same fast food restaurant that has plenty of vegetables?
When you eat out elsewhere, control the amount of food you take and watch the food type.
Add Lean Protein To Your Meals
Lean protein comes from foods like Turkey, chicken, fish, crayfish and all sea foods. Ensure you add them in every meal.
If you are the type that loves eating all the time, eat fruits and nuts in between your breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you can cultivate the above tips, you will be amazed at the progress you will make in a short space of 2 – 3 months at your weight loss effort. You will have more energy, feel lighter, lose weight and feel better about yourself because your cravings for too much food would have disappeared naturally as you make these lifestyle changes.
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