15 Habits That Can Make You Fat
Climbing on the bathroom scale or wearing those special jeans can be becoming a nightmare for many women. The combination of a stressful routine, lack of time to eat and exercise means that many gain more weight and, in the long run, have to live with the dreaded love handles. But what are the habits that really hurt the silhouette?
Research to uncover which daily attitudes make us gain a few extra pounds. Experts from all over the world have been trying for a few years to find out what we do wrong during the day to get some love handles as time goes on.
In this context, significant advances have already been made. It's no secret that skipping meals doesn't lose weight and eating too fast or watching television makes us ingest more calories than we really need to do our daily activities.
So to make no mistake and make peace with the balance, check below which customs can make you fat, according to research and experts in the field.
1 # Eat too fast
Those who set aside a few minutes a day to eat something for lunch or dinner, without even paying attention to the meal plate, are contributing to the fact that soon their favorite jeans will no longer fit.
Research from the University of Osaka, Japan, in 2008 found that those who eat fast end up consuming more calories than needed for the body. This is because the body needs about 20 minutes to identify whether it is still hungry or not, thanks to the action of the hormone PYY.
The study was attended by 1, 122 men and 2, 165 women. Those who ate quickly until they could take it no longer were more likely to reach overweight, while those who chewed longer could maintain and even reduce measures easily.
Functional nutritionist Chris Vitola agrees that one of the main reasons for weight gain is the lack of proper chewing of food. “Those who eat slowly, calmly, chew their food well, eat smaller portions and are more likely to get their body up to date, ” she says.
To save unnecessary calories, the expert tip is to set aside at least 20 minutes to enjoy the meal. “Less time is harmful to overall health. Try to eat in a quiet place, preferably without a television, and leave stressful subjects, such as work, for later. Anyway, enjoy your meal, enjoy the food, ”explains Chris.
2 # Discounting Food Frustrations
“The act of eating, besides being fundamental for our survival, is also an act of pleasure. Bringing food into your mouth, tasting its taste, consistency and aroma can cause a whirlwind of sensations ranging from satiety to relaxation. That's where the danger lies! ”Warns the nutritionist.
According to her, anxious people tend to overdo it when they eat and thus end up getting fat. Afterwards, they are bothered and even more anxious that they are not satisfied with their fitness and, for relaxation, eat even more. “Everything turns into a vicious circle, because one develops an inappropriate belief that food will be the solution to problems, ” she explains.
To prevent this from happening, Chris indicates eating with a clear head, focusing on all aspects of the food. Thus, the meal becomes a moment of well-being without neglecting the concern with the silhouette. Slow chewing also decreases anxiety and caloric intake. “It's important to know that life's frustrations are normal, part of our daily lives, so we should not sabotage ourselves through food. We should talk and let off steam, but not discount on food, ”says the nutritionist.
She also warns that anxiety can also arise from nutrient deficiency. It is therefore important to maintain a balanced diet and, if necessary, seek a specialist to identify which compounds are missing in the body.
3 # Do other things while eating
Just as not having time to feed can lead to overweight, so do those who enjoy their meal time to watch television or read late emails.
A 2011 study from Harvard University in the United States, published by the Daily Mail, found that people who pay attention only to what they are eating are more likely to lose weight. During the study time, those who were not distracted at mealtime lost approximately 3 pounds.
A similar fact was proved by the University of Bristol at the same time. English researchers have found that anyone who eats while using the computer eats twice as many calories as they should. This is because the memory of what we eat is important to reduce appetite. Thus, paying attention to other things impairs the recording of dish details.
Nutritionist Chris Vitola warns of the importance of being mindful of the meal alone. “We should always pay close attention to the act of eating and try our best to concentrate at that moment, ” she says.
4 # Marriage or divorce
It is no secret to anyone that relationships influence weight. But since August last year, this statement has gone out of common sense and has been proven by science.
Research from the University of Ohio in the United States found that both marriage and divorce affect the silhouette of men and women, but in different ways. Female audiences tend to gain more weight after marriage, while they are more likely to gain weight after divorce.
For the nutritionist, the explanation for this influence of marriage on the balance is the result of a relaxation of women, who end up neglecting their appearance after conquering their partner. In addition, many want to please their husbands and cook elaborate dishes and desserts that are hard to resist.
“One patient once said to me, 'I got married and wanted to use all my cookware, all the dinnerware.' And that really happens, ”she exemplifies.
About divorce, anxiety and sadness about separation end up encouraging people to discount all frustration on food. Therefore it is worth keeping an eye on the balance in these situations.
5 # “Pinching” Between Meals
There are women who can't resist a treat. They tend to "pinch" throughout the day high-fat and calorie snacks such as chocolates, ready-made snacks, mints and other delights that seem harmless but aren't.
The nutritionist points out that eating something between meals is allowed, but you must make the right choices when tasting the snack. “Always opt for healthy foods such as fruits, nuts, seeds, nuts, nuts, among others, ” explains Chris.
6 # Consume too much fast food and frozen
If the hustle and bustle is causing your menu to consist of fast food and frozen lasagna, you will probably regret it in the future of not having more time for your meals. This is because these foods have a high level of calories and preservatives, which favor the accumulation of weight.
“Processed and easily prepared foods are often high in fat and sodium, which contributes a lot to weight gain, as well as many refined carbohydrates, which is even worse, ” explains the nutritionist.
If time is really short, the option is to choose whole pizzas and frozen vegetables to include in the diet. However, according to Chris, the best alternative is still to make the food itself, quite naturally.
7 # Sleep little
It's not just your eating habits that can make you fat. Poor sleep nights also contribute to the formation of love handles. This was the discovery of a study by the German universities Tübigen and Lübeck released in July this year that looked at the behavior of 14 healthy, normal-weight men.
At the end of the survey, experts noticed that a bad night's sleep makes you feel hungry the next day, as well as compromising calorie expenditure, as you tend to move less when you're tired.
The data were confirmed by blood tests that showed that, on tired days, the levels of ghrelin (hormone responsible for hunger sensation) were higher, favoring the consumption of more calories.
Lack of sleep also inhibits the release of leptin, an appetite suppressant hormone, giving rise to an ideal combination for weight gain. So it is worth betting on rest to make up with the balance.
8 # Do not have breakfast
Who thinks that giving up breakfast contributes to weight loss is wrong. In fact, the effect achieved will be the opposite of the desired one. Research from the University of Taipei in Taiwan found that the risk of obesity is 34% higher among people who do not eat breakfast soon after awakening.
This is because this is the most active period for most individuals and thus requires more energy to be spent throughout the day.
Breakfast can actually help you lose weight, as experts at the Caracas Clinic Hospital in Venezuela found. In this survey, women who consumed half of their daily calories for breakfast were less likely to lose weight.
Still, according to the researchers, the lack of a proper breakfast gives a false warning of starvation that your body tends to send when you spend more than five hours fasting. From then on, metabolism slows down and begins to save energy by storing fat instead of trying to burn it off.
For nutritionist Chris Vitola, skipping any meal contributes to weight gain. “All meals deserve attention, especially breakfast. Try eating whole grain breads, juices and oatmeal, for example, ”she advises.
9 # Always being stressed
Pressures at work and problems at home also contribute to weight gain. According to the nutritionist, stress is the big villain in the matter of weight. “Stress triggers a series of hormonal changes that make us fat. But a balanced diet rich in vegetables and fruits, fiber and water, as well as good eating habits, such as not skipping meals and eating in a calm environment, help a lot in controlling stress and therefore weight, ”she says.
10 # Drinking liquid with meals
Those who cannot resist a glass of juice or soda (even if it is light) during meals need to reevaluate their habits so they can control their weight more easily.
According to nutritionist Chris, drinking liquids during lunch or dinner dilates the stomach, making us eat more, and even dilutes gastric juice, making digestion less efficient. "With that, we stop absorbing important substances, and we are attacking our intestinal mucosa, because macromolecules (poorly digested food particles) arrive in the intestinal wall, " she adds.
11 # Eating before bed
If you are planning to surrender to a fancy meal, it is best left to accumulate calories while it is not yet dark. After all, eating too much in the last hours of the day can lead to overweight. “At night our metabolism is slower and if we overdo it, we will surely gain weight. Try not to eat and lie down and always prefer light foods such as soup, oatmeal or fruit, ”she explains.
12 # Skip Meals
For those who think staying as long as possible without eating is the best way to stay lean, the nutritionist's caveat is that every meal deserves attention.
In addition to slowing down metabolism, running away from food causes you to accumulate the feeling of hunger throughout the day. As a result, the next meal will consume much more food than necessary.
13 # Do not exercise
Those on a diet know that exercise cannot be set aside to achieve weight loss. Those who wish to maintain weight should not escape the gym either. After all, this is the best way to compensate for overeating.
And there's no point in justifying physical inactivity with a lack of time: a University of Arizona study published in July found that dividing doctors' 30-minute daily exercise into three 10-minute sessions is as beneficial to the body as working out continuously in just one. a period. The key is to train with at least a little intensity for the body to thank.
14 # Having chubby friends
Another University of Arizona study released by the Daily Mail in 2011 warned of the influence of friends on weight gain processes. According to research anthropologists, obesity is “socially contagious, ” meaning it spreads among friends and relatives.
To reach this conclusion, 101 women were interviewed, as well as more than 800 people among close friends and relatives of the volunteers. At the end of the survey, it was proven that the risk of obesity is higher if the individual's network of contacts is more obese.
For the nutritionist Chris Vitola, the key to avoiding the problem is to be aware and not acquire the habits of others. In this context, it is worth going out to dinner less often, as it is not always possible to make better choices or deny the treats offered by friends.
15 # Avoiding the balance
To avoid unpleasant surprises with the balance, the last tip is not to run away from it. That's because knowing how your measurements are doing makes it easier to control them. “We must know our weight and always try to maintain it. It is also very important to know our body composition, how much we have fat (%) and how much we have lean mass. For women, ideally the body fat percentage should be 25% and for men around 15%, ”she adds.
Have you climbed the scale today?
