Have you reached a point whereby you feel you have done the best, but the numbers on the weighing scale are increasing? Or maybe you are wondering why you are gaining weight yet you are doing your best to reduce your daily calorie intake and some of your favorite clothes no longer fit you well. Perhaps, it is high time you thought about your daily habits. Maybe your daily routine or habits are responsible for the unprecedented weight gain.
Most of the time, it becomes very hard to take control of the day or your daily route. This is because as you plan your day, so many uncontrollable factors come into play. For example, on a rainy day, you decide to take an Uber ride instead of taking a healthy walk to your workplace. On other days, you have stayed on TV for so long and you end up sleeping late. As a matter of fact, every variable or habit, however minor or less insignificant it might be; has an impact on your health. However, having a busy job, responsibilities and social status is not an excuse for you to carry on habits that endanger your health. A healthy lifestyle will guarantee you a healthy body.
Some of the habits or things that make you gain weight include; Eating quickly, sitting for long hours, sleep deprivation, choosing elevators for stairs, eating while watching TV, skipping meals, celebrating with food, making your order last on a date, basing on the day for a diet, over-exercising, eating too much healthy fats, shopping minus a list, shopping on an empty stomach, being too social, having snacks for breakfast and eating from a large plate.
Here are things that are making you gain weight in detail.
Eating quickly
Currently, the world is busier than never before. People hardly find time to concentrate and eat decently. People normally eat so fast because they want to either catch a meeting head or to catch the early morning train. This, however, puts their health at risk of being overweight. When you eat quickly, you are likely to eat more food than that which the body requires. This is so because the brain normally takes some time to communicate with the body about fullness.
Sitting for longer hours
According to the American journal of preventive medicine, technology has made life more sedentary. Sitting for longer hours puts you at the risk of being overweight and having chronic diseases. It is therefore important to exercise before going to work if your work involves sitting for a while.
Sleep deprivation
The center for disease control and prevention found out that over one-third of the Americans don’t get enough sleep. According to pub med central, people who don’t have enough sleep are more likely to gain belly fat or visceral fat; since sleeplessness is linked to weight gain.
Choosing elevators for stairs
If you replace stairs with lifts, you are missing out on an important workout. Stairs help the body to be active, burning a considerable amount of calories. With that simple form of exercise, your fitness improves leading to better heart and brain function. Therefore an inactive body is linked to weight gain.
Eating while watching TV
Eating with this form of distraction may make you eat more food than what your body may require. In a review of 24 studies published by pub med central, found out that people ate more food during the meal when they were distracted.
Does skipping meals make you gain weight?
The American journal of epidemiology published a study; which explained that people who miss the most important meals of the day were 4.5 times more likely to be obese. Therefore, if you think that missing a meal will make you lose weight, it is not the case. It will instead increase the likelihood of packing on extra pounds.
Celebrating with food
It is a common culture that the climax of every celebration is eating. Most people celebrate birthdays with gifts such as wines and cakes. However, all these just add calories to your body. Instead, consider gifts like workout gear, watches, clothes, and shoes. These will not add calories to the celebrant.
Making your order last on a date
The University of Illinois carried out a study that found out that; groups of people often order similar meals especially when forced to say in front of others. If you are a type of person whose orders are influenced by others, try ordering first.
Basing on the day for a diet
Some people choose their meals depending on how good or bad the day has been. This is a serious risk. Most of the times we end up picking on the wrong choices of foods; that is more likely to make us overweight
Over-exercising
Individuals who over-exercise tend to gain weight instead of losing it. The body has been adapted to the exercises to the extent that the results reach the optimal point. At this point, the exercise cannot yield any more weight loss. It is therefore light to moderate exercise that can bring about weight loss.
Eating too many healthy fats
Healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado, and olive oil are good for your health. However, too much of a good thing may also be bad. Some of these oils are also high in calories. For example, a single teaspoon of olive oil contains 119 calories. Try to get the fat from whole foods since they are more filling than oils.
Shopping minus a list
Shopping with a list not only saves money but also avoids impulse purchases which may be unhealthy. With your shopping list, you only pick what you planned for. Most times unplanned purchases like may involve picking on high-calorie foods which cause weight gain.
Going for shopping when you are hungry
When you go shopping on a hungry stomach, you may end up craving unhealthy foods or foods that are high in fats. All these contribute to weight gain.
Not drinking enough water
Not having enough water can cause thirst. However, the body may miss interpreting thirst as hunger causing it to crave for food. Water is 100% free from calories. Replacing water with calories makes you feel full and this in return reduces calorie intake.
Being too social
As a matter of fact, most social gatherings often involve food or alcohol. All these can easily add unwanted calories to your body.
Eating from a large plate
Larger plates tend to tempt people to eat big chunks of food compared to serving on a small plate. This is because larger plates make the serving look small, tempting the brain to think that you have not eaten enough food.
Having snacks for breakfast
Most dieticians recommend a heavy breakfast as one of the ways one can reduce the craving for the rest of the day. A heavy breakfast makes you full and gives you enough calories to take you through the day. Often, people who take snacks for breakfast end up overeating hence weight gain.
What foods make you gain unhealthy weight?
According to statista.com, nearly 39% of adults were overweight as of 2019. With overweight and obesity percentages rising, many food companies have come up with foods labeled as “fat-free “or “low calorie”, that are perceived to help you on the weight loss journey.
However, many foods may do your weight more harm than good. Here are some of the foods that are perceived to be healthy but instead cause weight gain.
Diet specific pressed foods
Grocery stores offer diet foods for vegans and vegetarians which are packed with artificial ingredients and added sugars. These negatively affect your health. It is therefore good to focus on whole unprocessed foods.
Coconut water
Much as coconut water contains vitamin, minerals, and antioxidants, it contains sugar and calories that may cause you to gain weight
Frozen yogurt
This is a popular dessert perceived to be healthier than ice cream. Because it is perceived to be healthy, you end up filling the cup. The sugary toppings added can stuff your dessert with sugar and calories
Low-fat foods
Research shows that low-fat foods and non –fat foods contain more sugar than the other regular version of the same food. Consuming these small sugar amounts can lead to weight gain.
Sport drinks
Sports drinks are beneficial to athletes during intensive workouts. However, to an average person, they may lead to overconsumption of calories since they are filled with sugar.
Smoothies and protein shakes
Even though smoothies are nutritious and healthy, they are loaded with sugars and calories. They can easily be quickly consumed packing the body with excessive calories and sugar.
Fresh pressed juices
Although juices made of fruits and vegetables can improve or boost weight loss, some of them contain sugars. Drinking the fresh juice on a regular basis can pack your body with excess calories and this can lead to weight gain.
Flavored coffees
As we all know that caffeine is an appetite suppressant, people frequent the coffee in order to reduce weight. However, some coffee drinks include frappes lattes and cappuccinos which are rich in calories and sugar. These can sabotage your weight loss efforts leading to weight gain.
What foods make you gain weight the most?
Below is a list of some-energy dense foods that we think add more weight to the body compared to other types of foods.
Nuts such as Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc.
Dried fruits like dates
Meat like chicken, beef, pork, and lamb
Tubers such as potatoes and yams
Grains e.g. whole grains like oats and brown rice
Fats and oils: olive oil and avocado
High-fat dairies like cheese, yogurt, and whole milk
Does rice make you fat?
Rice is a cereal that has existed for a number of years. It exists in both white and brown rice.
Brown rice is higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals since no refining has been done on it. On the other hand, white rice is higher in calories and contains fewer nutrients and fiber.
Therefore, white rice can make you grow fat because it is high in calories.
What are the dangers of putting on excess weight?
Excess weight increases the risk of developing health problems including;
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart attacks and strokes
Cancer
Kidney diseases
Read about overweight vs obesity here
How do I stop putting on excess weight?
One of the most successful ways to lose weight that most dieticians recommend is creating a calorie deficiency. That is to say; having a balanced diet and exercising regularly. This will provide your body with the right kind of nutrients and the sufficient metabolic rate to burn out calories
Can low iron make you gain weight?
At times, weight gain can be a result of a deficiency in minerals, vitamins, and hormones connected to metabolic disorders that can bring a big impact on weight management by your body. Iron deficiency leads to low energy, feeling tired and feeling exhausted. This, unfortunately, brings about craving on the wrong types of foods like strawberry or cakes. These foods are high in sugar and will eventually lead to weight gain.
Why do I gain weight while exercising?
This process is termed as muscle hypertrophy. Muscle hypertrophy takes place when muscle fibers are damaged. The body, therefore, repairs damaged muscles by fusing them. This, in turn, increases fiber mass and size. Hormones such as growth hormones and testosterone play a role in the growth and repair process through enhancing tissue growth and improving the process of proteins in the body.
Wrap-up
Your lifestyle can make a very big impact when it comes to weight management. There are a variety of things that we think are proper yet they are harmful to our health. Make lifestyle changes today that guarantee you a healthy weight. A balanced diet and regular body exercise are the most successful ways of having a healthy weight.
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