So you’re eating well, working out and that number on the scale still won’t budge. There is good news, though. You can take control. Just eliminate these surprisingly destructive habits and the sneaky foods that are responsible for destroying your diet.
1. You Eat With Your Hands
A new study suggests that people who use tongs to serve themselves food actually eat about 30 percent less of it.
READ MORE: 5 Basic Rules You Need To Follow To Erase Belly Fat
2. You’re Drinking Too Much
Most people overlook liquid kilojoules entirely, says Felicia Stoler, registered dietician and author of Living Skinny in Fat Genes. So don’t expect to notice when a seemingly single-sized juice can or bottle actually contains two or three servings – and two to three times more kilojoules. Your best bet: Replace juice with water, and eat your kilojoules instead of drinking them, she says.
3. You Eat Fruity Yoghurt
Most fruit-flavoured yoghurts – and plenty of other healthy-sounding foods – are sweetened with fructose. But unlike other sweeteners, this one doesn’t tell your brain you’re full, according to a new study. The result: You end up eating way more kilojoules than your body actually needs.
4. You Hit Up Happy Hour – A LOT
People don’t realise just how many kilojoules they drink, says Stoler. What’s more, the alcohol in your cocktail can reduce your inhibitions, so you hit the happy hour menu (hello, nachos!) even harder. To imbibe without overdoing it. Switch to water after drinking one or two of them.
READ MORE: “I Cut Out Everything And Only Ate Protein – This Is What Happened”
5. You’re Overdoing It at Breakfast
While the standard serving size for cereal is about two-thirds of a cup, breakfast bowls can hold much, much more. So when you fill yours to the brim with cereal, and top it off with milk, you could be eating twice as many kilojoules as you think – or more.
6. You Treat Yourself a Little TOO Often
When you indulge in sweet or fatty foods like ice cream regularly, you end up craving larger portions to feel satisfied, says Stoler. Need a sweet treat every day? A new study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference found that a few bites really will satisfy you just as much as a larger serving.
7. You’re Guzzling Fizzy Drinks
Drinking kilojoule-free sweeteners is like dumping water in your gas tank instead of petrol, says Stoler. (For non-mechanics: It fills you up, but doesn’t keep your motor running.) When hunger strikes, drink water instead, and fill up on wholesome foods to drive off hunger pangs later.
8. You’re Depriving Yourself
When you cut out whole food groups (like carbs or fat, for instance) you set yourself up to binge eat them the next time you let yourself splurge. So instead of crossing them off your grocery list, entirely, learn how to manage your cravings.
READ MORE: How To ‘Shrink’ Your Tummy In 24 Hours
9. You Order the “Regular” Size
Think you’re in the clear because you downsized your large order of chips? Turns out, people actually consume more kilojoules when they order regular-sized menu items than when they order portions advertised as “double-sized”, according to a new study.
10. You’re Staying Up Too Late
People who hit the sack on the late side tend to eat more high-fat and high-kilojoule foods than those who tuck in earlier, according to a recent study. No wonder they also gain more weight.
11. You Think Working Out Gives You A “Pass”
Exercising can make you want to eat more – but that doesn’t mean you should, says Stoler. And it doesn’t help that most people grossly overestimate the number of kilojoules they torch at the gym. The good news: picking up the pace might actually decrease foods cravings, according to a new study.
