WAYS YOU MIGHT BE SABOTAGING YOUR DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS PLAN (PART 2)

Eating Late at Night

There is no mystery to this. If you eat heavily right before your bedtime, it would not only affect the quality of your sleep but, if sustained, your body will definitely pack on the pounds. Unless, of course, you have super genes or have an athlete's body. 

While getting ready for bed most nights, I hear my next door neighbor, bringing out the pans and plates, hurrying to get dinner ready for the family. I also know someone who after taking a meal by 7pm must still eat another full meal before going to bed at 10pm. It is no wonder he is overweight. 

My advice :

Give your digestive tract a hand. Eat supper by 6pm, latest 7pm and not right before bedtime and your digestive system will feel less stressed. 

Afraid of Eating Nuts ? 

Most people who are trying to shed some weight avoid eating nuts altogether because of the high calorie content in them. Nuts are indeed high in good, healthy and essential fats. This fat is beneficial to dieters because it makes nuts quite filling, rids you of unhealthy cravings and prevents you from overeating. 

My advice:

Do replace your cravings for high sodium and processed snacks with a handful of boiled nuts, walnuts, almonds and cashews. 

Consuming a lot of Simple Carbs

Simple carbs are your white rice, white bread and white flour. Majority of us desperately want to lose weight and yet we still consume rice at least five(5)times a week and 'agege' bread every morning. This, will only lead  to weight gain and retention and, of course, the associated health risks. 

My advice :

Substitute your white carbs for healthy whole grains such as oats, wheat bread, whole grain 'no sugar' cereals and millet. 

Fruits are too Sweet and therefore, unhealthy 

Some see fruits as 'sugar lumps' and so consciously limit their consumption of them. Fruits, especially those that grow ripe on trees, are deliciously sweet and contain a high percentage of natural sugar, but they are also blessed with many added benefits such as vitamins, minerals and Fibre, which are all good for you. 

My advice :

Fruits are great. Don't limit your consumption of them. 

Having a Negative Body Image? 

In this age of social media, there's so much 'body shaming'  going on online and offline and this can lead to a negative self image. We all have a body feature we are not entirely comfortable with, but the sooner we accept and love our own bodies in a healthy and respectful way, the easier it would be to achieve our ideal weight.

There's more! Read part  1 of this post.