Five Habits That Cause Weight Gain

If you are overweight and cannot seem to lose weight no matter how hard you try, it might be time to examine your habits. A great quote from Emerson Ralph Waldo puts it into perspective " Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." If we are sowing the wrong habits we set ourselves up for ultimate failure. Below are five habits that may be sabotaging your weight loss goals.

1. Too much TV: Are you aware of how much time you spend in front of the TV? It is easy to come home from work and park ourselves in front of the TV for hours at a time. One of the reasons this works against our weight loss goals is the advertisers of junk food and fast food are good, the reason advertisers pay millions of dollars for ads is because it works. Even the healthiest individuals can succumb to temptations. You are also burning very few calories while viewing TV. Plus most of us eat unhealthy snacks while watching TV and we don't monitor portion control.

2. We Skip Breakfast: Skipping breakfast is linked to obesity. By not having breakfast you are more likely to eat more at other meals. Eating a small healthy breakfast will give you more energy for morning activities, so you will burn more fat.

3. Eating Three Large Meals: Studies have shown that it is better for weight loss to eat six small meals daily than to eat two or three large ones. Eating six small meals spread out over the entire day, helps regulate blood sugar and control cravings. Just be sure that the meals are small and total up to your needed calories intake.

4. Not getting enough Sleep: If you are in the habit of staying up late and not getting enough sleep then you may be causing your body to store weight. Many studies show a correlation between your weight gain and sleep deprivation. If you are tired in the morning and feeling sluggish you may want to try and get an extra hour or two of sleep. It's hard to exercise and be productive if you are tired.

5. Eating Fast Food: This one is a no brainer. If you are going through a drive through for your lunch or dinner, than you are definitely going in the wrong direction in the pursuit of your weight loss goals. Prepare healthy meals ahead of time and take them with you.

Once you identify the habits that cause weight gain, you can then go about the process of fixing the issues. You do not have to fix all your bad habits at once. Trying to do too much can overwhelm you. Instead take one habit and decide to change it. To break the bad habit you have to replace it with a more productive habit. As an example if you watch too much TV, start scheduling your viewing; make it no more than 2 hours a day. Replace the remaining time with more healthy alternatives, like going for walks, runs or to the gym. Stick with the new plan for at least 21 days, once you have made it this far you have created a new and healthy habit. After 21 days you can start working on the next habit you would like to change.

Mark L Crews invites you to learn more about weight loss and receive the free report "Six Pack Abs Revealed" by visiting http://www.workoutover40.com

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