We all have unhealthy eating habits.  And, I must confess that even registered dietitians like me have several unhealthy eating habits and struggle to maintain a healthy weight.  But, as I mentioned in a previous post on planning for weight loss success, losing weight is the most common thing that women ask me about.  Additionally, women search online for information on weight loss more than any other health topic.

As a rule, I do not recommend any particular weight loss diet.  However, I do recommend strategies that empower and build confidence in your self-care and wellness journey.  And, recognizing and changing specific unhealthy eating habits can be a game-changer.  In this post, I discuss 9 unhealthy eating habits that many women cause women to struggle with.

One: Eating Too Fast

Does this sound familiar?  I am guilty of this.  Our fast-paced society rarely enjoys eating at a leisurely pace.  Eating too quickly is one of the unhealthy eating habits that’s keeping you fat.  And, the reason is that eating too fast leads to consuming too many calories.   Research shows that eating slowly is necessary for long-term weight maintenance.  In one of my blog posts on learning to eat slowly to lose weight, I outlined the benefits of eating slowly.

• Food tastes better
• Better digestion
• Stomach feels fuller sooner

Some strategies for eating slower include:

• Setting a timer
• Practicing with a snack
• Putting down utensils between bites
• Drinking water before and during meals

Two: Eating While Watching TV or On the Computer

If you’re like me, you often multitask while you eat.  We eat while we watch TV, work on the computer, scroll on our tablets or phones, and even while we drive.  Scientific evidence shows that this is one of the unhealthy eating habits that keep us fat.  A systematic literature review of 24 research studies found that limiting distraction while eating helps with eating less food, which can lead to losing weight and keeping it off.   

So, set aside 15-20 minutes to eat your meal at the table and take a break from the computer to eat your snack.  This is also a great time to bring back family mealtimes at the table.  Believe me, this is a hard one, but with practice, it will pay off.  

Three: Eating from Packages

Now, we are all guilty of eating out of containers.  While you may save time on cleaning up and washing the dishes, it is one of the big unhealthy eating habits that keep you fat.  And why is that?  Well, portion control is essential to losing weight.  And, when you eat from containers, all sense of portion control is gone.  Portion control is critical for weight loss. So, pause and scoop the ice cream in a dish, put the chips in a bowl, and pour the drink into a glass.

Four: Using Large Plates, Cups, and Bowls

Do you know that the size of the plates, cups, and bowls from which you eat has a significant impact on your weight and your waistline? A systematic review of several research studies found that people ate more food when served on larger dishes.  And, more food on the plate translate to more calories.  Do you know plate sizes?

• Bread and butter plate is 6-7 inches
• Lunch or dessert plate is typically 9 inches
• Dinner plate is 10-12 inches

I recommend that you eat all of your meals on a 9-inch plate, drink your juice and beverages from a 6- to 8-ounce glass, and put that one scoop of ice cream in a teacup.  Eating like this may sound ridiculous, but it will help you with portion control, which will lead to weight loss. And, no going back for seconds. Sigh.

Five: Skipping Meals

Have you ever skipped a meal or two on Monday because you overate on the weekend?   We’ve all been there a time or two.  However, regularly skipping breakfast or lunch is a lousy diet strategy.  Many people are surprised to hear that skipping meals is one of the unhealthy eating habits that keep them fat.  But here’s the catch—skipping meals slows your metabolism, which makes your body less efficient at burning calories.  Additionally, we all know too well that we are starved by the end of the day and are more likely to overeat at dinner or even late into the night.  

So, eat a small nutritious breakfast or lunch rather than skip a meal.  Examples include:

• Half of a sandwich
• A handful of almonds with a piece of fruit
• 8 ounces of Greek yogurt with chia seed or granola
• A protein shake

Six: Eating Too Much on Weekends

Most people justify overeating on the weekend because they stuck to their meal plan and were “good” all week.  But, eating healthy should not be seen as a punishment or a sacrifice.  One of the reasons why we eat too much on the weekend is one of the unhealthy eating habits that’s keeping you fat is that your time on the weekend is often less structured than on the weekdays. 

Weekends also means family meals, church potlucks, backyard cookouts, brunch with the girlfriends, and binging on TV shows while eating our favorite snacks. And let’s be honest, we also use the weekend to eat or drink whatever we want as a reward for surviving a tough week.  Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF) often turns into “anything goes.”

Seven: Snacking Late at Night

When you eat is just as important as what you eat when you want to lose weight.  Snacking at night after you’ve already had dinner is one of the unhealthy eating habits that’s keeping you fat.  Many people snack at night because of stress and boredom.  In fact, researchers found that people who are stressed tend to snack in the afternoon and evening. And, of course, this can lead to overeating and weight gain.

As a general rule, if you want to lose weight, I do not recommend eating after 7 pm.  And, if you are a stress eater, it is important for you to understand which of the 9 types of stress eaters that you are.

Eight: Drinking Your Calories

Drinking your calories is one of the unhealthy eating habits that’s keeping you fat.  Think of calories in beverages as liquid calories.  In fact, beverages are the main source of sugar intake in the diet.  And, these liquid calories add up. 

When you consume calories as solid food, you’re likely to balance things out by reducing the rest of your food intake later on.  But studies show that when people drink liquid calories, they don’t balance out their calorie intake later on.

Interestingly, the brain also does not detect the calories from beverages the same way it does from solid foods because liquid calories do not give the same sense of satiety and fullness as solid foods.  So, stop drinking your calories! High-calorie drinks include:

• Fruit juices
• Juice drinks
• Smoothies
• Soft drinks (sodas, pop, etc.)
• Sweet tea
• Flavored coffee drinks
• Alcohol
• Etc.

Nine: Not Drinking Enough Water

Many people confuse thirst with hunger.  So, that means that when you’re craving certain foods, your body could actually be dehydrated and craving water.  The adult body is about 60% water, which means that every cell, tissue, and organ needs water to survive.  Among other things, water:

• Regulates body temperature
• Eliminates waste as urine and feces
• Lubricates joints
• Aids exercise recovery
• Keeps skin supple
• Aids weight loss

So, how much water do you need?  Well, men and women have different fluid needs to keep their body functioning. 

• Women need about 11.5 (2.7 liters) of fluids a day
• Men need about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day  

Of course, we drink fluids (tea, coffee, juice, etc.) other than water.  But, the general recommendation to drink about eight cups of water (64 ounces total) a day is a good one. 

In addition to drinking water over sugary beverages, drinking water before and during meals will slow down your eating. It will also help you to feel fuller longer.

Best of all, plain water has zero calories.  However, you can also try adding slices of cucumber, celery, lemon, or your favorite fruit for a bit of flavor.

Now, It’s Your Turn

Well, I hope you feel more educated about the 9 unhealthy eating habits that are probably keeping you from losing weight or keeping the weight off.  Additionally, I think you will also enjoy the blog post on fad diets and 10 common weight loss myths, setting SMART goals to manage stress eating, and 12 tips for sticking to your meal plan at restaurants. 

1. Identify three of these unhealthy eating habits that you can stop doing right now.
2. Set aside 20 minutes today to practice eating slowly. 

Well, we look forward to hearing about your experience in the comment section of this blog.  And, you can join the conversation on the Keep It Tight Sisters Facebook Page.

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Keep It Tight Sisters.

Eat. Move. Breathe.