The top 5 bad eating habits you may be making.

08 Apr The top 5 bad eating habits you may be making.

As the songs goes “can’t help myself….bad habits.” We all have some and they often relate to how and what we eat.

Around five years ago, I realised I had slowly stacked on 10 kilos over the years and had never weighed so much in my life. I thought being an instructor I could eat whatever I wanted and exercise would compensate for whatever I was eating – how wrong I was!

I soon realised I had fallen into some really bad habits without even realising it and I had to make some serious changes to what I was eating if I was to reverse this. So here are my top 5 personal and practical most common eating mistakes people make (including myself):

1. A poor breakfast

There is an old saying, you eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch and a pauper for dinner. Unfortunately I was not eating anything like a king – my breakfast consisted of turkish bread (lathered with butter), or a croissant (with more butter) and a big glass of orange juice. Yikes. No wonder the weight creeped up on me.

Most breakfast cereals are not much better than sugar treats, so I stuck to Weetbox or rolled oats with berries and some fruit or as many veggies as I could pack in – tomatoes, baby spinach, eggs, avocado, mushrooms – this is the breakfast of champions.

There is a reason why breakfast is called the most important meal of the day. Think about when you are about to go on a long drive – you would ensure the tank was full of petrol, the wheels were pumped up and the car had been properly serviced to run efficiently and economically and get you to your destination. It is the same with your body, make sure you fill it up with great food so you have the energy for the rest of the day.

2. Serving portions being way too big!

My eyes were often bigger than my tummy – I would pile the plate sky high with food and then as soon as I had finished, I would be off for seconds. No wonder I was having horrible stomach cramps afterwards and feeling so bloated through the day.

Our stomachs aren’t that big so think carefully about how much you are eating. Make a fist – that should probably be the amount of meat, poultry and fish you should have (but don’t be afraid to load up on veggies and salads).

I ended up halving my usual serving size and then waiting 20 minutes before going for seconds. That is the time it takes for your brain to get the message that your stomach is full. If you still feel hungry, have some more but you may be surprised that you actually don’t need a second serving after all.

3. Having treats too often

Treats should be just that, a treat to have now and then. But I found they were creeping into my daily meals.

Big slices of turkish bread lathered with butter, pasta with creamy sauces, chips, wine, chocolates, biscuits and cake. These are the things that should only be consumed now and then, not every day.

You have to spoil yourself, that is what life is about. But make sure it is once or twice during the week. Have a few pieces of chocolate, share a dessert, enjoy that wine – you will appreciate it more when it is saved for a special occasion.

4. Not reading the labels

I have 20 years marketing experience so I should know the marketing tricks that companies use to entice people to purchase their brands.

But here I was buying items because they were promoted as “healthy”, “fat free”, “lite,” “fruity” and so on. Hey they say it is good for me so it must be right?

So I started taking a closer look and reading the nutrition labels –  I was astounded as to what I was actually consuming. Don’t ever rely on the health claims made – check the first three items on the label as they are listed from largest to smallest – if the first three items contain saturated fat, sodium (or salt) or sugar – give it a wide birth.

Oh and one other tip, sugar and fat come in many different forms – fat can be listed as animal fat/oil, beef fat, butter, chocolate, milk solids, coconut, coconut oil/milk/cream, copha, cream, ghee, dripping, lard, suet, palm oil, sour cream, vegetable shortening. Sugar can also be referred to as dextrose, fructose, glucose, golden syrup, honey, maple syrup, sucrose, malt, maltose, lactose, brown sugar, caster sugar, maple syrup, raw sugar, sucrose.

I know it can be confusing but it is important you take the time to understand exactly what you are putting into your body.

5. Too much junk and not enough good stuff

I always ask any new clients to keep a food diary for a couple of weeks to keep track of what they are eating. So I did the same and I was horrified as to how much crap I was eating on a regular basis. So I had to make some big substitutions:

• No more butter – using avocados instead
• No more garlic bread – having salads instead
• Reducing the amount of white rice – more veggies
• No more Turkish bread and croissants for breakfast – Weetbix with frozen berries
• Getting rid of tomato sauce and other condiments
• Reducing the amount of chips, chocolates and so forth – just once or twice a week

It is amazing how making some minor adjustments to your diet can really impact your body. So do review of what is in your fridge, freezer or pantry – chuck out the crap and fill it with healthy food instead.

Never diet – just eat healthy. Stick with the guidelines recommended for daily consumption – 5 servings of veggies, 2 servings of fruit, 6 servings of grains, 2.5 servings of lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds or beans, 2.5 servings of yoghurt, milk, cheese and drink lots of water.

It did take a change in mindset and my body was in a bit of shock for a while but in the long run, I dropped 10 kilos and have never felt stronger, fitter or healthier. And as I keep saying, your body is the most important thing you will ever own so make sure it is in the best shape it can be.