Mind Your Own Eating

You’ve probably heard the term “mindless eating” before. Mindless eating refers to the unconscious consumption of foods and beverages which usually leads to overeating. Several studies have shown that most of us frequently engage in some level of mindless eating. Yet, according to Brian Wansink, author of the book “Mindless Eating,” the answer for mindless eating doesn’t rest on controlling everything you put in your mouth. Of course, mindfulness is a good habit to nurture, but let’s face the fact that it is just too hard to maintain awareness at every single moment of our life. Imagine the monstrous amount of energy you’d have to put into your daily choices to practice mindfulness. Thus, instead of trying to be part of the “food police,” you could simply tweak the environment around you in order to favor better food choices.

Is Fast Weight-Loss Healthy?

Sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is a big, fat NO! It is a fact that most women would love to find a quick and easy way to shed a few pounds. However, there is no such thing as the magic pill, at least not yet.  I’m well aware that there are hundreds of products out there promising fast weight-loss. It is an impressive selection that goes from pills to shakes to shots. Their advertisements are everywhere, targeting women who are unhappy with their appearance, yet not confident that they can change it alone.

Change Your “Fattitudes”

Here is another book that I’d like to share with you: “Drop the Fat Act & Live Lean” by Ryan D. Andrews. Ryan is a registered dietician, strength and conditioning specialist, and a coach with Precision Nutrition. In this book, Ryan shares his experiences as a nutrition coach. He compiled a list of common behaviors (or should we call it “misbehaviors”) among unsuccessful “losers” and chronic dieters (people who are always on a diet but don’t seem to drop a single pound). Following is just a taste of what he discovered:

Get It Done Now!

“I’ll do it tomorrow, next Monday, next month…” Of course, we wish to improve (exercise more, eat better, quit smoking, etc.), but life is so busy that it is hard to accomplish everything we want in one day. So, we postpone it (once more). The problem is that procrastination can become a (bad) habit, impeding you from achieving your best. Why does it happen so often? Do we lack the drive to move forward, or are we just overwhelmed by the change?

Switch: An Interesting Approach to Change

When it comes to health and lifestyle habits, most of us are always trying to improve something. It may be to exercise more, eat healthier or simply lose a few pounds. Although accomplishing these goals may seem easy at first, many people discover that it takes a lot of effort to get anywhere near them. Why is change so hard? Why can’t we just turn on some switch inside our minds and start behaving the way we want?

Are You Sabotaging Yourself?

We are surrounded by ads, TV shows, and magazine articles that assure us that changing is easy. Take weight-loss as an example. The media say that all we need is a little willpower (and whatever they are selling, of course), and we will join the club of successful losers. My question is that if it is that easy, why isn’t everyone able to accomplish it? Lack of willpower, you would say. I beg to differ. The truth is that many people have a hard time sustaining change. It is not that they don’t want to change or that they don’t know what to do. The problem is adhering to their (own) plans. More often than not, people try to change too many things at once and end up getting quickly overwhelmed. Then they think, “I don’t know why I started this. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’m such a failure.”

Take Over Control to Achieve Your Goals

Did you know that lack of time is the number one reason for not exercising or indulging in not-so-healthy foods? I understand that time constraints may be a real problem, especially when you have a very busy life. However, waiting for an opportunity to have more time in order to engage in healthier behaviors is not a realistic option. The truth is that as we grow older, life tends to get more complicated (job, marriage, kids, and so on). Finding time to exercise and eating healthy may become a big challenge.  Don’t blame your (lack of) willpower for all the New Year’s resolutions that you didn’t fulfill when the actual problem may be time management.

Increasing the Odds of Successful Change

Have you been struggling to maintain a healthy behavior such as exercising regularly or eating more fruits and vegetables? If so, you might not be completely ready for it just yet. The problem is that having an intention to change a particular aspect of your lifestyle usually is not enough. Besides, it is common to be overly optimistic when you set a goal. Most people set goals thinking of the perfect world (in which there are no family emergencies, work obligations, or social events) and purposefully ignore potential barriers to the new behavior. Unfortunately, this approach only sets you up for failure.

Lifelong Learning – A Survival Strategy

Human beings go through several physical and mental changes during their lifetime. From the moment we are born, we are constantly learning new skills that enable us to adapt to our ever-changing body, mind, and environment. This means that as we grow older, our bodies’ needs and limitations suffer considerable modifications. In addition, our interests and priorities continue to evolve throughout our life. Things that were important to you when you were a teenager will probably become irrelevant as you grow older.

The Qualities of a Successful “Loser”

We live in times where everything is fast: fast-food, fast money, fast delivery, fast weight-loss… In the information era, people are used to getting what they want with the snap of their fingers. No one wants to wait; we want it and we want it now. Unfortunately, this attitude reflects on many aspects of our lives, from simple purchases to lifestyle choices. No wonder there are so many people in trouble financially or in poor health. We are constantly driven by instant pleasure and satisfaction. The problem is that more often than not, the state of happiness lasts only for a few moments. As it fades, it leaves a feeling of emptiness, creating the need for more.

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