Addictive foods
Typically, these are desserts, sodas, chips, fries, chocolate, or ice cream – foods you have a special relationship with. They vary person to person but all have several common characteristics. They are calorie dense, highly attractive, and easy to overeat. Their biggest danger lies in their ability to change your behaviour and undermine your determination to make better dietary choices.
Getting rid of them is tricky. First, you have to avoid being hungry. Having satiating and nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day will help a lot. Second, you have to get the dopamine hit from somewhere else. Choose other, healthier foods you enjoy, or find time for enjoyable activities every day to treat yourself without food.
Alcohol
Alcohol is often overlooked when trying to lose weight. After all, a glass of wine a day supposedly has health benefits and helps you relax. The problem with alcohol is that it doesn’t feel like a part of your diet. The opposite is true. Alcohol brings a lot of calories and virtually no nutrients and even moderate drinking is associated with worse sleep quality and stalled weight loss. So, while the occasional drink won’t hurt once you’re at your optimal weight, it might be a burden on your weight loss journey.
Unsustainable diet plans
Many diets are very effective at producing amazing weight loss initially but aren’t sustainable over the long term. Quick results are attractive but the inevitable yo-yo effect will set you even further back than you were before. It’s essential to also plan your transition to a diet that works, fits your lifestyle, goals, and that you’re willing to continue with indefinitely. Small changes you will stick to are better than the best diet plan you will abandon.
The following articles in this series will help you find those small and effective changes and a few weight loss friendly recipes too.
